posted August 6, 2008
As the District 2 representative to the school board, Chip Baker represents schools like Normal Park, Thrasher Elementary, Nolan Elementary and the Red Bank schools. During his time on the school board, students at each of these schools have seen their facilities improve, the resources available to their teachers increase, and measurements of their academic progress move in a positive direction.
Chip Baker has been an important factor in all of these school improvements in his district, and the students in the area have benefitted from his service.
In contrast to many candidates for the school board, Mr. Baker believes more support for schools will lead to more growth and positive results for students, and we should re-elect him on Aug. 7.
Hunter Huckabay III
* * *
Chip Baker and challenger Joe Dumas are running for the District 2 school board seat. Both strike me as good, intelligent men.
But Dumas's philosophy concerns me. He has run for office several times before as a Libertarian. That party's platform explicitly calls for the de-funding and abolition of public schools.
Dumas says that he personally supports public education. Fair enough. Yet Dumas has consistently opposed any effort to pay for Hamilton County's schools. Four years ago he said on a Libertarian website that our already overcrowded classrooms have too many teachers. "When I was a child, class sizes were typically 30-35 and we managed to learn just fine," he wrote.
Sorry, but jamming 30-plus kids into each class is not my vision for the future.
Meanwhile, incumbent Chip Baker has overseen a rebirth of education in District 2. Signal Mountain residents finally have a high school. The worn-out middle school in Red Bank is being replaced. And the failing elementary school at Normal Park has been transformed into a national model of excellence.
I saw Baker's commitment this summer during the Bring It Together program at Normal Park Upper School. Bring It Together refurbished a crumbling building – all at no cost to the school district. The school, which had plunging enrollment, can now be used to its full capacity.
This will save taxpayers millions of dollars, and Chip Baker helped make it happen. For him, Hamilton County's kids come first. It shows in his actions, not just his words.
Sean Price
ssptnn@gmail.com
* * *
I commend our School Board Rep. Chip Baker for his dedication and service to public education in Hamilton County and encourage all of District 2 to recognize progress made by voting for him in tomorrow's election. Chip's ability to analyze, evaluate and work though issues has been a tremendous asset to him, the School Board, and to the children of Hamilton County. We're on the right track.
While I admire his opponent's determination and perseverance in seeking an elected office, I do not believe he is a good choice for Hamilton County schools in this case. Let's show VW and the world that we're serious about continuing the improvements we're making in public education and overwhelmingly reelect Chip Baker on Thursday.
Rob Philyaw
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |