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Six candidates each say they have the skills to bring change to Hamilton County Schools.
Chip Baker is running for reelection against Joe Dumas.
Baker, "Most important to me is our strategic plan for 2011 to focus on academic achievement, quality professional staff."
Dumas is a professor at UTC and heads up the department of computer science and engineering. Dumas, "We've got to prepare them to enter the workforce and to go to college, to even go to graduate school and maybe even one day be a professor."
Linda Mosely and Michael Dzik both want to represent district 7. Michael Dzik has two children in public schools.
Dzik, "I'm just interested in making a difference, I have a ton of enthusiasm, I have a ton of energy and I'm ready to give back to the community that raised me, I went to Tyner I've lived in East Brainerd all my life."
Linda Mosely brings her finance background to the table.
Mosely, "I think that it's time for us to think about the business of education, we need to have children that are prepared either for the workforce or for college."
Debra Matthews is also running for reelection in district 4. Her opponent, Gregg Juster has lived in Chattanooga for 3 years.
Gregg Juster, "What really upset me about the school board is the way they operated, too many below the table behind closed doors."
Mrs. Matthews say her district has made great strides.
Debra Matthews, "We're making progress let's continue, we don't need to bring anyone in from the outside who has no knowledge of what's going on in this community, no knowledge of the educational process."
District 1 board member Rhonda Thurman attended the forum, but is running unopposed. School board candidates face off in the August election.
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