GSHS’s Marcum among four State Teacher of the Year finalists
Krista Marcum of Gulf Shores City Schools has been named one of the four finalists for Alabama 2021-2022 teacher of the year. A marine science and Gulf Coast ecology at GSHS, she was nominated as the District I secondary teacher of the year.
One year, while growing up in Indiana, Marcum had a chance to visit the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Mexico – she instantly fell in love with the thought of working to conserve the oceans and sea life.
Already an environmental education enthusiast, she decided to become a teacher as a way to encourage students to be good stewards of the environment. The top educator, who previously taught in Saraland, has found a home teaching marine biology and ecology at Gulf Shores High School. She also serves as the chairperson of the Gulf Shores City Schools Science by the Shore Committee.
Marcum is a National Board certified teacher, a National Geographic certified educator, and the vice-president of the Alabama National Board Certified Teacher Network.
She mentors K-12 educators statewide and partners with local community leaders to ensure students have the resources needed for classroom success. She has raised more than $10,000 in grants and scholarships for local schools.
Along with Julie Matranga Neidhardt from Mobile County, Allison Phelps from Homewood and Kimberly Johnson from Auburn, Marcum was selected from a group of more than 150 highly skilled educators. The state winner will be announced in August.
Marcum also chairs the Gulf Shores City Schools National Board Leadership Team and is the assistant cheerleading coach. She She also serves as a volunteer firefighter for Oyster Bay Volunteer Fire Department.
She earned her National Board Certification in AYA Science in 2017 and has a master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan and a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University. Her professional organizations include Alabama NBCT Network, Alabama Science Teacher’s Association, and the National Science Teacher’s Association.