Honoria Middough is one of several candidates in this fall’s Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education race, with the local teacher sharing her reasoning for seeking her first elected office.
Middough is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Durham Public Schools, having spent more than a decade in the school system and serving as a department chair. As a parent of a recent CHCCS graduate, she said she supports the direction the district has taken with its latest strategic plan, which was enacted by Superintendent Nyah Hamlett’s administration ahead of the 2022-23 school year. Middough pointed to its consideration of teachers in the classroom and in their roles as family members, as well as its core values of social justice action, community engagement, and efficacy.
“Even with these positives,” she wrote to Chapelboro, “there exists an opportunity for our school district to grow forward in its efforts to maintain an equitable academic experience for all of its students while simultaneously doing even more for those who spend the most time during their days delivering instruction, counseling, feeding, and otherwise caring for our community’s children.”
Middough added that, as a candidate, she stands out because her experience helps inform her on how to advocate for CHCCS’ educators, students, and families. She said she wishes to preserve and improve the “phenomenal” district and to do that, it required running for office.
“Being engaged with public education throughout the state has afforded me a special vantage that would be highly beneficial to the perspective of CHCCS policy going forward,” said Middough. “We are at a collective intersection and I aim to challenge myself by doing my part; running for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education is an expression of, and in my own way, an active version of, me doing my part.”
In addition to her time in the classroom, Middough said she has also served as member of the North Carolina Associated of Educators since 2014 and received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2018.
Sixteen other candidates join Middough on the ballot this fall for CHCCS’ Board of Education. Four seats are open with four-year terms, as the race drew 12 other challenger candidates alongside Middough and three incumbents. Early voting for the election, and other municipal races in Orange County, will begin on Thursday, October 19. Election Day across North Carolina for 2023 local races is on Tuesday, November 7.
For a full list of races Chapelboro is covering this local election cycle, click here. Additional coverage on candidates can be found on the Local Elections page, as well as other updates in the races as the election cycle continues this fall.
Photo via Middough for Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board.
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