About Us - Past Presidents

Mars Bloch 2002-2003
The summer is rapidly approaching and as you read this edition of Crucible, the school year is winding down and so is my year as STAO President!  It has been a rich and fulfilling year to have the privilege of being President of this incredible organization.  This year we set goals for ourselves to align STAO's policies and procedures to reflect the many facets of the organization.  I feel we are in good shape to reach out to advocate for issues that are important and critical for excellence in student learning of elementary science and technology and of secondary sciences.

There continues to be many challenges in education - the past several years have not been easy and cutbacks are taking their toll.  Although the Ministry curriculum policies for elementary science and technology and for secondary sciences have been released fro several years, reduced funds for professional development are not adequate to provide teachers with the training to implement curriculum and assessment as intended.  STAO recognizes the importance of professional development, and Malisa Mezenberg provides direction in her role as STAO Professional Development Coordinator.  For example, the ScienceWorks Committee is reviewing existing ScienceWorks  workshops and will be revising and reviewing many of these to provide professional development to teachers by modelling hands-on/minds-on programs. Watch for ScienceWorks workshops at STAO 2003!

School staffing models often result in larger class sizes in science.  STAO remains concerned about increased numbers in science classrooms and the effect  on ensuring safe learning and working environments for students and teachers.  The STAO Safety Committee has revised STAO's position paper on class size in science laboratories to reflect Ontario Secondary School Reform. You can find the revision on page 26 and also on the STAO website http://www.stao.org/  . STAO will continue to advocate for class sizes that allow for safe and effective teaching and learning in science laboratories.

 Increased emphasis on elementary literacy and numeracy often results in decreased time for teaching science and technology. Yet science and technology can provide excellent contexts for developing skills related to literacy and numeracy. STAO will continue to advocate for strong elementary programs in science and technology. This year, STAO's Elementary Committee developed a partnership with ETFO (Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario). If you are an elementary member watch for the ETFO's June issue of Voice which has an emphasis on science and technology and includes several articles written by STAO committee members. Also watch for the work of the elementary committee in the writing and development of the STAO Science and Technology calendar that will be mailed out to all elementary schools in September 2003. Thanks to Merck Scientific for their generous funding of this calendar and special thanks to Chuck Cohen, STAO's External Relations Chair for his tireless pursuit of networking with potential partners so that STAG can provide more for its members. 

The coming year may have new challenges. The April Throne speech briefly mentioned that experts in various disciplines (e.g., technology, arts, etc.) might be allowed to teach without going through qualified teacher education programs. Although content experts can play an important role in education, there is a dangerous' assumption that just because you know something means that you can teach it. This negates the knowledge and skills of teaching as a profession. We must pay attention to how this develops in government policy. 
At this time I would like to express my appreciation to members of the Executive, Board and committees for their support. The dedication of all involved makes the organization strong and has ensured its survival since 1890! I encourage you to become involved in STAG by either e-mailing info@stao.org  or by contacting the regional councillor for your area. Active involvement makes STAG a strong organization and a strong voice for elementary science and technology and the secondary sciences. 

I wish Maurice DiGiuseppe, incoming president for 2003-2004, much success. Meet Maurice and other Board members during STAO 2003. Mark your calendars for November 6-8 at the Regal Constellation Hotel in Toronto. Co-chairs Sidney McKay and Chuck Cohen, committee chairs and committee members are developing another excellent STAO conference. Thanks to all for an enriching year and have a wonderful summer!