Keith Parrish cites classroom experience in Jones County school board bid

Keith Parrish, a Democrat running for the Jones County Board of Education, says his 35 years in education have shaped his understanding of what teachers and students need to succeed.

“As a career classroom teacher, I understand what it means to teach a room full of students with many different needs,” Parrish said.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Parrish said he has called eastern North Carolina home since 2001. His career included 10 years as director of education at Eckley Miners’ Village in Weatherly, Pennsylvania, followed by 25 years as a classroom teacher in North Carolina. He spent his final four years at Jones Senior High School in Trenton before retiring in 2025.

Parrish said he graduated cum laude from Grove City College in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He earned a master’s degree in history and museum studies from Duquesne University in 1990, graduating with honors.

Parrish described teachers’ responsibilities as extending beyond academics.

“I understand the limited resources teachers have not only to meet the academic needs of the students, but also to ensure their safety; physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and to help them grow into responsible stewards of the future,” Parrish said.

Parrish said his passion for teaching and helping the next generation led him to focus on the resources and governance educators and parents need to support students.

“I believe in the transformative power of good governance and the role the Jones County Board of Education plays in not only students’ futures, but the future of the community as a whole,” Parrish said.

Parrish lives in Trenton with his wife, Karen. He said he has three children, two stepchildren and nine grandchildren.