— David Morrison is challenging incumbent Tim K. Baker for the Tahlequah Board of Education Office 2 seat.

Baker, an attorney and board president, is seeking a second term.

Morrison, who is retired from Greenleaf Nurseries, said he is running because he is “concerned about the direction Tahlequah Public Schools is heading.”

“A number of people asked me to run, including some teachers,” Morrison said.

Baker said he has a daughter and grandchildren in Tahlequah schools and is running to help the kids.

“I’m a former school teacher at Midwest City/Del City, Tulsa, and I taught at Tahlequah and Northeastern State,” Baker said. “Both my parents are longtime educators, and I worked as the school attorney for 20 years.”

Baker said his experience in education and law makes him qualified to run.

“My children and grandchildren are in school, so I attend all the back-to-school nights, athletic events, choir concerts,” he said.

Morrison said his experience with Greenleaf Nurseries and the Tahlequah Public Works Authority are his main qualifications.

“I have a lot of experience in management and a lot of experience in personnel issues,” he said.

Morrison said “lack of communication with the community” is the main issue facing the Tahlequah school board.

“The board is not listening to community opinion,” he said, citing construction of a new elementary school in southern Tahlequah as an example.

He said the school, currently under construction, is located in an area where there is poor drainage and soil quality. School officials have said engineering work was done to address those issues.

Morrison said the district also needs to begin working in earnest on the Common Core Curriculum, a set of new state curriculum standards to take effect in 2014.

Baker agreed a main issue focuses on the Common Core Curriculum.

“Financing is one of the bigger issues,” Baker said. “We’ve got to open our new elementary school. We have 25 National Board certified teachers. We need to get them compensated.”

Baker said a main goal for a second term would be to “continue pushing for excellence in academics, extracurricular activities and athletics.”

“Budgeting for teacher raises is a big issue as we have funds available,” he said.

Morrison said his main goal is to “restore confidence in the school board.”

“There is a lot of unhappiness among the staff,” he said.

Meet the candidates

David Morrison

OFFICE SOUGHT: Tahlequah Board of Education, Office 2, five-year term.

AGE: 66.

HOMETOWN: Tahlequah.    

FAMILY: Wife, Laura; two children, three grandchildren.      

OCCUPATION:  Retired from Greenleaf Nurseries.     

EDUCATION: Degree in chemistry from Northeastern State University; graduate work in chemistry from University of Oklahoma.    

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: United Methodist.

HOBBIES: Hiking, kayaking, camping.

Tim K. Baker

OFFICE SOUGHT: Tahlequah Board of Education, Office 2, five-year term.

AGE: 64.

HOMETOWN: Tahlequah.

FAMILY: Wife, Diana; five children, five grandchildren.

OCCUPATION: Attorney.

EDUCATION: Tahlequah High School, Northeastern State University. Juris Doctorate at Oklahoma City University.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant.

HOBBIES: Golf, hunting, following children’s and grandchildren’s activities.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at (918) 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.