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Incumbent Democrat June Atkinson held a commanding lead over GOP challenger John Tedesco in the race for superintendent of public instruction late Tuesday night.
Atkinson, leading by nearly 9 percentage points with 77 of 100 counties reporting, said she was excited to be able to continue working for the state. Atkinson and Tedesco, a member of the Wake County school board, competed for the chance to run the state Department of Public Instruction for the next four years.
On her way to winning a third term, Atkinson emphasized improved graduation rates, which topped 80 percent this year. She has criticized Tedesco as inexperienced and for having a “cloud of chaos” surrounding him. The state’s largest school district is in upheaval over changing student assignment plans.
Tedesco painted Atkinson as part of a Democratic old-guard that is out of step with the Republican-controlled legislature. Tedesco said he wanted to reorganize the department and its 900 full-time and part-time employees to reduce agency costs and redirect more money to local districts.
This is a crucial time for public education and DPI, with teachers using a new curriculum, the state in the middle of implementing changes required by its Race to the Top grant, and the legislature contemplating a way to use public funds to pay for private schools.
Atkinson said Tuesday night that she has a good working relationship with legislative leaders.
Staff writers Lynn Bonner and Austin Baird
