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My name is Jack Marine and last summer I resigned from Raising Horizons Quest Charter School as the Environmental Science Specialist to take a job as the Lead Science Teacher at West Philadelphia Achievement Elementary School. This was a
challenging position as I teach science "on a cart" to fifteen classes, grades 1-5, using five different FOSS Science Kits. There was a lot of walking and a lot of preparation, but the staff were more pleasant that at my lasty school. This was the first year they had a full-time Science Teacher.

I grew up in this area, went to college for two years in Boston, at BU,and then spent two years in Philadelphia At Philadelphia Textile (Now PU).
I worked for twenty years in the clothing business and have been teaching for eleven years. I am an avid organic gardener, and you can expect to taste my delicious vegetables shortly! I love animals, and this summer I am raising two hens and a single box turtle (one disappeared two days ago) in my backyard, and my leopard gecko is inside our house in Bala Cynwyd. For the summer, my 14 year old daughter is away at camp in the Poconos, and my nearly 17 year old son is at home aggravating the sh--t out of us! My wife and I will be married 22 years in September.

I think teaching science in a single location at thsi juncture in time is difficult. Children need to be aware of the infrastructure of their school
environment, but we must expose them to other locations so they can learn
different perspectives. I think there are many opportunities to create special
locations at our school's property that will teach children civic values and encourage exploration. But I want them to see how students from other parts of the community and far from the community are involved in similar activities.