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2024 NABT Election Materials

As stated in the NABT Bylaws:

The Regional Coordinators shall annually elect one of their numbers to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors. The Coordinators eligible to be elected to the Board shall be the Coordinators beginning the second year of their term of office. 

The Director/Coordinator position officially begins on January 1, 2025 and concludes on December 31, 2026. The member elected as the Director/Coordinator position will serve on the Board and as Regional Coordinator simultaneously. 

Regional Coordinators in good standing and serving terms in 2024 are eligible to participate in online voting using the link below or in the ballot sent via email. Please contact the NABT Office if you did not receive your ballot.

The entire process should take only a few minutes, and we thank you for your continued NABT leadership.

Candidate Biographical Information

Director/Coordinator

Beth Cates

Beth Cates

AP Biology/ 8th Grade Science Teacher
Western Sierra Collegiate Academy
Rocklin, CA

Member Since: 2012

NABT Activities:

  • Region IX Coordinator (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA, Pacific Territories), 2014 - 2017 and 2024 - 2026
  • Presenter, NABT Professional Development Conference, “Refresh your Biology Relationship: How to bring the love (back) to your classroom.” (2022)
  • BSCS/NABT/ Stanford CSET, Regional Biology Teacher Academy Facilitator (2015 - 2018)
  • Presenter, NABT Professional Development Conference, “From Surviving to Thriving: Making Strides Toward an Amazing AP Biology Career Part II.” (2014)
  • BSCS/ NABT AP Biology Leadership Academy Cohort I (2012 - 2014)

Additional Leadership Experience:

  • Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Science Department Chair (2013 - 2015, 2022 - present)
  • Sacramento County Office of Education/Placer County Office of Education Region III Collaborative: Next Generation Science Standards Presentation Team (2017 - 2019)
  • Rocklin Academy Charter Schools, TK-12 Science Instructional Coach (2015 - 2017)
  • NGSS/Achieve Communications Training: CSTA Teacher Representative Omaha, NE (July 14 - 15, 2015)
  • California Science Teachers Association Marketing and Membership Committee (2014 - 2017)

Honors & Additional Activities:

  • NABT Biology Educator Leadership Scholarship (BELS) Program Reviewer (2024)
  • AP Biology Exam Reader (2015, 2016, 2023 (at-home))
  • HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador (2013 - 2018, 2023 - current)
  • NABT Biology Educator Leadership Scholarship (BELS) Recipient (2016)
  • California Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Communications Team (2011 - 2014)
  • Clark County School District New Teacher Training Cadre (2010 - 2011)

Personal Statement:

Hello NABT Family! I am a teacher of teenagers and biology, an experienced Next Generation Science Standards advocate, a certified California Naturalist, and science teacher leader. As Region IX Coordinator I have deeply appreciated being able to support teachers in their work to advocate for the best science for all students. As a California teacher who grew up in Kansas, I know that state laws and lack of societal support in my small town deeply impacted my understanding of Biology. All students deserve to learn accurate science regardless of their state’s opinions and the amount of money their parents make. I aim to fiercely advocate for all teachers to freely and correctly teach climate change, evolution, vaccines, and other key biology topics. Administrative changes do not change data, and our children deserve accurate, high-quality science education. Their futures demand nothing less. I am running for the Director/Coordinator position because I want to provide tangible support where science is in danger. As a Cohort I member of the BSCS/NABT AP Biology Leadership Academy, I feel that strengthening and growing the NABT biology teacher community is part of my teacher DNA. Using our community to stand up for science education has never been more important for the future of our students and our country.

As an NABT BELS recipient, I earned my master’s degree in biology through Project Dragonfly’s Global Field Program. My studies focused on environmental justice, cynipid gall wasps and blue oaks, and engaging teens in community-based conservation practices as a poultice for mitigating complex trauma. I am dedicated to empowering educators to increase equity and excitement in biology learning. I have 15 years of secondary biology teaching experience, including marine, freshman biology, AP Biology, and 8th grade integrated science. I have served on multiple state and local NGSS-rollout committees since 2012 and have led my district as science coordinator. I currently serve as an AP Biology teacher and department chair at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy in Rocklin, California where I design high-quality, targeted teacher development programs and facilitate the growth of effective institutional collaborations. 

As your Director/Coordinator, I hope to serve biology teachers to build on the work that I presented at the 2022 NABT Conference: “Refresh your Biology Relationship: How to bring the love (back) to your classroom.” I believe that teachers have the potential to connect disparate groups of society one classroom at a time by modeling in microcosm the kind of world we want to create. I would be honored to serve as your Director/Coordinator and look forward to supporting the active, vibrant, and engaged teachers that make NABT the leader in life science education. What questions do you have? I can’t wait to listen. 

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor

Biology Instructor
Olathe Northwest High School
Olathe, Kansas

Member Since: 2016

NABT Activities:

  • Region IV Coordinator (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD), 2024 - 2026
  • Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Director, Kansas Director (2021 - present)
  • NABT Professional Development Conference participant (2016-2019, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • NABT Conference Presenter (2023)
  • NABT Poster Presentation (2019)

Additional Leadership Experience

  • President, Kansas Association of Biology Teachers (KABT) (2023 - 2024)
  • Kansas State Department of Education Teacher Leaders Program (2022 - present)
  • 3D Molecular Designs Model Teacher (2021 - present)
  • FIRST Robotics Team 1710 coach (2016 - present)
  • Olathe School District Literacy Leadership Team (2018 - 2021)

Honors & Additional Activities

  • Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA), Kansas (2020)
  • Olathe Public Schools Foundation Innovative Educator Award (2024)
  • Olathe Public Schools Secondary Nominee for Emporia State University Master Teacher Award (2024)
  • Presenter, KABT Conference (2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024)
  • Conference Organizer, KABT (2020, 2022, 2024)

Personal Statement:

The NABT has a longstanding tradition of fostering community among biology educators and offering valuable resources to support teachers at all levels. My professional background equips me to contribute meaningfully to the continued growth and success of NABT. Recognizing the challenges faced by teachers who lacked confidence and training in implementing engineering design in their classrooms, I collaborated with a colleague to develop weeklong workshops focused on integrating engineering into middle school science curricula. These workshops equipped teachers with strategies for defining engineering problems and designing authentic solutions.

In 2020, I organized the Kansas Association of Biology Teachers (KABT) fall conference, which centered on social justice and addressing the diverse needs of students. This virtual event featured impactful presentations on topics such as undesigning the redline in Kansas City, culturally responsive feedback, and gender-inclusive teaching practices. I have since organized two additional conferences, each designed to meet the evolving needs of Kansas teachers. As a member of the Kansas State Department of Education Teacher Leader team, I co-facilitate a monthly virtual PLC for new science teachers, providing critical support, resources, and a sense of community during their formative teaching years. Additionally, I collaborated with KABT members and a retired University of Kansas botany professor to create an Eco-Educators workshop, aimed at building teacher confidence in connecting students with their local ecosystems.

Over the past four years, I have served as the Kansas OBTA director, successfully maintaining a steady stream of applications with at least five complete submissions per cycle. My leadership roles have allowed me to strengthen the KABT community through initiatives such as annual field trips and informal gatherings. Furthermore, I have spent the last year as the NABT Region IV Coordinator, an experience that has deepened my understanding of the needs and aspirations of biology educators. These collective experiences position me well to fulfill the responsibilities of the NABT Director Coordinator. My goal is to expand NABT membership, work toward finding an OBTA director for every state, awarding an OBTA for every state, and to support the needs of both teachers and students.

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