NC Voter Guide: Daniel Grant-King, Wake County school board

Name: Daniel Grant-King

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 22

Campaign website: https://sites.google.com/view/danielforwcpssschoolboard

Occupation: Special education co-teacher in Wake County Schools

Education: B.A. in business administration from Strayer University. Studying at Campbell University to get special education degree.

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Co-Chair of the North Carolina PTA Advocacy Committee and member of NCPTA Board Of Directors

Why do you want to serve on the Wake County Board of Education?

I believe we need to put our students, families, educators and communities first. Partisan politics need to be dead at last. I’m running because I am committed to knowing we can do a outstanding work for our educators, students, families and communities. I am ready to work with advocating to NC lawmakers while also holding them and our local WCPSS school board accountable for much-needed actions like teacher pay increases, better working conditions and resources for every student.

What are the Wake County Public Schools doing well?

Improving on how educators are compensated and working with district staff to ensure that we have a long overdue equity policy that is for everyone and not for some.

What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.

Classroom sizes: Today, classes of 38-40 students are not uncommon in most secondary schools. But in elementary, middle and high schools across the district, class sizes have not met state or district goals for more than 25 years. As your next school board member, I will fight for smaller class sizes to ensure our students get the attention they deserve.

What should the district do in response to calls to remove books from schools that some say are inappropriate for students?

I think that WCPSS should have a Transparency and Accountability committee that works directly with the Board of Education and the committee that handles what books are released at schools.

How should schools discuss issues involving discrimination based on race, gender and other factors?

I think we shall not tolerate any hatred and bigotry. However I do think that we shall work to put more policies in place to make it clear that we will not tolerate such attacks and behavior.

How would you go about making schools safer in the aftermath of school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas?

I would be advocating for a safety commission/committee and to ensure training for students, educators and families to ensure transparency and accountability for all.

What would you do to try to address student learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic?

I will be working with community partners like the YMCA and others so that we have tutoring programs and to have more after-school programs that will assist in making sure that students will not fall behind.

What’s the appropriate level of funding that should be provided to Wake County schools?

Leandro funding and the Wake County Public School System Bond.