JUNE ST. CLAIR ATKINSON

RALEIGH

What she says:

* Will work closely with the State Board of Education, educators, local leaders, elected officials, professional organizations, and parents to ensure our children are prepared for a global economy.

* Will continue to lead and support initiatives to ensure that every child is a high school graduate prepared for work, further education and citizenship.

What she has done:

* Served as state school superintendent since August 2005.

* Worked as a high school business teacher and has spent much of her time working in career and technical education.

EDDIE DAVIS

DURHAM

What he says:

* Attack the state's 20,000-student annual drop-out rate by providing more vocational and technical course offerings in middle and high schools.

* "Recapture" dropouts by creating programs such as The Sons and Daughters of the Phoenix. Using regional alternative schools, these programs would give second chances to dropouts who have matured and gained more vision.

What he has done:

* Lobbied on education issues as president of the N.C. Association of Educators.

* Taught for 30 years, much of that time as an English teacher at Hillside High in Durham.

(Research and Information Compiled by Reporters Kinea White-Epps, T. Keung Hui, and Sam Wineka, and Researcher Becky Ogburn)