Families as partners
Better parent–school communication and family resource centers right in our schools. You shouldn’t have to endlessly scroll announcement posts to find out what’s happening in the classroom.
Why Anthony?
Anthony has spent his career in the two places you learn real fast whether a kid is falling through the cracks: the classroom and the corrections system. That’s why he wants to show up early, before things go sideways, and he’s ready to bring that to the board. He’s running to keep the board focused on students and staff, not political fights.
“Our children don’t belong to a political party. Every decision I make on this board will start with one question: ‘Is this good for our students, our families, and the teachers and staff who serve them every day?’ I have spent my career walking alongside children and families in hard seasons, and I’ve learned that division never helped a single child. I am running to build bridges, not battle lines.”
Anthony McCauley
- Former Moore County Schools social worker
- Certified school social worker & NC Certified Peer Support Specialist
- Former NC Dept. of Adult Correction employee
- Founder of MALES of Distinction / Ladies of MERIT youth programs
- Volunteer Guardian ad Litem, Judicial District 29 (Moore County), advocating in court for children in abuse and neglect cases
- Two-term chair of the Moore County Transportation Advisory Board and member of the Moore County Schools CTE Business Advisory Council
See all of Anthony’s board service
- Moore County Schools Career & Technical Education (CTE) Business Advisory Council, member
- Moore County Transportation Advisory Board, chair (two terms)
- NC Department of Transportation, Division of Aviation UAS Advisory Board, committee member
- Cardinal Park Board of Directors, member
- MALES of Distinction Youth Program, board chair
- Association for Peer Support Advisory Council, committee member
- U.S. Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights, National Advisory Committee member
“I refuse to let another generation of Moore County children end up in the corrections system when we have the power to intervene through education, mental health support, and family engagement.”
Anthony McCauley
What’s on his to-do list
Have our teachers’ backs
Competitive pay, less admin busywork, and recruiting educators from HBCUs and beyond. Teachers already do a lot (just like moms). The board can stop making it harder.
Break the pipeline
Help first, consequences second. Restorative practices over punitive discipline, plus wraparound support for the kids who need it most.
Aim even higher
Moore County is already in NC’s Top 10 for grade-level proficiency. Anthony’s response? Nice, but we won’t stop there. Close achievement gaps, grow Career & Technical Ed, and get every kid reading on grade level.source
Mental health matters
A counselor and a social worker in every school, trauma-informed teaching, and peer support. A kid who’s struggling can’t focus on fractions.
It takes a village
Faith and volunteer mentorship programs, community use of school buildings, and local internships. We already have the village. Time to give it a job.
Let’s compare notes
Four candidates, two seats, and a group chat with a lot of questions. Grab a coffee, we brought receipts.
| Issue | Anthony McCauley | Don Zawlocki | Jim Pedersen | Olivia Oxendine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education experience | Former Moore County Schools social workerSource: 1 | Taught at Pinecrest High for 8 years; moved to a private Christian school in 2024Source: 4 | No professional K–12 education experience identifiedSource: 5 | Former teacher and principal; nearly 20 years on UNC Pembroke faculty; NC State Board of Education memberSource: 8 |
| Teacher pay | Competitive compensation; reduce administrative burdensSource: 1 | In a 2024 Pilot interview, emphasized non-monetary recognitionSource: 4 | Supports “competitive compensation”Source: 5 | “Reward job-performance excellence”Source: 7 |
| Discipline & mental health | Restorative practices; a counselor and social worker in every schoolSource: 1 | Supports an armed officer in every schoolSource: 3 | Supports Sheriff-run school officers; also counselors and social workersSource: 5 | Warned against “relaxing rules”Source: 3 |
| Books & libraries | No position found on current campaign siteSource: 1 | No position found | Filed and appealed a challenge to the book George at two Moore County schools (2022)Source: 10 | Said school materials should not “cross the line of decency”Source: 3 |
| Published priorities | Family engagement, mental health, early interventionSource: 1 | School safety and academicsSource: 3 | Growth and new schools, transparency, fiscal oversight, school safetySource: 5 | Eliminate “critical race theory and gender indoctrination”Source: 7 |
| Local party endorsement (November) | Moore County Democratic PartySource: 2 | Moore County GOPSource: 6Source: 9 | Moore County GOPSource: 6Source: 9 | Not endorsed by the Moore County GOP for November (her site cites an earlier GOP endorsement)Source: 6Source: 8 |
All sources
- McCauley campaign site (accessed Sept. 27, 2026)
- Moore County Democrats: 2026 endorsed candidates
- The Pilot: Top four edge out opponents in school board race (2026)
- The Pilot: Career educators vie for District 5 (2024)
- Sandhills News: Jim Pedersen candidate questionnaire (Dec. 23, 2025)
- Daily Haymaker (conservative commentary): Moore GOP endorsement vote, July 2026
- Olivia Oxendine campaign platform (accessed Sept. 27, 2026)
- Olivia Oxendine campaign bio (accessed Sept. 27, 2026)
- Moore County GOP (Facebook): endorsed candidates
- The Pilot: Schools appoint committee to review challenged book (2022)
Remember one name.
One vote.
You get two votes, but you don’t have to use both. If Anthony is your only pick, leave the second spot blank. Nobody’s grading your ballot.
- 1Check your registrationTakes about a minute, way less time than planning what’s for dinner.Look yourself up
- 2Vote early: Oct 15 – Oct 31Skip the Tuesday chaos. You know someone will come down with a stomach bug. Early voting ends at 3pm on Saturday, Oct 31, and you can register and vote in the same visit. Vote at any of these:
- Moore County Agricultural Center707 Pinehurst Ave, Carthage
- Aberdeen Recreation Station301 Lake Park Crossing, Aberdeen
- Vass Town Hall (new this year!)140 S Alma St, Vass
- 3Or vote Tuesday, Nov 3Polls are open 6:30am to 7:30pm. In line by 7:30? You’re voting, even if the line wraps around the building. Break into your kids’ snacks if you have to.Find your polling place & sample ballot
- 4Grab your IDNC requires a photo ID. Forgot it? Same. At least everyone made it out the door with shoes today. The ID Exception Form or a provisional ballot has you covered.Accepted IDs