After nearly 10 years under the principalship of William Potvin, Andersonville Elementary is welcoming in a new face.
Bruce Martin joined the Clarkston Community Schools family, when the Board of Education named him at their June 9 meeting.
A native of Ohio, it was back in high school, involved in a tutoring program for elementary children, he decided to go into the education field.
“My heart was with the younger kids.”
He came to Michigan to attend Spring Arbor College (now Spring Arbor University) where he would meet Monica, his wife-to-be. The couple have three children Jake, 9, Luke, 6, and Emily, 4. “They are the love of my life. We’re a very close family,” he admits.
Since Martin, 34, began his career, it’s been on the fast track.
He began teaching at Central Elementary in Davison: third grade for two years, and then fifth grade for two years.
“While I was there I had the unique opportunity to become head teacher. It’s like assistant principal without the pay,” he joked.
The position gave him the chance to get involved with student discipline as well as building management and improvement.
In his second year of teaching there, Martin began studying for his master’s degree through a unique program offered by Central Michigan University. The Academy of Principalship, a 33-student program allowed Martin to take weekend class retreats throughout northern Michigan once a month, coinciding with hands-on projects. He graduated from the program in his fourth year of teaching.
Martin was then transferred to a kindergarten through fourth grade, 500-student elementary school in Clio where he would be principal for three years.
He was then 26 and the youngest principal in the state.
“I had the opportunity to go back to Davison as principal for a brand new fifth through sixth grade building.”
He and his wife had no intentions of leaving Clio. But, he said, “the chance to open a brand new building from scratch doesn’t come often. I jumped at that.”
Martin commuted for a semester, working in Clio during the day and attending meetings in Davison at night. He would stay at the school for “two exhausting and very rewarding years.”
An acquaintance back in Clio called him and asked if Martin would be interested in becoming assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
“After a great deal of thought, I turned it down. I didn’t feel two years was enough to get the goals, projects and ideas I had set in Davison up and running.”
But Clio called for Martin’s reconsideration after the person they had intended for the position backed out.
“The enticement of the experience at a relatively young age was inviting. An assistant superintendent at 30 — that doesn’t happen that often. I accepted the position. ”
Martin spent three years in the role, which gave him a myriad of experiences.
“I got to work with the whole K-12 spectrum. I worked in everything from curriculum, with the N.C.A. (North Central Accreditation), textbook adoptions, testing, child accounting…there were a lot hats to be worn in that position.”
Martin had underestimated the amount of paperwork and desk time that would go hand-in-hand with the position.
“When I took the job I thought I’d be out in the classrooms, in the buildings more. At the end of my third year, I wanted to get back into the buildings.”
He wanted to be with elementary children again.
“It’s an exciting atmosphere,” Martin said, of elementary school, noting the special programs with parents, celebrating students’ birthdays, and more.
“Probably the thing I love most is seeing the lights come on for kids during the learning process. When it clicks and they say, ‘I get it!’ It’s so rewarding.”
“Elementary buildings are very much a family,” Martin said, who is involved at Davison Free Methodist Church and teaches Sunday School. “I remember going to Clio for my first principal position. There was a wonderful closeness among the staff. I see that at Andersonville as well.”
Martin said he plans to run the building similar to how Potvin had.
“Potvin had things running so smoothly. Tests scores are up, morale is high, and families are happy to be a part of this building.”
Martin will make evaluations throughout the year to see, “Is there better or smarter ways to do what we do?”
He also plans to evaluate new legislation from the state and federal governments, such as with the No Child Left Behind mandate, and determine how they should be implemented in classroom lessons.
“I’m very excited to be a part of the Clarkston community. I’ve always been impressed with Clarkston schools, from a distance.” Now that he’s inside, he said, the district is living up to his first impressions.
“It’s a progressive district with an emphasis on what’s best for the kids. Despite the demands from the government, public pressures and concerns from the staff…if the bottom line is what is best for the kids and we make all our decisions on that central focus, I know I can go to my grave knowing we made the right decisions.”