John Stewart, University of Arkansas

In this issue, we begin with a description of the teacher preparation program at SUNY- Geneseo, one of the newly funded PhysTEC sites. This site mixes traditional PhysTEC components, the teacher in residence, with an innovative program that builds demonstration equipment for local schools. The PhysTEC program is built on an undergraduate program with an impressive graduation rate.

The second article describes the annual PhysTEC conference held this February in Ontario, California. This exceptional event brings together experts in physics teacher preparation for an intimate meeting each year. I cannot recommend this event strongly enough. Next year’s meeting will be held in conjunction with the APS March meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

The last article features an online resource that I have found particularly useful over the past few years, MSPnet.org. This resource features articles by participants in the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership Program (MSP). The site also contains a library of related articles. While the site contains articles about the teaching of many sciences, there is strong physics content. The site contains many general articles and reports useful to grant writers on diversity, high-needs teaching, and professional development. For example, at the time of the writing of this article the new featured items in the library include the "Next Generation Science Standards (First Public Draft)", "The NSTA Reader's guide to A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crossscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas", and "The Nation's Report Card: Science 2011- National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grade 8". A description of a math and science partnership centered on the relation of physics and mathematics in the readiness to attend college can be found in the summer 2009 newsletter.

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Disclaimer–The articles and opinion pieces found in this issue of the APS Forum on Education Newsletter are not peer refereed and represent solely the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the APS.