News-Record.com

I'd go with Mo.

Maurice "Mo" Green is the better choice of the two finalists to lead Guilford County Schools, in my opinion.

My impression is based on listening to both speak and answer questions at a public meeting yesterday evening.

Green and Shirley Prince spent all day in Guilford County, meeting and greeting. I'm sure each won supporters, maybe in nearly equal numbers.

Ultimately, only 11 people count -- the members of the Board of Education who will select one or the other, maybe later today. But I hope they're getting plenty of feedback from constituents and will consider what they hear.

Both candidates handled the public session very well, and both used their opening statements to tackle concerns about their experience: that Green isn't an educator and Prince leads a very small school system.

"Let's address that question right up front and not beat around the bush," said Green, a lawyer who became general counsel to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before being promoted to deputy superintendent and chief operating officer.

He spoke about his mother, who became a teacher after her husband's death. "I revere educators," he said. He talked about community agencies he serves, many dealing with children's welfare. "This is something that's within me. I am where I am supposed to be in education."

Prince, superintendent in Scotland County since 1999, detailed her background as a teacher then administrator in New Hanover and Gaston counties -- giving her experience in larger systems. In Scotland, she's a "hands-on" superintendent, dealing with every facet of operations and administration. She would bring "the best of both worlds" to Guilford.

She didn't convince me on that point. I'm sure Prince is an effective hands-on leader, and she talked passionately about workiing with principals to make sure they can do their jobs effectively, but she only has 20 schools in Scotland County. The superintendent can't develop personal relationships with more than 100 principals in Guilford County. There are too many demands to take that hands-on approach to every part of the job.

Guilford County is a rough-and-tumble place for a superintendent, who has to get along with countless constituencies but can't be a pleaser. He or she has to accept that hard decisions will always make someone unhappy but push ahead anyway.

Green looks like he's made of stern stuff. He's been through battles in Charlotte-Meck as the right-hand man of a superintendent who came in to make big changes. And, by the way, that superintendent, Peter Gorman, showed up yesterday to demonstrate his support for Green. That said a lot.

Green speaks slowly, deliberately, choosing his words carefully and repeating phrases he wants to emphasize. Sometimes he refers to himself in the third person. When he doesn't have an answer, he readily says so. I never suspected he was faking it.

He repeatedly stressed the need to set high expectations -- for academic achievement, student behavior and for himself.

"We have to be excellent. Our students deserve nothing less. I require and demand excellence of myself. I am a 24-7 hardworking guy for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools ... and I expect the same from others ... of everyone and especially our students ... good is not good enough.

"Whatever your expectations are for me, mine will be substantially higher."

Related: school climate.

"I don't know that we are holding our students to the level that we should. We allow too much mess to go on."

It bothers him to see students walking around without books in their hands. How can they come to school without books? Let's change that, "and we'll work on opening them later."

Green frequently uses the expression "call the question." It means demanding accountability, getting things done.

In Charlotte-Meck, it means pushing for results at low-performing schools. "We reconstituted four high schools last year," Green said. They send in accomplished principals and let them pick their own top staff. Everyone else has to reapply for their positions. Those hired get substantial pay supplements, but to keep them they have to meet their goals.

"I am in favor of pay for performance, I truly am," he said.

Other comments ...

On neighborhood schools:

"I'm a big fan of having integrated schools. However, I'm a bigger fan of having kids wherever they are being educated to the highest levels." There's "something fundamentally right" about sending kids to school down the street. In the famous Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education integration case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971, attorney Green reminded, the plaintiffs just wanted their kids to go to their neighborhood school.

On working with principals: "I am your servant. The role I play is to serve you. You're doing the work."

On his first hundred days: "I don't come in with a Mo Green plan of action. I don't have one." He'll learn and listen and work with others to develop a plan to achieve community goals for the schools.

On the pace of progress:

"You're not likely to see a plan that has incremental progress for our students. If that's what you want, then send me back to Charlotte because that's not what I'm about."

Prince promised a fast start: "I have a pre-transition plan." She'd meet with senior staff and stakeholders, begin evaluating programs, seek a retreat with the board of education, develop a strategic plan "and launch it in the first 100 days."

She, too, believes in accountability for results. She sees good preschool programs as critical for ultimate success and noted the importance of removing obstacles to learning -- like untended health problems. Parents are responsible for taking an interest in their children's education, making sure they get enough rest and get to school on time. She favors flexibility in scheduling, especially when it comes to making sure high school students pass the state tests required for graduation. Some might learn enough U.S. history in 60 days to pass, Prince said by way of example, while others might need a whole year. If schools don't take extra steps, dropout rates will skyrocket.

On where she'd like to see GCS in five years: "I would see a school system where close to 100 percent of kids are graduating, and not only are they graduating, they are graduating college-ready."

That's a quick summary. I thought GCS might come up with a candidate who'd led a good-sized school district to some dramatic gains in academic achievement. Neither Green nor Prince fits the bill. I think Prince probably does a very good job in Scotland County. Green is a key player in taking some bold initiatives in Charlotte-Meck, but the jury is out on results.

Green strikes me as more capable of meeting the personal challenges that a superintendent will face here. I detect good instincts, good values, an ability to shape ideas and the skills to work within this sometimes stormy politically atmosphere. There is a calmness and strength of character apparent that would serve him well.

If I had a vote, it would go to Mo.