Penny Carter King, candidate for Orange County Board of Education
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Candidates for Orange County Board of Education
Who are the candidates running for the Orange County Board of Education? At least two new members will be elected to replace retiring board members Hillary MacKenzie and Brenda Stephens. Get to know your candidates with our Voter Guide.
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Seven people are running in the May 17 primary to fill four seats on the nonpartisan Orange County Board of Education.
School district parent and volunteer Penny Carter King is running against incumbent board members Will Atherton and Sarah Smylie, and four other challengers, Bethni Lee, Anne Purcell, André Richmond and Ashley Wheeler.
An eighth candidate, Garfield “Garen” McClure, will appear on the ballot, but told The News & Observer that he was dropping out of race on March 14.
Board member Hillary MacKenzie and board Vice Chair Brenda Stephens, whose terms end this year, are not seeking reelection.
Early voting in the primary begins April 28 and runs through May 14.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit co.orange.nc.us/1720/Elections or contact the Board of Elections at 919-245-2350 or vote@orangecountync.gov.
Name: Penny Carter King
Age: 49
Occupation: Pharmaceutical research, AbbVie Pharmaceuticals
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in business, Elon College
Political or civic experience: Orange County School Improvement Committee, Grady A. Brown PTA (past president)
Campaign website: pennycarterking.com
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Dawn Simmons Talley, Reginald Carter, and Stephen and Susan Halkiotis
Why do you want to serve on the Orange County school board?
My experience as a parent and as a longtime volunteer in the Orange County Schools system has provided me with the opportunity to observe the various challenges facing our students and our schools. I believe there are workable solutions that can address these challenges, and I want to help do this.
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
▪ Teacher/staff morale
▪ Improved communication with parents
▪ Student achievement
In 2020-2021, Orange County Schools performance indicated that only 40.3% of students were grade level proficient. Maybe some of this is COVID-19 related, but we cannot let it continue. As a member of the school board, I plan to work with other board members to create a community-wide shared vision. We need to set goals for how the district improves student achievement and create the conditions and direct the resources for accelerating improvement. We all need to hold the system accountable to high and equitable achievement for all students and communicate needs and progress of students to the community. An effective school board leadership significantly influences student achievement. We should provide training and leadership to raise student achievement and advocate for all the students in the district.
What are the Orange County Schools doing right? What are they doing wrong or missing?
Orange County Schools is doing a good job on equity in our schools, but still has a way to go. The only way we are going to reach equity in our schools is through an excellent school system. Doing wrong: We have a district history of internal political conflict and a lack of focus on student achievement. We have a very high staff turnover rate and retention rate. We are not listening to the parents and the community.
How should the board address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion among staff and students?
The only way we are going to reach equity in our schools is through an excellent school system. Right now, we don’t have this. What we do have is a system that is behind in proficiency. The only way to have equity in our schools is through a solid education and solid educators that make good choices for our students and provide them with great opportunities. Equity and quality in schools are based on a foundation that embraces the perspective that all children can learn. Schools must be an incubator that grow students into productive, empathic and responsible adults. The impact that schools have on our communities affect the way our society evolves. We all need to hold the system accountable to high and equitable achievement for our students.
This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 2:05 PM.
