Michael E. Ward is an American politician who served as

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction The North Carolina superintendent of public instruction is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As the head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the ...

from 1996 to 2004. Born in

Franklin County, North Carolina Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,573. Its county seat is Louisburg. Franklin County is included in the Raleigh- Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, w ...

, Ward attended

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. Upon graduation, he was employed as a public school teacher, and later principal, before serving as superintendent of public schools in

Granville County Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford. The county has access to Kerr Lake and Falls Lake and is part of the ...

. After being named North Carolina's 'Superintendent of the Year' in 1994, Ward was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1996. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Ward was elected to a second term in 2000. He chose not to stand for reelection in 2004. In August 2004, Ward stepped down from his position prematurely to join his wife, Hope Morgan Ward, who had accepted a position as a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

bishop in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. Patricia N. Willoughby was appointed to fill the position for the remainder of Ward's term.

Personal life

Ward and his wife have two children, Jason and Brooke.

References

North Carolina superintendents of public instruction People from Franklin County, North Carolina Living people North Carolina Democrats American United Methodists Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-edu-bio-stub