Michael T. Williams, candidate for Wake County Board of Education District 4
Name: Michael T. Williams
Political party: Unaffiliated
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 50
Campaign website: docwilliamsforwake.com
Occupation: Education consultant
Education: Ed. D. in education administration
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity; member of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; member of National Alliance of Black School Educators; member of Kappa Delta Pi International Education Honor Society; member of Correctional Education Association
Why do you want to serve on the Wake County Board of Education?
To advocate for equitable resources for our schools. To engage community stakeholders in the administration and oversight of our schools. To support our students, staff, and parents as they share their challenges, concerns, and commendations with our schools and to inspire our students by leading the initiative to name our schools.
What are the Wake County Public Schools doing well?
Providing adequate facilities for our students, communicating with the public regarding our needs, creating programs to prepare our students for the diverse career fields which may be available to them upon graduation.
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
Ensuring that every student, in every class, has access to a qualified instructor, and adequate resources to meet their instructional needs. Maximize the available funding by sharing noninstructional resources with county agencies, pursuing grants and private funding and soliciting corporate sponsorships. Bolster school safety by immersing all students into the school culture, increasing mental health and aggressively encouraging see something, say something campaigns.
What should the district do in response to calls to remove books from schools that some say are inappropriate for students?
Determine the instructional value of the books that are in the library. Poll the community to assess the appropriateness of the books in the libraries. Solicit the types of books they would like to have in the libraries. Assess their appropriateness and make replacements as resources become available.
How should schools discuss issues involving discrimination based on race, gender and other factors?
By encouraging students to respect their peers without regard to how they look, who they love, how they live and the way they learn.
How would you go about making schools safer in the aftermath of school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas?
Enhancing the physical implements we have used since Columbine to include cameras, electric doors, controlling access to the building, etc., coupled with adding mental health professionals, and transforming our schools into inclusive environments where everyone feels as though they belong.
What would you do to try to address student learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic?
Encouraging and incentivizing use of technological resources during non-school hours, using available resources to extend the school day to offer remedial and supplemental resources, and partnering with community agencies and organizations to provide enrichment activities for the students who reside in their communities
What’s the appropriate level of funding that should be provided to Wake County schools?
The amount needed to achieve the expected academic outcomes for our students after federal, state, private, and corporate resources have been solicited.
