Robert Barr (North Carolina)

Robert Barr (Republican Party) is a member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools school board in North Carolina, representing District 2. He assumed office on January 5, 2023. His current term ends in 2026.

Barr (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools school board to represent District 2 in North Carolina. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Robert Barr was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Barr earned a bachelor's degree in intermediate education from Winston-Salem State University in 1988. He later earned an M.Ed. from Wake Forest University in 1999. Barr worked as a teacher and curriculum coordinator for district schools for 14 years. He has served as the staff pastor for Agape Faith Church since 2002. Barr has also served as a trustee for Winston-Salem State University.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Lee Childress
	Submit photo	Susan Conway
		Adam Corey
	Submit photo	Curtis Fentress
	Submit photo	Steve Folmar
	Submit photo	Marie Jackson
	Submit photo	Stephanie Milat
	Submit photo	Emma Norton

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Robert Barr
		Susan Miller
		Steve Wood
		Allen Daniel
		Derrick Hinson
	Submit photo	Zachary Hubbard
	Submit photo	Tracy Lesser
	Submit photo	Jill Nelson Berlin
		Robert Weiss
	Submit photo	James Williams

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2022

General election

General election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

Incumbent Leah Crowley, Susan Miller, Robert Barr, and Steve Wood defeated Jennifer Castillo in the general election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Leah Crowley (R)	21.9	61,658
✔		Susan Miller (R)	20.2	57,037
✔		Robert Barr (R)	20.2	56,920
✔		Steve Wood (R)	19.6	55,185
	Submit photo	Jennifer Castillo (D)	18.1	50,956

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 281,756
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Stanley M. Elrod (R)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jennifer Castillo advanced from the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Barr	14.3	9,269
✔	Submit photo	Stanley M. Elrod	14.1	9,123
✔	Submit photo	Leah Crowley	12.1	7,823
✔		Steve Wood	11.6	7,483
		Lida Calvert Hayes	10.5	6,799
		Susan Miller	9.7	6,254
	Submit photo	Holly W. Pegram	9.0	5,802
	Submit photo	Jimmie Boyd	7.5	4,831
	Submit photo	Jason Lucero	7.2	4,645
	Submit photo	Yvonne Williams	4.0	2,592

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,621
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools elections (2018)

General election

General election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deanna Frazier Kaplan (D)	19.8	72,758
✔		Elisabeth Motsinger (D)	19.0	69,952
✔		Andrea Pace Bramer (D)	16.8	61,779
		Robert Barr (R)	15.7	57,611
	Submit photo	Timothy Brooker (R)	14.4	52,835
	Submit photo	Jim Smith (R)	14.3	52,393

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 367,328 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2014

See also: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools elections (2014)

Robert Barr and fellow Republican candidates John M. Davenport Jr. and Mark Johnson competed with Democratic candidates Elisabeth Motsinger, Katherine Fansler and German D. Garcia in the general election on November 4, 2014.

Results

**Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Elisabeth Motsinger Incumbent	18.4%	52,582
	Republican	Robert Barr	17.1%	48,789
	Republican	Mark Johnson	16.9%	48,418
	Democratic	Katherine Fansler	16.8%	48,115
	Republican	John M. Davenport Jr. Incumbent	16.5%	47,125
	Democratic	German D. Garcia	14.2%	40,636
Total Votes				285,665
Source: North Carolina Board of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," accessed December 30, 2014

Funding

Barr had not reported any contributions or expenditures to the Forsyth County Board of Elections as of April 30, 2014.

Endorsements

Barr had not received any official endorsements as of April 30, 2014.

2010

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Jeannie Metcalf	21.2%	43,279
	Nonpartisan	Donny Lambeth	19.9%	40,681
	Nonpartisan	Elisabeth Motsinger	16.3%	33,215
	Nonpartisan	Robert Barr	16.2%	32,996
	Nonpartisan	Lori Goins Clark	16.1%	32,922
	Nonpartisan	Nancy P. Sherill	9.8%	20,056
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.4%	915
Total Votes				204,064
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official Results," November 19, 2010

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2022

Robert Barr completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barr's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Robert Barr and I am running for a seat on the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School Board in District 2. Between my wife and me, we have over 40 years of educational experience. My wife is a retired school teacher who retired with 31 years of service. I taught 14 years in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools. I taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, 6th and 7th grades, plus served as a curriculum coordinator. I serve as a trustee in one of our local colleges. Both of my children are graduates of the Winston- Salem Forsyth County Schools.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Engage our parents. Parents are the key to their child experiencing success.
Focus on academics. Build a strategic plan of academic growth for our children.
Support our educational staff with the resources they need.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Making sure all of our kids have the support and resources to learn. I grew up in public housing, raised by a single parent, and economically disadvantaged. However, because of the support of a guidance counselor and a program called Upward Bound that helped my mother and I navigate the educational system I was able to achieve some success. I have a Masters Degree from Wake Forest and a Bachelors Degree from Winston-Salem State University. Through education and the proper support, all children can learn. I am a big advocate of parental involvement and engagement. Parents are a crucial and critical part of children learning.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admired a minister by the name of Dr. Fred Price. He was an excellent Bible teacher. He took complicated issues on faith and made them understandable and practical. Plus, Dr. Price was a man who was very courageous. He took a very unpopular stand about an issue involving race and religion many years ago. He said things that needed to be said. While others were quiet, he spoke loudly from his media platform and he spoke clearly. Because of his courage, he help tear down walls of misunderstandings and built a bridge of trust and respect. Dr. Price died of COVID in 2021.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

While working on my Masters, I have read lots of book. Some that hold perspectives that are different than mine. The book that I continue to come back to during good times and challenging times is the New Testament that inspires me to treat people well and trust God to help me make the right decisions.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think character, competency, and chemistry with the constituents that they represent.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Experience in education (taught 14 years -grades 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and serve as curriculum coordinator)

Strategic planner and thinker

Levelheaded during problematic issues

Interpersonal skills

Leadership Training

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To listen to his/her constituents--Those who elected him/her to office.

To act based on values and needs of the community by implementing policy.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I would like to leave behind is strategic planning and execution that supports parental involvement. Also, engagement and strategic planning that begin to successfully close the achievement gap.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was President Reagan getting shot. I think I was 18 or 19 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working at a restaurant on 4th Street as a busboy in Winston-Salem called Shouse & Gunter. After finishing college, I became a teacher in 1988.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is the New Testament because it inspires me be a better person and to make sound decisions.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

A gospel song by the late James Cleveland --"I Don't Feel No Ways Tired"

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Attempting to understand the reason behind why resources have seemingly been given to target ongoing issues, but no change has occurred over the years. For example--closing achievement gap.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

To create, establish, and monitor polices that support student achievement, school safety, and ensure support for staff.

Who are your constituents?

All of the families whose children attend Winston-SalemForsyth County Schools.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

First, recognize that there are diverse needs. Secondly, talk to parents, students, and staff who represent the different needs in the district. Thirdly, prioritize those needs based on strategic planning and resources. Finally, begin to implement plans with resources and policy to support our students.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I would like to hear the voices of our parents who are sending us the most important individual to them (their child). Parental organizations that will help me understand the critical issues that parents are voicing would be crucial for me to meet with on a frequent bases. Organizations that represent staff would also be crucial to me as well as community leaders who represent businesses. By working with these community stakeholders, solid infrastructure for our students and community can be built to achieve positive outcomes.

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

To diversify faculty, staff, and administration is crucial. When I see someone in a leadership position whose culture is similar to mine and who looks like me, it inspires me to become better. Intentionality is a must being driven by sensitivity and awareness.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Bureaucracy and political divisiveness are two primary obstacles in education. We must do what is right for our children by working with other board members and talking to our legislators with the support of our parents, teachers, and staff who make up a significant voting block. With collaboration from these stakeholders, I believe obstacles can be overcome so board members can do what is best for our children.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

As an educator who taught 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and served as a curriculum coordinator, I come from the Madeline Hunter school of thought. Good teaching consists of the following: Anticipatory Set, Instructional Input, Modeling, and Independent Practice. Of course, those steps are often integrated. Students should be measured based on different modalities: verbal responses, project based activities, group activities, written, etc. Advanced teaching approaches can be integrated with Early Colleges where students can take college courses while in high school.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

Curriculum could be expanded from the perspective of technical skills and work trends. In other words, if businesses' needs are centered around social media applications and integration, then curriculum should begin to change, and adapt to develop a workforce where students can become competitive in that particular industry in order to satisfy the demands of businesses. Innovative programming should be centered around social media integrations.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Simply, allocate federal, state, local, and grant money to specific goals. If those dollars aren't enough, have a discussion with county commissioners and state legislatures about increasing budgets.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Simply, every child should be able to learn in a safe environment.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

In order to support the mental health needs, there should be more integration and communication between mental health facilities, schools, and community resources. All entities will need to emphasize mental health issues that people may be facing and deemphasize any stigmas about mental health, and provide clearer accessibility to students, staff, and faculty to support mental health.

What role do you imagine technology playing in (and outside) the classroom in the future? How would you prepare the district for this?

I think colleges who prepare teachers will need to think differently about how this generation learns. Platforms such as TicTok, Snapchat, Instagram , Youtube, etc. will need to be skillfully integrated into the classrooms. Research will be done from multimedia platforms and not only from the traditional resources.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Don't really have a favorite joke, however, I like comedy and humor that comes in the spur of the moment that makes everyone laugh, but never at the expense of others.

What are your views on how to address schooling during pandemic times?

The Board of Education needs to get an unbiased diagnosis and prognosis of issues surrounding a pandemic. Create a parent base committee along side the school board to listen to the facts, and make decisions that would be for the best physical and mental health of our children. Parents should be essential in the process of making decisions about their child 's physical and mental health.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

In order to build a relationship with parents I would make sure I am accessible via in person meetings, emails, texts, phone calls, etc. Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools has a Parent Involvement Coordinator. My desire is to work closely with her as a board member. I know the importance of parental involvement because of a program called Upward Bound that impacted my life. One of the programs essential requirements was for parents to get involved. My mother, a single parent without a high school diploma signed me up for the program. She was expected to get involved with education, in which she did. It made a major difference in my life. I was a young man raised in government housing and became man with a Masters in Education. If it wasn't for the Upward Bound program that emphasized parent involvement I wouldn't be here today.

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2014

Barr provided the following statement about his themes on his campaign website:

“

Strengthen Our Neighborhood Schools

Allow students to attend schools that are closest to their homes, giving parents the opportunity to become more easily involved and engaged in their child’s education.
Ensure that every school has the resources needed for students to excel: competent, qualified teachers; support personnel, and teaching resources.
Research, develop, and implement programs that encourage parental involvement.
Utilize parents in the classroom to show students how math, science, English, and social studies are used in the real world.
Develop and implement parent-friendly programs within the schools.

Teacher Support

Support our teachers by not cutting jobs that directly affect the classrooms and maintain appropriate teacher/student ratio.
Provide teaching supplies and resources needed to teach effectively.
Listen to teachers’ concerns.
Develop a system where teachers have more input into day to day decision-making.

Student Support

Provide hostile-free environments for all students where bullying is not tolerated especially through texting and other social media.
Develop programs to identify at risk students beginning in kindergarten and provide them the resources and support needed to be successful.
Intentionally track these students to monitor their progress and reevaluate strategies when needed.
Create classroom teaching environments where children can develop critical thinking skills.
Provide enrichment activities and opportunities to motivate and challenge our students.
Utilize technology to make learning relevant for students

Community Involvement

Build a network of support for students who don’t have the parental support.
Tap into the valuable resources available through the rich system of higher education in the county and throughout the Triad (e.g. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State, Forsyth Tech, Salem College, UNC-G).
Define clearly what it means for a community to adopt a school.
Create a list of special programs that the community offers and make sure the proper school personnel are aware of how these programs may benefit our kids.^[3]

”

—Robert Barr's campaign website (2014)^[4]

External links

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Footnotes

↑ Facebook, "Robert Barr - AT LARGE Candidate for WSFCS Board of Education," accessed April 30, 2014
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 10, 2022
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Robert Barr for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board, "Home," accessed October 23, 2014

[1] Facebook, "Robert Barr - AT LARGE Candidate for WSFCS Board of Education," accessed April 30, 2014

[bio-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 10, 2022

[quotedisclaimer-3] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[4] Robert Barr for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board, "Home," accessed October 23, 2014

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[2]

[3]

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Robert Barr (North Carolina)

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

Republican primary

Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board District 2 (4 seats)

2018

General election

General election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large (3 seats)

2014

Results

Funding

Endorsements

2010

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2014

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2026 Elections

2025 Elections

Election analysis

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Public Policy

Information for candidates

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