Election 2023: CMS school board
All the info you need to cast an informed vote
Welcome to the Charlotte Ledger Election Hub for the 2023 general election.
◼️ This page contains information on the races for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
You can find information on other items on the ballot — the Charlotte City Council and mayor’s race and the school bonds referendum — on our general Election Hub page.
In 2023, Mecklenburg voters will choose 3 at-large representatives for the 9-member school board.
(Profiles were researched and written by Sucharita Mulpuru-Kodali and edited by Tony Mecia. Video footage of candidates filmed in partnership with the Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Public Relations.)
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School board at-large: 3 seats
There are 14 candidates running for 3 at-large seats on the Board of Education. The election is nonpartisan, which means that the candidates’ political parties will not be listed on the ballot.
Two of the current at-large members, Elyse Dashew and Jennifer De La Jara, are not running for re-election. Only one incumbent, Lenora Shipp, is on the ballot. Several of the other candidates have run for school board seats unsuccessfully in the past.
The Board of Education seats are 4-year terms. The remaining 6 district seats are not on the ballot this year.
News articles:
“Fourteen candidates, three seats: CMS board race poses a challenge for voters” (WFAE)
“Tricia Cotham’s party switch sparks search for DINOs in CMS board race” (WFAE)
“Local Democrats raise questions about CMS Unity slate” (Queen City Nerve)
Endorsements:
The Mecklenburg Democratic Party has endorsed Liz Monterrey, Lenora Shipp and Monty Witherspoon.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus and the African American Caucus of the Mecklenburg Democrats have endorsed Shamaiye Haynes, Lenora Shipp and Monty Witherspoon.
The Charlotte Observer has endorsed Shamaiye Haynes, Liz Monterrey and Monty Witherspoon. (Note: The Observer’s endorsements and most of its other election information is behind a paywall.)
There is a “CMS Unity” slate of candidates, which describes itself as a “strong group of reform-minded individuals,” which consists of Annette Albright, Claire Covington and Michael Johnson Jr.
Charlotte Ledger CMS candidate questionnaires
CMS candidate questionnaires from other media
Charlotte Observer (note: Most of The Observer’s election information is behind a paywall)
🎧 Quick 10-minute Charlotte Ledger podcast on school board races
Candidates:
Annette Albright
This is Albright’s 3rd try for the board (previous tries in 2017 and 2019). Her website states her top goals as prioritizing teacher compensation, implementing appropriate disciplinary models and focusing on academic outcomes. Albright is a mother and grandmother and was a behavior modification technician at Harding High School who reportedly was assaulted by some students, which made the local news. On her Facebook page, she says that “adults must take back control of academic learning environments.” In an email to The Ledger, she said one of her first goals would be to “create safe school environments.” She had filed a lawsuit against CMS for wrongful termination (she believes it was because she filed a worker’s comp claim). She is one of 3 candidates running as part of the “CMS Unity” slate. She appears to have several degrees in criminal justice and to be registered in Forsyth County, though says she has a home in northwest Charlotte. (Age 57, Unaffiliated)
Read Annette Albright’s responses to our questions.
Peggy Capehart
Capehart is a former Virginia resident and apparently has grandchildren in CMS. There is little publicly available information about her. She does not appear to have a website and didn’t appear to have much of a digital footprint. (~Age 66, Democrat)
Capehart did not respond to any Ledger outreach.
Claire Covington
Covington is a lawyer (specializing in intellectual property and data privacy) and mother of two daughters. In an email to The Ledger, Covington said that one of the first things she would focus on if elected was to “ensure that the Board focused at least 50% of its time on governance relating to the improvement of student outcomes.” Her website says her key goals are improved academic outcomes, supporting teachers and staff and engaging parents and the community. She is one of 3 candidates running on the “CMS Unity” slate. She is a graduate of Tulane University. (Approx age: mid-40s, Unaffiliated)
Read Claire Covington’s responses to our questions.
Bill Fountain
Fountain is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, former high school math teacher and self-published author. In an email to The Ledger, he said that “safe and productive classrooms with less distractions” are important. He ran for the District 1 seat in 2022 and came in 4th of 5 candidates. In the past, he has criticized “the invasion of woke culture” within CMS. (Age 80, Republican)
Read Bill Fountain’s responses to our questions.
Juanrique Pallamente Hall
Hall ran unsuccessfully for the District 2 seat last November. He also said that he is an aeronautical engineer who owns a daycare. Hall does not appear to have a website but according to the Observer, he has a “lengthy criminal history.” His past record includes fleeing and eluding arrest, disorderly conduct, reckless driving and cocaine possession, according to the Observer. He says he was a CMS football coach, but CMS said he was never on the district payroll. He believes his life experience is crucial to helping others. The Mecklenburg County chair for Moms for Liberty said she is “publicly supporting” Hall though the group has made no official endorsements. (Age 51, Democrat).
Hall did not respond to any Ledger outreach.
Omar Harris
Harris has no digital footprint but according to WFAE, he is a CMS parent and moved to Charlotte about 18 months ago from Richmond, Va.
Harris did not respond to any Ledger outreach.
Shamaiye Haynes
Haynes says she is a “community organizer” and a project leader for the Westside Education Think Tank. In an email to the Ledger, she said that she advocates for schools to opt into a Community School framework if they choose. (Age 52, Democrat)
Read Shamaiye Haynes’ responses to our questions.
Michael Johnson
Johnson’s slogan is “innovate, education and elevate.” In an email to The Ledger, he said that one of the first things he’d like to do as a board member is “audit CMS’ finances.” On his website, Johnson says he is an ordained minister and the father of a 5-year-old. He is one of 3 candidates running on the “CMS Unity” slate. He is the owner of an independent consulting firm that is listed on his LinkedIn page as being located in Raleigh. He has a Charlotte residential address but no record of having voted in Mecklenburg County before 2023, according to the NC Voter Lookup site. (39, Democrat)
Read Michael Johnson’s responses to our questions.
Brian Kasher
Kasher is a CMS parent. He says he was “in leadership at CMS” for 8 years. His key issues are school safety (including air quality), measurable educational outcomes, school board culture change and serving all communities within Mecklenburg County. He is a health/safety expert and had a presentation about indoor air quality within CMS on his website. He also appears to be employed by a company that is hired by organizations to improve health and safety. In an email to The Ledger, he said that one of the first things he’d like to see if elected was for CMS to adopt the federal Tools for Schools program to identify problems like asthma triggers in schools which lead to absenteeism. (Age 61, Democrat)
Read Brian Kasher’s responses to our questions.
Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel
McDaniel has appeared as a candidate in a number of recent municipal elections. In an email to The Ledger, she said that three things she’d like to accomplish in the first 6 months as a board member would be: “(1) Enforcing equity and objectivity in disciplinary policy, (2) increasing awareness regarding cultural diversity, empathy and etiquette, and (3) rebuilding strong relationships and a culture of community oneness and confidence between students, teachers, and parents/guardians.” She was convicted of identity theft in her past and has shared a video explanation of the circumstances leading to her conviction. She has filed 160+ lawsuits in more than 70 N.C. counties until a Charlotte judge said the court would stop accepting her lawsuits, many of which were allegedly “for the purpose of harassment,” in 2018). (Age 46, Democrat)
Read Tigress McDaniel’s responses to our questions.
Liz Monterrey
Monterrey is a Cuban immigrant and a young mother who says her child will join CMS in 2024. She moved to Charlotte in 2020 from Florida. She says that her key goals are to put students first, to build community and to support educators. She is a marketing manager at Credit Karma (Intuit) and is a graduate of Florida State University. She said in an email to The Ledger that one of the first things she would do is “foster meaningful engagement with the Spanish-speaking community,” which she says is a crucial step to improving outcomes and making “education more inclusive.” Monterrey is fluent in Spanish and is one of 3 candidates endorsed by the county Democratic Party. (34, Democrat)
Read Liz Monterrey’s responses to our questions.
Lenora Shipp
Shipp is a former teacher and principal in 5 CMS schools, a CMS parent and a CMS graduate. She was the 3rd-highest vote-getter in the 2019 election for the same position and is the only incumbent vying for the role now. On major votes, she has tended to vote with the board majority. Her key areas of focus appear to be educational equity, school safety, more parent involvement, quality teachers and more elementary programs to support early achievement (in that order on her website). Shipp has 2 master’s degrees in various education fields. She is one of 3 candidates endorsed by the Mecklenburg Democratic Party. (~Age 65, Incumbent, Democrat)
Shipp said that she would respond to the Ledger’s questions as soon as she could but has not yet answered them.
Clara Kennedy Witherspoon
Witherspoon is a former school counselor and CMS employee. The issues she cites on her website are “effective leadership” and “supporting success for all students.” She believes the current $2.5 billion bond is “too much to pass onto our taxpayers.” She believes students may need to be tested as early as kindergarten so they don’t fall behind (current MAP testing starts in 3rd grade). In an email to The Ledger, she said, “We need to find the revenues on a local level to either provide additional teacher raises or bonuses.” She ran unsuccessfully for a board of eduction seat last November. She is not related to fellow candidate Monte Witherspoon. (Age 66, Democrat)
Read Clara Witherspoon’s responses to our questions.
Monty Witherspoon
Witherspoon ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on the school board in 2019 as well as for the District 2 seat last November. He is a pastor at Steele Creek AME Zion Church and was a substitute teacher in New York City. He lists student achievement, a safe learning environment, support for teachers, strong community coalitions and system-wide accountability and transparency on his site as his key issues. He appears to have two young children. He has a doctorate degree and graduated from Olympic High School. He is one of 3 candidates endorsed by the county Democratic Party. He is not related to fellow candidate Clara Kennedy Witherspoon. (Age 44, Democrat)
He did not respond to any Ledger outreach.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative