Cox Seeks Ohio County Board of Education Seat | News, Sports, Jobs

WHEELING — West Liberty University history professor Darrin Cox is seeking a seat on the Ohio County Board of Education.

He said he has 20 years of experience in the classroom.

“For the past decade I have hosted numerous hands-on history demonstrations for free in area schools and organizations,” Cox said. “My platform is to keep authority in local hands, listen to the research and experts, and to fully fund our public library.”

Cox is a graduate of Central Preston High School and West Virginia University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in medieval history.

His father was a high school teacher for more than 30 years, and was also elected to serve multiple terms on the Preston County Board of Education.

“Through him, I saw the dedication it took to excel as a teacher, as well as the strong desire to give back to the community,” he said. “I’d like to do the same.”

After graduating from WVU, Cox obtained a doctorate from Purdue University. But he said he always planned to return to West Virginia and help stop “brain drain” from the state.

He was employed at Glenville State College, now Glenville State University, before coming to WLU. While at WLU, he had published on a number of topics – including how early field experience along with positive mentoring opportunities could help increase new teacher retention, as well as the benefits of living history in the K-12 classroom.

“Some of you might know me from my work in the community,” Cox said. “If you’ve ever heard stories about a WLU professor dressing up like a Viking and leading a troupe of college students giving free hands-on history demonstrations in area schools, that would be me”

He has donated time and professional expertise to the Ohio County Library, Girl Scouts and the House of the Carpenter, and also been a soccer and baseball coach.

“I’ve been a den leader for both of my sons’ time in Cub Scouts. I’ve volunteered as a judge for social studies fairs, band trips, and more recently the Ohio County Schools’ robotics competition.

“Basically, I like to help. I want to make my community a better place for everyone and feel called to serve my fellow West Virginians,” he said.

Cox stresses a solid education, especially in history and civics, makes for a healthy republic “and prepares young minds for the social, economic, and political trials that they will face.”

“Unfortunately, access to the best education is under threat. State legislators shouldn’t tell local communities how to govern their local situations, since these situations differ radically across the state and are governed more by political pandering than informed research,” he said.

Cox also believes board of education members should “listen to the experts.”

“State legislators aren’t experts in education or public health. We should listen to the research conducted by experts in their fields and then confirmed by other researchers running similar tests,” he said.