Paul Weese 1992-1994
My two years as President of STAO are remembered as a time of tremendous
financial pressure, I thought many times that I did not want to be remembered
as the last President of the Association. As a result of careful control
of expenses and a successful STAO conference, we did survive and in fact,
established many policies and procedures to ensure the financial viability
of STAO for years to come.
Another thought that frequently crossed my mind was "'What would happen if there were no STAO?", On the surface, there would be no Crucible nor Annual Conference, the most tangible results of membership. But the largely unseen work of STAO has affected what and how science is delivered in the classroom. The liaison that STAO has developed with the Ministry of Education and Training, SCCAO and science suppliers has influenced curriculum and pedagogy - The work of the STAO Safety Committee has raised teachers' awareness of risk and hazards in the laboratory setting.
STAO continues to be the collective voice of science educators in this province. Through the commitment of its Executive, and Board and the support of science teacher through membership is has and will continue to promote excellence in science education through leadership and service.