Guilford Educators Recount Mo Green’s Memorable Leadership

When voters head to the polls in November there may be no clearer choice than in the race for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. This statewide constitutional office is charged with leading North Carolina’s more than 2,500 public schools. Ensuring a high-quality education for 1.5 million students each year is a challenge for anyone, and not a responsibility to take lightly. 

In 2024, only one candidate has the experience to lead our state’s public schools — Maurice “Mo” Green.  

Mo Green has a long and distinguished record in North Carolina public schools, leading North Carolina’s third largest school district, Guilford County, for more than seven years as Superintendent. Prior to Guilford, he served in several leadership roles with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. 

Talking to several Guilford educators about Green’s tenure in GCS, there was a common theme: Mo Green is a great listener. 

“He visited every school in the first few months of his employment and actually talked with us—the people in the classrooms and work sites,” recounted special ed teacher Amy Harrison.  

“Mo Wants to Know” was the name of the listening series Green instituted upon moving to Guilford County. Listening to educators, students, parents, and administrators, he heard first-hand accounts of what was happening in schools all over the district. Those listening sessions, which continued throughout his tenure, not only helped Green identify priorities, but boosted optimism and morale among those that had a stake in the public schools. 

“When I saw him at an event years later, he greeted me by name and asked if I was still at the same school,” said Harrison. “This made me feel like I was more than just an employee. He listened to our concerns, and it made me feel proud of the work I do.” 

Mo Green was also open to talking directly with the leadership of the Guilford County Association of Educators, including his work to lead the charge against the state legislature’s 2014 attempt to revoke teacher tenure.  

That’s exactly the kind of leadership North Carolina educators need in the next Superintendent—someone willing to listen. After years of growing attrition and falling morale, we need more attention paid to the voices from within our school communities. 

“[Mo Green] gave students and teachers a voice and a direct line of communication to the Superintendent,” said Shana Richards, school counselor at the A&T Four Middle College, pointing to the creation of a Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) and the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee (SAC).  

Years later, those qualities remain top-of-mind for veteran Guilford educators and explain why they are so elated to have their old boss running to be the new boss of North Carolina’s public schools.