NC superintendent creates two new jobs to help with public relations, public records

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has created two new positions in his office to provide extra help with public relations and public records requests.

Posted 7:42 p.m. Apr 12, 2018 — Updated 7:46 p.m. Apr 12, 2018

Kelly Hinchcliffe

, WRAL education reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has created two new positions in his office to provide extra help with public relations and public records requests.

They mark the fourth and fifth positions Johnson has created from a $700,000 fund of taxpayer money lawmakers granted him last year. The money allows Johnson to add up to 10 full-time positions and hire staff without approval of the State Board of Education, a key provision lawmakers gave him as he battles the state board in court over control of the public school system.

Salaries for the five positions created so far total about $270,000. The latest jobs Johnson has created are:

Community relations specialist, paying $50,000, to manage public records requests and help with media inquiries and other communications.
Deputy community outreach coordinator, a part-time position paying $36,173, to help "develop key messages" the superintendent wants to get out to the public, as well as community outreach and media relations duties.

Neither position has been filled yet, according to Drew Elliot, communications director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Stories about previous hires

Johnson has previously said he also plans to hire a chief of staff and a chief innovation officer, but it's unclear when he will make those hires. He has declined to say what other positions he may create.

He recently hired an associate superintendent of early education and head of school business modernization, but those positions are not funded from the $700,000. They are paid from separate funds approved by lawmakers for those areas.

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