State Superintendent of Public Instruction Race 2012
Would you like to know more about the 2012
State Superintendent of Public Race of North Carolina?
We've got you covered.
Please check out our video of the League of Women Voter's Candidates Forum in Raleigh, N.C. On our Publications page we also have a podcast of "Cool Politics in the Morning" a conversation between real N.C. State University students about the race and its context.
Continue reading below for a press release of the candidate forum we attended!
Tedesco and Atkinson in the Ring
Raleigh, N.C.- The State Superintendent of Public Instruction race came to a close in North Carolina on November 6th with a decisive victory by incumbent Democrat June Atkinson over challenger John Tedesco. Atkinson’s victory indicated that North Carolina voters were not persuaded by Tedesco’s calls for change in education policy in North Carolina and proved that voters valued experience over expression.
Atkinson finished with 52.24% of the vote, with Tedesco earning just 45.76%. But the results didn’t reflect the true nature of this campaign. The two candidates varied on a number of key issues. This led to a number of verbal back-and-forths between Atkinson and Tedesco, both on the campaign trail and in debates.
This was readily apparent at the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Forum held on October 14th at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Raleigh.
The forum began with the candidates exchanging pleasantries and thanking the audience, but the rhetoric took a harsher tone when the candidates discussed their respective job qualifications.
Tedesco, the former vice-chairman of the Wake County board of education, argued that he had the necessary experience for the position, having worked in a leadership position in the largest school district in the state. Tedesco also serves as the President and CEO of the North Carolina Center for Education Reform which he cited as having bolstered his leadership qualities and given him the proper business experience to allocate finances effectively.
Atkinson fired back at these comments by reminding those in attendance of her educational background and her time as an educator. Atkinson received her M.S. in Vocational and Technical education from Virginia Tech and a Doctorate in educational leadership from North Carolina State University. Atkinson also mentioned that she understands the plight of teachers in the state, having worked as a High School teacher in Roanoke, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina. This led her to one of her main talking points throughout her campaign—that she is the only candidate in the race with all the necessary experiential qualities for the position.
Tedesco then set to differentiate himself from Atkinson on the role the federal government should play in the North Carolina school system. Tedesco came out strong on this issue, promoting a more conservative agenda. Tedesco argued that the federal government should decrease its role in education and that North Carolina should strive to reduce the bureaucracy in the education system. He implied that Atkinson was part of this bureaucracy and that North Carolina needed a change at the top to get results.
“If you do what you always do, you get what you always get” Tedesco said.
Atkinson disagreed with Tedesco on this issue, saying that the federal funds were necessary to support certain programs in schools, like child nutrition initiatives. This campaign message was consistent with initiatives supported by the Obama administration, further separating Atkinson from the Tea Party activist Tedesco.
Atkinson also cited research on how North Carolina has improved during her tenure as State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“The graduation rate has gone from 68% to 80% during my time in office,” Atkinson said.
She then mentioned studies that have stated that North Carolina is far ahead of other states in student development, particularly in early childhood education. Atkinson implied that her leadership in the SPI helped make this possible.
Tedesco continued to attack Atkinson after these comments, embracing his role as the challenger to the Democratic Party status-quo. He emphasized the Republican controlled legislature in North Carolina and how Atkinson has become part of the Democratic Party old guard that came to define North Carolina politics in the last decade. This was an attempt by Tedesco to connect June Atkinson to lame-duck governor Bev Perdue, whose time as Governor was very unpopular among North Carolina citizens. By painting himself as a conservative leader, he also was connecting himself with gubernatorial frontrunner Pat McCrory in hopes of receiving coattail votes.
Tedesco had come under much scrutiny as Vice-Chairman of the Wake County board of education over his plan to end school busing. Tedesco’s reform plan was so controversial that he received criticism on the popular faux-conservative political comedy show The Colbert Report. Wake County had previously been lauded for its initiatives in school diversity by busing students from low-income areas to schools that would have otherwise been predominantly wealthy.
“I support kids going to school in their neighborhood” Tedesco said.
Atkinson referenced the issues that Tedesco faced during the Wake County controversy, making sure to paint Tedesco as a controversial candidate.
“My opponent has a cloud of chaos around him” she said. “I find it important kids learn to work with people who do not look like them.”
The cloud of chaos was one of the main reasons that Atkinson felt that she was more qualified for the position than Tedesco. She continued to make note of this throughout their discussion of issues and made sure to compare it to her own experience during the closing portions of the debate.
Atkinson again stressed her educational background as being most important in the race and stated that the difference between her and her opponent was stark.
“I have the educational experience, I have a record of accomplishment, I have a record of collaboration, unlike my opponent who has a cloud of chaos around him,” she said. “If I were to send a child on plane from here to California, I would want to the pilot to have the experience… preparation… and record of accomplishment in landing that plane.”
Tedesco also looked to differentiate himself in closing.
“I can respect the experience of my opponent, but my opponent has been inside the Raleigh bureaucracy since 1976. There’s been a lot going on outside since then,” he said. “I bring a different perspective.”
Tedesco came out of the debate cementing himself as a true conservative and as a strong debater, but Atkinson was the clear winner on the issues. While Tedesco was able to make his points in a more direct and concise manner, Atkinson made her experience a priority and successfully connected Tedesco to his controversy in Wake County.
And it
showed on election day.
By Graham Anson
