When the Clinton County Board of Education convened for the first time in 2011, one new member took part in official business of the school district for the first time, that being Kevin Marcum, who also at 35, is the youngest current board member.

The 2010 non-partisan election was the first political campaign Marcum had attempted and made it a successful one.

The Clinton County native and 1994 CCHS graduate has been employed at Equity Group for the past 10 years. He also worked for a year in Monticello with JMS Power Line Construction and attended a year-and-a-half of Technical School here in Clinton County after graduation. Marcum is also a member of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department and local Masonic lodge.

When asked why he opted to seek a seat on the school board, Marcum replied, “I’m the kind of person that can only talk for so long, then I want to take action.” He said he wanted to see the school district improve and help make the system better.

“Kids are our future,” the new board member stressed. He added that getting a good education at home will hopefully make students want to come back home to Clinton County after college. “If you’re not educated, you’re beat down before you even get started in life,” he said.

Marcum said that before and during the time he was running for board member, he thought the primary duties of a board member may include dealing with curriculum and day-to-day operations of the schools. But, he said that even though board members don’t work directly with the curriculum being taught, they do have the responsibility of hiring the schools superintendent and board attorney and “have a say by the actions we take” about a child’s future. “What is decided on by the board has a lot to do with how a student is educated…it’s a board members’ responsibility to take an interest.”

Marcum, who serves the Nora, Snow and Piney Woods School Board precincts, feels the most important time in a child’s educational life is in the earliest (first and second) grades. “If they don’t learn there, they gradually starting falling behind,” he noted.

The incoming board member said he would like to see more teacher aides put into all the lower grades to help teachers offer more one-on-one instruction to students. He said that due to the high volume of students in a classroom, aides are an important asset.

“Not all kids learn at the same pace,” Marcum said, adding it is a large job teaching a child how to read and do basic math at that early age in their lives. “Teachers now are doing an excellent job…maybe we can find a way to work something out to get more aides in the lower grades.”

Marcum also added he would like to see a bus monitor on every school bus, if feasible.

Marcum also feels the district should incorporate courses in the high school curriculum that are more college level to keep students from having to take classes elsewhere to prepare for college. “We need to incorporate things in the curriculum to help improve students’ abilities who are currently enrolled in high school.”

The first time board member also feels that any student from Clinton County majoring in education or the teaching profession should have the first opportunity of being employed locally when they graduate college. He further feels that students who are interested in going to college to become teachers should be made aware in advance which course (i.e. English, science, etc.) that is in need most locally so those students may consider majoring in that particular field of study.

Marcum is the son of Jim Marcum and Faye Moreland Chambers. He and his wife Emily have two children, Brennan, age 11 and Corey, age 6.

Marcum concluded by thanking everyone for their vote and support in the 2010 election and said, “I’m in this for the kids and I hope I can make a positive impact on their lives. I look forward to all the challenges and rewards serving on the board,” he said. He also added, “I also look forward to hearing about the current students’ future successes and having them come back to Albany and Clinton County after furthering their education.”