This week several thousand students, teachers, administrators, support staff and bus drivers will kick off the 2011-2012 school year.  Teachers have been back for a few days now preparing for their arrival and yet another year.

Even though I’ve been retired for over seven years, I always get a little nostalgic this time of year. My grandchildren are excited about getting back to school and there was a time when I was itching to get back too.

I filled several roles in my 32 years in public education. I was a fourth and fifth grade teacher, a lead teacher for three years and a math, science and technology specialist the last four years.

I would always look forward to getting back to school to share ideas with my colleagues and the satisfaction of watching my students make progress throughout the course of the year.

But as the years went on, it became more and more difficult and, eventually, obvious that it was time to try some new things.

I know from what I read and hear that the current situation for those involved in this system we call public education isn’t much better.

It seems like it doesn’t matter who you are. If you're a teacher, you’re a selfish tax burden who should be giving back even more than you already have. If you’re an administrator, you’re overpaid and redundant. Who needs you?

If you’re an educational assistant, you’ve either had your hours reduced or you’re now collecting unemployment. If you’re a bus driver, well…who knows what you’re going to be doing in a year. And if you’re on the Board of Education, it’s your fault for just about everything that is wrong. 

Finally, if you’re a student, you have a whole host of pressures and demands of your own to deal with.

No, these are not ideal times to be one of these folks. But there are bright spots.

One of those bright spots has to do with math and science instruction.

For some time several teachers from Newtown schools have been participating in a science inquiry program sponsored by the Connecticut Science Center at Western Connecticut State University.

There have been articles about two of my former colleagues involved in this program including the person who replaced me as the math & science specialist at Sandy Hook School and one of my former colleagues who is now at Reed Intermediate School has blogged about it extensively.

My favorite subject was always science but since at that time science was not part of the Connecticut Mastery Test, spending much time on it was discouraged by many elementary school principals. They were more interested in having teachers focus on those things to be tested later.

Nevertheless, although discouraged, I continued to push my science education agenda to the very end. 

The science inquiry program at the Connecticut Science Center has given me reason for optimism. 

American students  do not compare favorably to others when it comes to science education. Yet, there is absolutely no doubt that it's the world of science that is eventually going to provide us with the solutions to most of our problems —including economic problems.

It would appear that science education is finally getting its due. 

But no matter what your interest or role may be whether it be science or something else, I hope all of you returning to school have a great year.  

Remember that you are involved in an extremely important process that will ultimately enrich you personally and the world around you. 

The best advice anyone has ever given is the simplest: Just do the best you can. The rest will take care of itself.