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Michael and his wife Sarah live in Caldwell County and have adult children. 

Michael is a retired English teacher who has worked at South Caldwell High School. 

Michael Barrick served one term on the Caldwell County Board of Education from 1998 to 2001. He ran for State Senator for North Carolina State Senate District 46 in 2020 and North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2000, but did not win. 

As of June 14, 2024, Michael Barrick’s website did not contain information on this issue.

School Facilities & Resources

Candidate website

Believes in local control of education to provide greater opportunities for students. Plans to protect students, parents, and educators from state mandates to foster creativity and innovation in schools.

Supports local control of education and aims to avoid state mandates. 

Supports empowering local initiatives to provide students with alternatives to traditional educational methods.

Supports local initiatives to provide students with alternatives to traditional educational methods.

- Supports local control of education and aims to avoid state mandates. 
- Supports local initiatives to provide students with alternatives to traditional educational methods.

Access to Education

Believes teachers should have the liberty to teach freely to help students reach their potential. Supports protecting teachers' rights and ensuring they are assessed fairly by administrators.

Believes teachers should have the liberty to teach freely.

Believes teaching should encourage questioning authority and inquisitiveness. Plans to “offer voters the same” dedication to critical thinking as he demands from his students.

Believes teaching should encourage questioning authority and inquisitiveness. 

- Believes teachers should have the liberty to teach freely.
- Believes teaching should encourage questioning authority and inquisitiveness. 

Teachers

Believes "liberty is the key to a sound education" and opposes state-mandated testing, advocating for local control and teacher autonomy.

Opposes state-mandated testing, advocating for local control and teacher autonomy.

Believes schools should focus on their mission of teaching children and avoid "culture wars" that distract from this goal.

- Opposes state-mandated testing, advocating for local control and teacher autonomy.
- Believes schools should focus on their mission of teaching children and avoid "culture wars" that distract from this goal.

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Twitter

Michael Barrick

Michael Barrick is from Lenoir, North Carolina, where he has chosen to make his home since 1992. He comes from a family with a strong tradition in teaching, with four generations of educators, including his mother, grandmother, and other relatives. Barrick is married to Sarah, and they have children and grandchildren, with three of the grandchildren currently attending schools in the Caldwell County system. Information about where he attended school and what church he attends is not provided.

Michael Barrick is a retired English teacher who previously worked at South Caldwell High School. He also has experience serving on the Caldwell County Board of Education from 1998 to 2001. Additionally, Barrick is a reporter and author.

Michael Barrick served on the Caldwell County Board of Education from 1998 to 2001. He was the 2000 Republican nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. Barrick is currently running as a Libertarian for the Caldwell County School Board, with the election set for November 5, 2024.

Believes School Boards should balance mandated stewardship with developing local initiatives to enrich student offerings while being fiscally responsible.

Believes accepting and administering State, Federal, and other funds for school facilities is "an issue of stewardship."

Believes providing a "Sound Basic Education" for every child requires collaboration among staff and the community, emphasizing civility.

Believes state-mandated testing is a "disaster" for assessing accountability and teaching basics. Plans to address this issue in a future essay.

Believes students can't learn without feeling safe and prioritizes school safety. Plans to bring "Safety, Civility and Collaboration" to the Caldwell County School Board.

Believes the School Board must prioritize "Safety, Cooperation, and Transparency" for student wellbeing.

Believes in prioritizing "SAFETY," "TRANSPARENCY," and "COOPERATION" for student wellbeing, including school safety and counseling.

Supports student wellbeing by prioritizing "Safety – Civility – Transparency" in schools.

Believes in the necessity to provide "SAFE schools" and address various other responsibilities.

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 