P.
John Whitsett President-elect, 2006-2007
P.
John Whitsett
President-elect, 2006-2007
P. John Whitsett, physics teacher at Fond du Lac High School, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is president-elect of NSTA. He began his one-year term on June 1, 2006, and will assume the office of president on June 1, 2007.
For more than 30 years, Whitsett has been a leader in public schools in Wisconsin. He began his career in 1970 at LaCrosse Central High School, where he taught chemistry for 23 years. He also served as Supervisor of Science and Math for the LaCrosse School District. He has taught physics at Fond du Lac High School since 1993 and is also a curriculum support specialist and serves as his school district’s assessment coordinator.
Whitsett has been an active member in the science education community for many years. He has a strong interest in professional development and has served as the Co-Principal Investigator for four National Science Foundation training and teacher enhancement projects. He has taught several graduate courses at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse campus in laboratory methods, lab safety, and curriculum design. He has also served as a laboratory safety consultant for many school districts and has presented lab safety training sessions for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Whitsett has been a member of NSTA since 1977. He has served on numerous NSTA committees, including Nominations and Budget and Finance. He also has served as District 12 Director, been a member of the executive committee (1999-2000), participated in the Blue Ribbon Panel for National State Collaborations (1999-2000), and was the local arrangements chair for the NSTA regional convention in Milwaukee in 2000.
Throughout his career, Whitsett has been honored for his contributions to science education. He received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (1986), the Ron Gibbs Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science Education (2000), the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) Regional Award (1995), an Outstanding Chemistry Teacher Award from the American Chemical Society (1991), among others. He is a long-time member of WSST and served as its president in 1991 and also as president of the WSST Foundation. Whitsett’s involvement in these activities reflects his personal goal to be an active participant in the science education community and to work with fellow teachers to help them become better trained, more informed, and engaged in their profession.
Whitsett earned a BS degree in chemistry and math from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1970, a master's of education in professional development (ME-PD) degree from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1983, and a certification in school administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994.