Farewell ...
This column is my last as High School Editor.
Since I plan to retire from teaching within the next
two years I did not seek an extension to my
five-year term. While I have been thoroughly rewarded by
my experience during my tenure as High School
Editor, I feel that it is time for new ideas and
innovative approaches. Serving as high school editor has
been one of the most satisfying events in my
professional career, which I began as a high school
science teacher and will conclude as a teacher of
students preparing to teach high school chemistry. What
has made the JCE experience so rewarding is
the people whom I have been privileged to work
with and to serve. The high school community is
very fortunate that the editor of the Journal of
Chemical Education, John W. Moore, is highly supportive
of teachers and strong high school chemistry programs. Without his innovative ideas,
dedication, and backing, JCE print, online, and software
resources for teachers would not exist. Even the presence of
this column is evidence of his commitment to
dedicate resources to serving the high school
teacher community.
Associate Editors Betty Moore and Mary Saecker have also been very supportive. The news,
announcements, and articles that appear each month under the Chemical
Education Today section of the Journal are edited by Betty Moore with an eye
to including items useful and interesting to high
school teachers. Mary Saecker works to ensure that accepted manuscripts appear in the most
appropriate section of the Journal and the appropriate
issue, such as the games and puzzles in April. The work
of Jon Holmes, JCE Software and
Online Editor, in making available resources such as the
Chemistry Comes Alive! CD-ROM series and the HS
CLIC Web site has greatly improved the value and
utility of digital resources for high school teachers.
Assistant Editor Nancy Gettys works with technical aspects of the software, and, with Erica
Jacobsen, develops and edits the popular
JCE Classroom Activities series. The great logistical
support provided by Assistant Editors Alice Teter and
Lin Morris makes complicated tasks appear simple. Kelli Bennett's expertise and creativity
have been indispensable to all operational aspects of
the high school office, including management of the
JCE booth at the annual NSTA convention. Without
these individuals the resources for high school teachers
in the Journal would not be available.
I would also like to extend a special thank you to
the editors of the features most closely associated
with the high school office: John Fischer, Second
Year and Advance Placement Chemistry; David Byrum, View from My Classroom;
Cary Kilner, Chemical Principles Revisited; Mark Alber,
Interdisciplinary Connections; and John T. Moore,
Chemistry for Kids. Without their hard work and sincere interest
in bringing quality articles to teachers, some of
the most useful articles would not appear in JCE.
The JCE Board of Publication, chaired by
John Gelder, takes an active interest in high school
teaching and that support is greatly appreciated. I wish
to acknowledge and thank the first and founding
high school editor, Mickey Sarquis. As long-time
readers know, she served with distinction in that capacity
for 17 years.
Finally, a sincere thank you goes to our
readers. Without you there would not be a high
school presence in the Journal of Chemical
Education. Thank you to all high school teachers who
submitted manuscripts over the past five years. Thank
you to all high school teachers who reviewed manuscripts during the same period. Thank you
to everyone who attended a JCE Workshop at
a ChemEd Conference, at BCCE, or at the High School
Program of an American Chemical Society meeting. And thank you to everyone who
stopped by the JCE booth at national NSTA
conventions, BCCE, ChemEd, or ACS meetings.
... the High School Editorship Has a Bright Future
And as a page turns in my career, so to speak,
a new one appears for two colleagues. On the page opposite this
column is the announcement that Diana Mason has been appointed High School Editor
and Erica Jacobsen has been appointed Associate
High School Editor. Both are dedicated to the support
of high school chemistry teachers and I know they
will take the high school section to new heights.
This dynamic duo bring fresh insights, new ideas,
and high energy. I am honored to have preceded
them and look forward to observing the continued
growth and development of JCE resources for the
high school chemistry community.
As Diana and Erica embark on this journey, I
encourage each of you to provide them with your
thoughts and ideas for how to continually enhance the
high school section. And as the song reminds us to "make new friends but keep the old",
I hope the new leadership will be met with teachers
submitting articles and JCE Classroom Activities and with
the continued work and encouragement of those teachers who have been involved with
JCE during the past five years.
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