When three-term incumbent Chip Baker announced he wasn’t going to seek re-election for the District 2 school board seat, 34-year-old Signal Mountain dentist Jonathan Welch quickly staked his claim on the post.
While, on the ballot, Welch appears unopposed, he is facing an organized write-in challenge from UTC School of Anesthesia professor Mike Harvey. Harvey’s effort to provide voters with a choice by turning an uncontested race into a competition is commendable.
This page, however, strongly endorses Jonathan Welch to represent District 2 on the Hamilton County School Board.
Welch is a graduate of District 2 schools and his own children are now students at Thrasher Elementary. As an involved parent, he will be a refreshing outside voice that still possesses a great deal of knowledge about the school system and familiarity with the issues facing educators.
As an advocate for vouchers, charter schools, magnets and other options to bring more choice and competition to public schools, Welch’s commitment to improving educational opportunities and steadfast concern for ensuring tax dollars are well-spent is evident.