NSELA catalyzes leadership to maximize effective science teaching and learning in a complex and changing environment. If you are receiving this email and are not a member, we encourage you to join us and get involved!

December 2025

Contribute to the Newsletter!

We want to hear from you! Every month we'll be featuring a Leadership Spotlight to honor and appreciate the expertise in our NSELA community. Use the form below to nominate a colleague (or yourself)! Here are some interview questions to consider as part of your submission.

Do you have an announcement you'd like to share in the newsletter? You can also use the form to submit a short announcement. Please note that announcements must contain opportunities that are free and available to all. If you would like to put an advertisement in the newsletter, please visit the website.

Leadership Spotlight and Announcement Submission

EDUCATE
Keeping current with news in science education.

Board Corner

Lisa Kiel - Region A Director

K-12 District Science Supervisor of Hillsborough Township Public Schools, NJ & NJSELA President

Why did you want to volunteer for your current NSELA board position?

My experiences in NJSELA and NSELA have been a tremendous support to learn and grow in my position as a Science Supervisor in my district. I am eager to pay it

forward and contribute my skills and passion for science education to the NSELA Board of Directors as well as learn from other members on the board.

What is one goal you have for this year in your NSELA board position? How can the NSELA membership support you with this goal?

I am dedicated to collaborating with fellow board members, affiliates, and state organizations to implement strategies that elevate science education leadership and drive membership growth across our region. I actively invite all regional NSELA members to connect with me. Let's work together to amplify your events and strengthen our collective network.

What is one thing you’d like NSELA members to know about you?

When I began my career in administration a friend told me a good leader is an expert learner. That resonated with me and it soon became my superpower. I love lending a hand or joining in on a PD experience to broaden my knowledge or connect with colleagues. This commitment has allowed me to cultivate a rich global network of knowledge and skills, shattering the limitations of my own suburban lens and bringing a world of diverse perspectives back to my own learning community.

Policy Brief

The Education Report is a weekly publication on education policy news from the Bose Public Affairs Group. The Dec. 5 issue has several items that may be of interest to NSELA members, including:

Updates on the federal budget, especially aspects that will impact education
An opportunity to submit public comments to the IRS regarding a school choice tax credit
A congressional hearing on proposed bills to improve online safety for kids and teens and concerns those bills raise about privacy and free-speech
A panel on workforce Pell Grants in preparation for potential changes to eligible programs
A panel discussing the ways some districts used ESSER funds to provide tutoring, what has been learned about key features to make a tutoring program effective, and how districts can continue to provide supports after the expiration of ESSER
A hearing by a House education panel on student privacy and parental rights focusing on the need to modernize laws like FERPA and PPRA as schools increasingly rely on digital tools
An event from EdPrepLab where teacher education leaders discussed ideas for how teacher prep programs need to evolve to better meet the current challenges of the profession
A panel on strengthening implementation of policies promoting science of reading

NSELA members can read the full issue at the link below.

Read the Education Report

ADVOCATE
Connecting with NSELA committees, events, and leaders.

Leadership Spotlight

Dr. Jeffrey Celbre - K–8 Supervisor of Science and Engineering, Piscataway Township Schools, NJ

What has been a challenge for you as a leader?

Jeffrey acknowledges that one of the most significant challenges in science leadership is shifting mindsets; helping teachers see beyond coverage of content to focus on sensemaking and discourse. He approaches this challenge with empathy and patience, creating space for teachers to grow at their own pace while maintaining a clear vision of what equitable, purposeful, and ambitious science teaching can look like for every student.

What has been a success of your leadership in your district that you are proud of?

A central focus of Jeffrey’s recent work has been fostering a culture of equity and belonging in science classrooms. He views this as an ongoing pursuit, not a finished project; one that requires persistence, reflection, and the courage to shift mindsets. Through professional learning experiences grounded in equitable science practices, Jeffrey has supported teachers in rethinking how they engage students, design tasks, and build classroom communities. By prioritizing inclusive instructional approaches, small group learning, and opportunities for all students to see themselves in science, he has helped create classrooms where access to rigorous, authentic learning is not a privilege for some, but a right for all.

What advice do you have for those pursuing science leadership?

For Jeffrey, leadership in science education is about empowerment. “Science teaching and learning isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about creating the conditions where teachers and students can ask the right questions. When we make science accessible and purposeful, we open doors that students didn’t even realize were there.”

Be on the Lookout: VESELS is Coming!

The new year is the perfect time to invest in the next generation of science education leaders, and VESELS is designed to do exactly that. The Vernier Emerging Science Education Leader Scholarship (VESELS), sponsored by Vernier Science Education in partnership with NSELA since 2017, supports new and emerging science leaders with targeted professional learning, mentorship, and national networking.

Each VESEL Scholar receives:

Membership in a national cohort of emerging leaders who continue learning and connecting beyond the Summit!
A $500 travel scholarship to attend the NSELA Summit
Ongoing mentorship with an experienced NSELA leader

The VESELS application will be posted in the January 2026 Newsletter!

We invite NSELA members to volunteer as mentors and encourage emerging science leaders to apply for the VESEL Scholarship. For more information, please reach out to Eric Rhoades (Virginia).

Talking Leadership Tuesday: Your Weekly Forum for Science Education Solutions

Are you facing complex challenges in implementing new science standards, ensuring equitable access to science instruction, or developing leadership skills with teachers and coaches? Then join your peers every week for Talking Leadership Tuesday on the NSELA CommUnity member portal!

The CommUnity Hub discussion forum is designed to move beyond simply identifying obstacles, creating a dedicated space for leaders like you to crowdsource ideas and solutions from other NSELA members from around the country. Each week, we launch a targeted conversation starter on a current issue in science education, allowing you to share your successful strategies, ask important how-to questions, and build your professional network with other science leaders that can impact your science program.

Don't lead in isolation: log in and contribute your voice to the conversation shaping the future of science education leadership! Your username and password for the CommUnity Hub is the same email address and password you use to access your membership profile on the main NSELA page.

Visit the CommUnity Member Portal

Write for the Leadership Matters Column - Now in All Three NSTA Publications!

NSELA members now have the opportunity to submit a column for Leadership Matters in Science and Children, NSTA's K-5 science publication, Science Scope, NSTA's 6-8 science publication, and The Science Teacher, NSTA's HS publication. Every NSELA member is a leader and you all have stories to tell about what is happening in K-12 science in your district and how you and others are making science happen.

Use the link (button) below to learn more about submitting an article AND/OR applying to be a reviewer. The column editors will work with you to get your article ready for publication. Any science educator can write for the column. The goal is to share our stories and learn from one another.

Submit an Article or Apply to be a Reviewer

COLLABORATE
Highlighting the work of our members, partners, and other organizations.

Announcements

Smithsonian Science Education Center: Apply to join fellow educators at the 2026 Smithsonian Science Education Leadership Summit (SSELS), held at Drexel University, from March 27-29, 2026! Hosted annually, this free three-day summit empowers teams from schools, districts, state organizations, and STEM education non-profits across the country to develop strategies to recruit and retain K-12 STEM teachers in the classroom. Summit applications are open until January 9, 2026. View this link to learn more.

CAESART: The Center to Advance Elementary Science through Assessment, Research, and Technology (CAESART) at Education Development Center (EDC), a non-profit research organization, invites your district to participate in a federally funded research study to better understand the effect of literacy-integrated science curriculum on children’s science learning. View this flyer to learn more.

Affiliate Highlight

This month we would like to highlight the work being done at the New Jersey Science Education Leadership Association (NJSELA). Be on the lookout for more Affiliate Highlights in the new year!

NJSELA Winter Roundtable

Science education leaders from across the state gathered for a day filled with connection, policy clarity, and forward-thinking science leadership for the NJSELA Winter Roundtable. Hosted at the Rutgers Lifelong Learning Center on December 5, the day was dedicated not just to leadership development, but to actionable strategies for building K-12 STEM ecosystems and navigating the shifting landscape of high school graduation requirements.

The day included deep-dive focus groups where leaders tackled some of the most pressing issues in the field: Using AI to support 3D Assessment, Designing professional learning for teachers, Supporting diverse learners, and Curricular Program Evaluation. Each session was led by a curriculum leader who shared resources and posed questions for discussion.

The NSELA affiliate will convene again in May for another in-person leadership event.

SAFER LABS: Be Protected!
By Dr. Ken Roy, NSELA Safety Compliance Officer

Laboratory Fire Safety Protocols

The purpose of this safety commentary is to provide a comprehensive laboratory instructional space fire safety guide for teachers and their supervisors or administrators. It is a critical topic that generally is minimally addressed but could result in a catastrophic safety incident!

Read the Blog Post