“Urgency.” “Status-Quo.” “Innovation.” “Transparency.”

Of all the words that Mark Johnson claims to not only talk about but adhere to in his actions, the word “transparency” seems a lot more murky of late when it pertains to DPI’s actions.

He talks about “transparency” with school report cards.

“This brand-new website provides the transparency parents and educators need into the characteristics and performance of North Carolina’s public schools, all in an easy-to-use format,” said Mark Johnson, North Carolina State Superintendent on December 5, 2017 concerning the school report card system.

And with how money is spent.

And it is stated in the budget that passed last year through a nuclear option…

And it is one of his chief overall goals.

“One of our goals is greater transparency,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson said in a statement on April 16, 2019.

And it is one of his defining buzzwords.

“Throughout the interview, Johnson frequently returned to his often-used talking points, promising to bring urgency, ownership, innovation and transparency to the state’s education system. He also spoke about his past and how that has shaped his beliefs about public education” – from a Sept. 2017 interview covered by WRAL.com.

So when it pertains to iStation and how DPI came to recommend it and how those iPads were acquired, where is the transparency?

When it comes to how decisions are now made in DPI since the reorg and the elimination of positions that report to the state board as well, where is the transparency?

And when it comes to engaging teachers in large numbers who come specifically to Raleigh to question policies, where is the transparency?

If anyone should practice what he/she preaches, then it should be a teacher because students are constantly watching.

Mark Johnson claims to have been a teacher. And people in this state are watching.