Ashley Wheeler, candidate for Orange County Board of Education

Seven people are running in the May 17 primary to fill four seats on the nonpartisan Orange County Board of Education.

Registered nurse Ashley Wheeler is running against incumbent board members Will Atherton and Sarah Smylie, and four other challengers, Penny Carter King, Bethni Lee, Anne Purcell, and André Richmond.

An eighth candidate, Garfield “Garen” McClure, will appear on the ballot, but told The News & Observer that he was dropping out of the 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: Ashley Wheeler

Age: 44

Occupation: Registered nurse, emergency department

Education: Associate in Occupational Studies, The Culinary Institute of American; certificate, Watts School of Nursing

Political or civic experience: Some prior attendance at events in the community, but no committed civic work.

Campaign website: ashleywheelerforoc.org

Who are your top three campaign contributors? All contributions have been less than $200 and have come from individuals in the community and my family.

Why do you want to serve on the Orange County school board?

I am a mom with roots in this community, and I bring a unique and valuable perspective, along with energy, commitment, and determination. My experiences with my own children in OCS, and my experiences in the health care setting, have shown me the powerful role that parents can play as advocates for their children, the many challenges the diverse families in our communities face daily, and the incredible discrepancies that can form in a system when we don’t look critically at our systems, practices, and policies. We have an obligation to support our public schools as they work to eliminate inequities and develop students capable of leading in an increasingly complex world. This requires vision, collaboration, and humility, and I am ready to ensure our board continues with a number of the strategic priorities set over the last few years.

What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.

My three top priorities are:

▪ Ensuring a safe and welcoming school environment.

▪ Continuing on the path toward excellence through equity.

▪ Attracting and retaining exceptional teachers and support staff.

Teacher recruitment is a challenge facing the entire state, but our county has a lot to offer educators. I value relationships and support partnering with local schools of education and HBCUs to understand how we can continue to make (Orange County) an attractive option for teachers.

I support improving school climate by focusing on building trust and collaboration between teachers, administrators, staff, and parents. We can retain our most talented teachers when they feel fully supported by everyone in the community. I will develop and support board policies that respect the autonomy of educators to best meet the needs of their diverse student population. I support the recruitment and retention of teacher assistants and support staff. A critical piece of this will be increasing teaching assistant wages.

What are the Orange County Schools doing right? What are they doing wrong or missing?

I have been impressed by the OCS strategic plan and the commitment to equity. As we emerge from the challenging climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am grateful to the district for the hard work and commitment shown to our students.

Much like other districts in our state (and across the nation), we face challenges around student achievement, teacher retention, and infrastructure. Our ability to address these challenges will require identifying short-term priorities where we know we can make a difference, while working toward longer-term goals that may take years to achieve. Funding and school climate are major factors with these challenges, and so advocacy at a local and state level, while working directly to improve teacher, staff, and administrator relationships, will be critical activities.

How should the board address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion among staff and students?

The board should continue in the direction of policy advancements that the current board has made, including the equity statement and gender support policy.

This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 3:08 PM.

Tammy Grubb

The News & Observer

919-829-8926

Tammy Grubb has written about Orange County’s politics, people and government since 2010. She is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumna and has lived and worked in the Triangle for over 30 years.