The beginning of this particular new school year marks a significant transition for NSTA. Gerry Wheeler is retiring as Executive Director, a decision he announced a year ago. Gerry led NSTA for a dozen years—strengthening the organization’s financial health, driving membership to new heights, developing a nationally recognized publishing program, and expanding NSTA’s e-learning initiatives. He will be a tough act to follow.

So let me be the first to tell you that I am honored—and a little humbled—to be succeeding Gerry as NSTA’s Executive Director.

It’s both a thrilling and a promising time to be taking on this challenge. Significant new opportunities lie ahead to

• raise popular awareness of the importance of science education,
• promote a system that supports high quality science education,
• increase the number of science teachers, and
• improve the working environment for teaching science.

The first item in this list is a lifelong passion of mine—and safe to assume, yours, too. The three succeeding ideas are further values that I hope we share—and they come straight from the report of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (2000), also called the Glenn Commission. I mention this for two reasons: One, the Glenn Commission’s vision has not yet been realized. Two, the report is a foundational document for NSTA’s new Center for Science Education (CSE)—the name we’ve given to our national campaign for leadership, learning, and advocacy. And to achieve the overlapping goals of the CSE and the Glenn Commission, we must alter our thinking about the way we work.

I use the word “we” because I believe that NSTA—our leadership, members, and partners—must be united to bring our vision to fruition. We are all responsible for improving science education.

We know from experience and research what is needed. But those of us in science education have to translate our ambitions and rhetoric into ongoing professional development, incisive new research investigations, high quality curricula, resources for the latest equipment, and opportunities for every student to be able to experience science in and out of the classroom.

All of us, scientists and science educators alike, must make ourselves heard in the grocery store, car pool, school board meeting, corporate office, university hallway, and both state and federal governments—and our shared message is that science education is key.

In the past few years, much proposed STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) legislation has gone unfunded. It could happen again this year, but it need not.

Together—with fellow educators and partner STEM organizations—I believe we can reinforce our call to improve learning opportunities for all students in science education. We need to talk to everyone we know about teaching science and how important it is for the future of the current and next generation of students.

The transformation I am suggesting is a purposeful and collaborative action. If successful, it will increase participation by science educators in NSTA, raise the profi les of NSTA and other STEM organizations, and foster a widespread determination to make science education a national priority. These are the goals I have set for myself as your new Executive Director. But I will not be working alone.

NSTA may seem like a powerful force, but in truth it is merely your talent, dedication, and energy magnified thousands of times over. And with all that going for us, the kind of transformation we seek is surely within our grasp.