NAAE: News Items

2/22/10 News Blaze
52,000 Agricultural Jobs Projected for College Graduates in 2010

The United States Department of Agriculture predicts 52,000 agriculture-related job openings for college graduates will be needed in 2010-including those needed to teach ag science at high school, college level.

As National Teach Ag Day on February 25 nears, communities across the nation are asked to consider the teachers that will be needed to prepare students for the increasing number and complexity of agriculture-related jobs expected to be available in the United States.

The United States Department of Agriculture predicts 52,000 ag-related job openings for college graduates[i] will be needed in 2010-even as the country finds its national unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent. Available jobs are expected in areas such as food, animal and environmental science. Jobs including animal geneticists, biochemists, botanists and food engineers will be needed.

"Perhaps most importantly-we will need qualified teachers to prepare students for these increasingly sophisticated professions," said Jay Jackman, Ph.D., executive director of the National Association of Agricultural Educators.

To read more go to:

http://newsblaze.com/story/20100222164617zzzz.nb/topstory.html

2/28/10 Santa Maria Times
Ag students get lessons on tree grafting

Agriculture students at Nipomo High School were treated to a magic show Friday when Joe Sabol and the volunteers from the California Rare Fruit Growers Association visited their campus.

“Grafting is magic,” Sabol told the mesmerized agriculture science students.

The former associate dean of agriculture at Cal Poly and his CRFGA volunteers demonstrated the magic of grafting fruit trees, a sweet science that brings their groups together.

The association specializes in rare fruit trees. Ambrosia, Splendor, Hawaii, Rome Beauty, Cinnamon Spice and Mott Pink may sound like names of rock-and-roll bands, but they actually are apple varieties. The volunteers enjoy passing on their love of horticulture to students almost as much as they enjoy a sweet, crisp apple.

“It’s a cooperative effort between the Rare Fruit Growers and Cal Poly,” said Art DeKleine, program chair with CRFGA.

For more information go to: http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/education/article_4970c93e-2434-11df-b1d9-001cc4c002e0.html

2/25/10
Alltech Celebrates National Teach Ag Day

Alltech, a global animal health company, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, with more than 2,300 employees in 120 countries, is proud to support National Teach Ag Day on February 25, 2010. Not only does this day celebrate agriculture as a whole, but it emphasises the importance of education within the agriculture industry. Education represents the cornerstone of Alltech’s endeavour to create and innovate. Alltech’s educational focus is embodied through two education initiatives, Alltech’s Young Scientist Program and Kidzone.

The president and founder of Alltech, Dr. Pearse Lyons states the importance of this day, “The future of agriculture is in education. As leaders within the agricultural industry, it is our job to engage and educate the next generation on the important role of agriculture in our lives and to nurture a passion for our industry. Alltech is doing its part by providing global programs such as the Young Scientist Program and Kidzone.”

The Young Scientist Program was created by Alltech to continue the company's commitment to furthering education in science. Alltech created this global competition to promote research and talent. The Alltech Young Scientist Award brings together the world’s brightest scientific thinkers from colleges and universities across the globe. Undergraduate and graduate students are asked to register and submit a scientific paper on a topic involving animal feed technologies, agricultural developments or agriculture management. Since the inception of this program in 2005, the program has grown from 86 applicants in its first year to nearly 4,000 for the 2010’s competition.

For more details go to:
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Alltech-Celebrates-National-Teach-Ag-Day/2010-02-25/Article.aspx?oid=993218

2/25/10 The Christopher Columbus Foundation

New award recognizes excellence in agriscience education, research

The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a Federal government agency, is now accepting Nominations for the new 2010 Agriscience Awards. The awards are presented by the Foundation in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The mission of this partnership is to present the First Annual Agriscience Awards to recognize, through eight monetary awards and research funds, two adult scientists and provide research funds; three current secondary school educators; and three current secondary school students who are judged to exemplify excellence in the field of agriscience and to highlight the importance of agriculture in the 21st century. Download PDF with details.

2/22/10 The Farmer
Rally at Minnesota Capitol to Celebrate National Teach Ag Day

Agricultural education students, teachers, alumni and supporters from across Minnesota will celebrate the first-ever National Teach Ag Day Rally at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, February 25 at 9 a.m.

The rally will feature the Minnesota FFA State Officers, Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau, Commissioner Gene Hugoson of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Assistant Commissioner Karen Klinzing of the Minnesota Department of Education, and numerous Minnesota legislators who support teaching agriculture.

National Teach Ag Day is a day set aside to celebrate agricultural education and for teachers to share with their students the possibilities of a career in the profession. There is a national shortage of agricultural educators in the United States, and National Teach Ag Day is part of a campaign to raise awareness of the career.

Agriculture teachers prepare students for high-demand careers in cutting edge industries like biotechnology, renewable energies, engineering, food production, and more. They also teach students how to be leaders, positive citizens and prepare them to take on the challenges of the next generation.

Along with the National Teach Ag Day Rally, Minnesota FFA will be holding its Day at the Capitol. Minnesota FFA Day at the Capitol is a chance for students to meet their legislators, discuss vital issues surrounding agricultural education, and to see state government in action. The majority of the day will have FFA members meeting with their local legislators and witnessing the action on both the Senate and House floor sessions.

The Minnesota State FFA Officers will be introduced by Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher on the floor of the House of Representatives at 10:30am.
FFA members will also be joined by several legislators from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Room 300 North of the State Office Building. Legislators will address the FFA members and have a question and answer period. This will also be an opportunity for FFA members to learn about a various number of topics that legislators are addressing during the 2010 session.

For more information about the rally, contact Julie Tesch, MAELC Executive Director, at 612-624-6249. FFA Day at the Capitol questions should be directed to R. James Ertl, Minnesota FFA Executive Secretary, at 651-582-8347.

2/15/10 Nodaway Newsletter
Ag program cultivates skills for the future

It doesn’t get much more diverse than learning how to make corsages and boutonnieres from fresh flowers in one class and then learning how to weld in the next. But for Maryville High School senior, Morgan Shipley, she’s doing it all to help prepare for her future.

Shipley, who also serves as the district’s FFA president, learns a variety of things while taking classes at the Northwest Technical School, especially during her agriculture classes.

“I enjoy all the activities we get to do and the experience,” she said. “I want to be an ag teacher someday, and this provides a lot of opportunities.”

Shipley is just one of approximately 70 students from the high school who are enrolled in the agriculture program, Jackie Lacy, ag teacher, said. They also have 31 students participating in their satellite program with Jefferson High School.

The program is designed for students who wish to go on to college or pursue a professional career in agriculture and includes classroom instruction and hands-on experience, Lacy said, who is in her fifth year at the technical school.

For more information go to:
http://www.nodawaynews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=

article&sid=12608&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

2/10/10 The Observer
Billy the Kid to the Rescue: Special needs students raise goats

Butterscotch is no ordinary goat. He grew up in the Humble Independent School District ag barn. He was groomed and fed daily just like dozens of other goats, sheep and steer in the pens next to him. And ultimately, as area livestock shows draw near, his life will likely go to the highest bidder. But between now and then, Butterscotch gave a special needs student a sense of accomplishment and pride, honored her with loyalty and affection, and will likely remain embedded in the young girl’s heart and memory for years to come.

“When we first started with the Billy the Kid project, the first couple of days were a little tense. At first Caitlyn just sat there and stared at the goat, not sure what to make of it,” said Ellen Shimer, mother of Caitlyn Chamberlin, a special education student at Kingwood Park High School. “But after a few days, Caitlyn couldn’t wait to get to the barn, and her whole personality changed.”

Caitlyn has cerebral palsy, is uncommunicative, autistic, and relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around. Her life is riddled with daily challenges, but diversion and opportunities to succeed don’t come along every day.

“This was an opportunity for Caitlyn to connect, to interact in the community - it was something to do other than watch TV all day,” Shimer said. “The Billy the Kid project meant the world to both of us. Families need to know that there are places in this world where differences don't really matter. We found the barn smells the same whether you get there with a walker or running in flip-flops, and a goat is stubborn whether you have the muscle to move it forward or need some help with the task.”

0610specialneedsho.txt

2/10/10
Help wanted: ag teachers

In a nation craving more math and science teachers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a message for would-be educators.

Think ag.

America needs to fill 52,000 agriculture-related jobs in 2010, the USDA says, from animal geneticists to biochemists, food engineers to farmers

And key among those jobs is high school and college teachers, said Ellen Thompson of rural Brookings, national coordinator of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative of the National Council for Agriculture Education.

With National Teach Ag Day approaching Feb. 25, her group is trying to spotlight the need for more ag educators. It's one that Lon Moeller, head of Agriculture Education at South Dakota State University, understands well.

2/7/10 Bismarck Tribute
Magazine brings agriculture to students

As the state’s economy changes, fewer kids have the opportunity to be around agriculture. The North Dakota Agriculture Magazine, Ag Mag, lets students explore this forgotten world.

In the Bismarck area more than 30 teachers incorporate the magazine into their curriculum. One teacher, Diann Kraft, finds the magazine to be particularly useful in her fourth grade classroom at Apple Creek Elementary school.

“The magazine is a total integration into other subjects,” said Kraft.

Kraft’s class does many activities with the magazine’s subjects. They did a science experiment combining warm milk, vinegar and hot water. The result was small plastic balls. Student Monica Richard described it as “Gooey.” Kraft did the activity to show that plastic was once made from natural products.

To read more go to:

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_42547904-11c2-11df-8d90-001cc4c002e0.html

1/25/10 Earth Link
Investment in Career Technical Education Critical to Improving Economy

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), National Association of State Directors for Career and Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) are taking steps to educate the public about the role career and technical education (CTE) plays in educating and training the future workforce and the economic impact it has on local communities.

As America continues to tackle economic and workforce issues, recent research illustrates the critical need to earn a high school diploma and complete some form of postsecondary education or training. First, The Economic Benefits of Halving the Dropout Rate: A Boom to Businesses in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas, a report released this month by the Alliance for Excellent Education, examines the impact of cutting a single classes’ dropout rate in half. The report states that more than 30,000 jobs could be created in one year based on increased spending and investments, with an estimated $5.3 billion boon to local economies by the time this one class of graduates reaches the midpoint of their careers.

One of the solutions to reducing the dropout rate is CTE. According to a 2005 National Research Center for Career and Technical Education report, a ratio of one CTE class for every two academic classes was shown to minimize the risk of students dropping out. In a Gates Foundation report, 81 percent of students who dropped out said that “more real-world learning” might have influenced them to stay in school. CTE courses keep students engaged in the classroom, and CTSOs provide an extension of classroom learning where students develop leadership skills and interact with teachers beyond the classroom.

For more details go to: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/investment-in-career-technical-education,1135172.shtml

CHS Foundation Doubles High School Scholarship Funding

ST PAUL, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The CHS Foundation announced today that it will award 50 $1,000 scholarships for high school seniors planning to study an agricultural field at a two or four-year college.

"We're excited to raise our high school scholarship allotment from 25 to 50 scholarships," says William Nelson, president, CHS Foundation. "This increase demonstrates the CHS Foundation's continuing commitment to help build the next generation of leaders in production, science technology and business agriculture."

High school seniors are invited to apply for a high school scholarship by visiting the University Partnerships (http://www.chsfoundation.org/upartnerships.html) section of the CHS Foundation website (http://www.chsfoundation.org/). An independent, external committee will select recipients based on essays, transcripts and reference letters. The application deadline is April 1, 2010.

The CHS Foundation also offers two-year college scholarships for agricultural students in their first years at a two-year college and university scholarships for students currently working toward a four-year agriculture-related degree. Visit the CHS Foundation website (http://www.chsfoundation.org/) for additional details.

----
The CHS Foundation (www.chsfoundation.org) is the major giving entity of CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com), a diversified energy, grains and foods Fortune 200 company committed to providing the essential resources that enrich lives. As a part of the CHS stewardship focus, the CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative business through education and leadership development.

Web site: http://www.chsfoundation.org/
http://www.chsinc.com/

1/18/10 LA Times
Obama wants to extend education grant program

President Obama will ask Congress for $1.35 billion in his 2011 budget proposal to extend an education grant program for states, although the Education Department remains months away from announcing its first round of awards, senior administration officials said. Obama was to outline the budget proposal today at a Fairfax County, Va., elementary school. The $787-billion economic stimulus program Obama signed into law soon after taking office included $4.3 billion in competitive grants for states, nicknamed the "Race to the Top" fund. States must amend education laws and policies to compete for a share of the money.

More than 30 states were expected to apply by today's deadline. The first of two rounds of award announcements are expected in April.Even before that, however, Obama will ask lawmakers for another $1.35 billion so that states not chosen in either round can compete for money, according to the officials, who spoke anonymously Monday because the president had not announced his plans.

For more information go to:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-na-obama-schools19-2010jan19,

0,5783400.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_

medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Feducation+

%28L.A.+Times+-+Education%29

1/10/10 Farm Bureau News
FB Women Work to Change Perceptions about Agriculture

The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee is challenging Farm Bureau women to focus on changing public perceptions about agriculture and family farms and ranches in 2010, according to Terry Gilbert, committee chair.

Gilbert, a corn and cattle producer from Danville, Ky., addressed her fellow state Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee leaders and members during AFBF’s 91st annual meeting.

“There are so many opportunities today for us to effectively ‘put a face’ on agriculture, to speak out for our industry and the food security that Americans have come to rely on us for,” Gilbert said. While acknowledging that agriculture is confronting many challenges today, Gilbert noted, “Our industry is respected…and farm women continue to be seen as credible sources about the way food, fiber and renewable fuels are produced.”

For more information go to: http://www.fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=newsroom.newsfocus&year=2010&file=nr0110d.html

12/23/09 Coast Press
Schools report growth in agriculture education

Agricultural education has been growing in the First State and across the country, as shown by a U.S. Department of Agriculture study that revealed a 21.8 percent increase in participation in such bachelor's degree programs between 2005 and 2008. George Jefferson, an environmental technology professor at Sussex Tech, said he's seen enrollment in his classes triple over the past three years.

"I definitely meet a lot of kids interested in the different aspects of environmental science coming from farming backgrounds," he said. "They want to learn about what they might do in the future."

Indian River School District officials said they've seen tremendous growth in student participation in agriculture technology classes over the past five years. As student enrollment in such programs has almost doubled, IRSD schools now offer additional environmental technology classes such as animal biology and resource management.

For more information go to:

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20091223/DCP01/912230313

12/21/09
From 'cows and plows' to 21st-century science

From farming hundreds of fish in a second-floor aquaculture lab to studying plants inside a weather-controlled hydroponics greenhouse, the new 70,000-square-foot Vernon E. Cleaves Vocational Agriculture Center at Lyman Hall High School, scheduled to open next month, will allow the program room to grow into one the state's best.

It may even become the largest such program in the state.
After paying only 5 percent of the $28.7 million price tag, the town will now reap the benefits of a state-of-the-art facility paid for mostly by the state.

From its original planning phases in 2004, with a committee headed by program graduate Jim Vitali, to the groundbreaking 19 months ago by KBE Building Corp., owned by town native Michael Kolakowski, the project, on budget and one semester behind schedule, will be a reflection of people who understand its potential in a state with a fluid agricultural economy.

For more information go to: http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/tab1.

cfm?newsid=20397011&BRD=2755&PAG=461&dept_id=592709&rfi=6

12/19/09 Capital Press
New FFA president wants diversity of backgrounds in ag

Levy Randolph, the recently elected president of the National FFA Organization, never suspected his life would turn toward agriculture. It happened almost before he knew it. During his freshman year of high school in California, a class assignment required memorizing and delivering the FFA creed, a statement of belief in agriculture. The teacher was impressed enough by Randolph's effort to enter him in a local competition. That came as a surprise, but something in the young student was clicking with the project -- maybe his nascent curiosity about the origins of food, maybe the competitive spirit he had developed through team sports. So he spent hours practicing, and won the event. It was a signal moment.

All of which qualifies Randolph to deliver the message he finds most important for attracting students to the industry. He urges students to look beyond any perceived cultural barriers to find the same elements they might seek out in other endeavors: competition, new knowledge, camaraderie. Those elements can make the work of food production potentially appealing to a wider variety of students, he said. That's important, Randolph said, because agriculture needs more people in general -- more students, more educators, more producers.

For more details go to: http://www.capitalpress.com/california/ws-FFA-President-121809

12/11/09 Ag Week
Ag courses should count for science credits

A proposed bill that makes some sense is working its way through the Wisconsin Assembly. The measure would allow high schools to grant students science credits for completing agricultural education courses. Right now, Wisconsin students are required to complete two science credits during their high school career to graduate. Classes that qualify as science include the traditional biology and chemistry courses, but any classes dealing with agriculture do not count. People in this great dairy state should know there’s something wrong with the way things are.

Anyone who has taken a high school agricultural course, or helped their kid with homework from an ag class, can tell you that the curriculum is all about science. There is a healthy dose of biology, geology, chemistry, botany, engineering and more wrapped up in every high school offering. Of course, not every agriculture class should qualify as a science course. But a fair number of the upper-level classes should certainly qualify.

For more details go to: http://www.agweek.com/articles/?id=7742&article_id=27835&property_id=13

12/09 The Progressive Farmer
Ag Education’s Near-Death Experience

When Harvey Burniston first started teaching vocational agriculture in 1982, he had reason to wonder if his job would last more than a year or two. The administration of Johnson County High School district was toying with the idea of shutting down its ag program due to lack of interest. So, Harvey decided to make some changing in his curriculum starting with adding a horticulture program then a hydroponics program, which led to an aquaculture program which resulted in the department number of students increasing saving the program. This article by Del Deterling tells about agriculture programs across the United States similar to the one in Johnson County High School that at one point was struggling and was forced to make changes. It tells what changes they made and the impact of those changes on the department.

To view the PDF version of this article from The Progressive Farmer Magazine: click here

12/5/09 Wisconsin Ag Connection
Farm Group Urges State Senate to Pass Ag Education Science Bill

One of Wisconsin's leading farm organization is backing a bill that would allow high schools to grant students science credits for completing agricultural education courses. The Wisconsin Farmers Union says the state Assembly has already okayed their version of the measure, and hopes the Senate will do the same. The proposal is expected to come up in a public hearing by the Senate Education Committee on Thursday. "High school agricultural education courses are highly technical and science-driven," said WFU President Doug Caruso. "Our schools and public officials should show value for education on an industry--agriculture--that is important to our state's economy and workforce, our public health and our rural communities."

As part of the legislation, the Department of Public Instruction would certify agriscience courses that meet certain standards to count as science courses. Wisconsin high school students are required to receive two credits of science instruction in order to graduate. Caruso says agricultural education is a cornerstone to creating vibrant rural communities and encourage the state Senate to quickly move this bill through committee.

For more details go to:

http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=1440&yr=2009

12/6/09 The Dickinson Press
Like Santa's elves, students make toys for Christmas

Students from four area high schools have taken on the role of Santa’s elves for a Christmas project this month. Ag students and FFA members enrolled at South Heart, New England, Belfield and Dickinson high schools have been making pieces for 25 “Farmyards for Kids” sets that will be given toward the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree project. The idea is credited to Marcus Lewton, South Heart’s FFA advisor and ag teacher. He applied for a $400 grant from the North Dakota FFA Association to cover expenses. Lewton’s students at South Heart — about 55 total — made six different wooden toys for each box. “Those toys probably cost less than 75 cents to make. The money was spent for the wheels. We had scrap wood kept from other projects,” he said. “The real money was used to buy the oak going into the Lincoln logs.”

For more details go to: http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/30064/

12/2/09
Programs Selected for Grant
Three agricultural education programs were selected to receive NAAE/FFA PALS Greenhouse Enhancement Grants for 2010. Click on each school below for a news release. For more information about the NAAE/FFA PALS Greenhouse Grant, visit our grants page.

11/27/09 Patterson Irrigator
Ag mechanics academy puts careers in focus

Kevin McCafferty wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, Pat, who owns Pat’s Plumbing in Patterson, and a new program at Patterson High School aims to help him do just that. Kevin, a 16-year-old sophomore, is one of 25 students in the school’s Agricultural Mechanics Academy, which began this school year. So far, only sophomores are enrolled, but each year, a new class will be added, and the academy will eventually encompass sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students have the same teachers for English, science, history and ag mechanics classes, and they learn welding and metal work along with their core subjects.

“I picked it (the classes) because I like ag mechanics and putting stuff together, welding, plumbing and electricity,” Kevin said. “I’m probably going to be a plumber when I get older.” The three-year academy consists of hour long classes and physical education each day. It’s part of a larger effort to make high school education relevant to students’ future careers, and word is spreading throughout the campus.

For more information go to:

http://www.pattersonirrigator.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Ag+mechanics+academy+puts+careers+in+focus%20&id=4830575-Ag+mechanics+academy+puts+careers+in+focus&instance=home_news_second_lead_story

11/29/09 LA Times
Retired Los Angeles teacher keeps at it, for free

Five mornings a week, Bruce Kravets, 66, puts on a coat and tie, straps on his helmet and bikes to work at Palms Middle School on L.A.'s Westside, where he teaches math. For free. Last June, after 42 years of teaching, Kravets retired. He'd put so much money into his retirement fund over the decades, his monthly compensation if he stepped down would be greater than his regular pay. But that didn't mean he was ready to abandon teaching. His plan was to stay on and teach for no salary, because he couldn't think of anything more fun or rewarding than teaching algebra, geometry, logic and stage craft. A no-brainer, right? Kravets is, by all accounts, a truly gifted teacher, and in a district with a budget crisis, here was a guy who said, "Keep your money, I'll do it gratis."

Ahhh, but this is LAUSD, and for months after he announced his plan, it was looking as if Kravets would be told thanks, but no thanks. At one point over the summer, I was told by a Los Angeles Unified administrator that Palms would lose funding if Kravets taught class, because the daily attendance of his students wouldn't be counted if he was an unpaid teacher.

For more information go to:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez29-2009nov29,0,4872585.column

11/20/09 Midwest Ag Connection
It all begins with the agriculture teachers!

The evaluations say it all, students are inspired and motivated by their agriculture teachers! Please find attached the Fall 2009 Elite Conference Evaluation results.

30 of the 57 students attending the Elite Conference credited their agriculture teacher as their motivation for wanting to become an agriculture teacher.
24 of the 57 stated that the teacher panel was the best part of the conference.
23 of the 57 credited the opening speaker, former agriculture teacher, Dave Mouser as the best part of the conference.
After reviewing the evaluation results; you will see Dave Mouser had a perfect score, every student who attended the conference gave his presentation the top score of 1 out of 5 for being Excellent.
Teachers you are the true motivators for your students.

The following quotes are from students who attended the Fall 2009 Elite Conference.
“"I have an awesome ag teacher who has shown me the amazing side to being an ag teacher."
“ "My Advisor has always pushed me to do my best."
“ "My advisor has taught me many things."
“ "I feel that I need to give back and influence kids, like my Ag teacher has done for me. "
"Mr. Hartman is a great teacher."
"My ag teacher being awesome."
Illinois Agriculture Teachers thank you for your time and dedication to young people - it is paying off everyday! You are not only building our future teachers but our future leaders for this country. We can't thank you enough.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez29-2009nov29,0,4872585.column

11/20/09 Wisconsin Ag Connection
FFA Working on Commemorative Coin for 85th Anniversary

The National FFA Foundation is working with key leaders in Congress to promote and gain co-sponsors of a bill that would grant the FFA youth organization a U.S. minted commemorative coin to honor its 85th anniversary in 2012. In order for the bill to emerge from committee, FFA must list 67 Senate co-sponsors and 290 House co-sponsors.

National FFA Foundation Director Dennis Sargent says students, parents and other supporters of the effort can contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to support the bill by signing on as a co-sponsor before their holiday break.

"While the results of your engagement may not be seen for a couple of years, students will benefit for generations," said Sargent. "We have the potential for $7.5 million to be added to our FFA Foundation Endowment Fund if the bill is approved and all of the minted coins are sold."

Meanwhile, the National Association of Agricultural Educators has set up a simple online process where people can go to send their elected officials a letter asking them to support this legislation. They can go to www.naae.org, enter their zip code and select 'The National FFA Commemorative Coin Act' option under Current Action Alerts.

To see if your representatives or senators have signed on to support these bills go to: www.thomas.gov and type in the bill numbers "S. 1553 or H. 3464"

Sargent says the state of Iowa already has all of their representatives onboard as co-sponsors

11/13/09 High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
KFAC's Teacher of Year experiences National Ag in the Classroom Conference

For Walton teacher Kathy Murphy, this summer provided an opportunity for her to continue incorporating agriculture into her classroom. As the 2009 Janet Sims Memorial Teacher of the Year, Murphy traveled to the annual National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference held June 24 to 27 at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis, Mo. She was recognized for her agricultural education efforts during the conference.

At the conference, Murphy, a teacher at the 21st Century Rural Life Center, was able to network with teachers from across the country and learn new ways to teach her students. She attended workshop sessions on cotton and honey bees, and she gathered useful information from the Interest Approach Fair, which was a "make-and-take" session with lesson plans and activity ideas available for attendees. For her traveling workshop, Murphy visited Soulard Market, the National Great Rivers Museum and Lock and Dam, and the ADM River Terminal.

Murphy's experiences at the conference helped her prepare for the new school year. This fall, she moved from teaching fifth grade to teaching third grade, which is a new challenge for her.

"This requires me to learn a new curriculum and new ideas for agriculture projects for younger students," said Murphy.

For more details go to: http://www.hpj.com/archives/2009/nov09/nov16/1021KFACteacherofyearko.cfm?title=KFAC

Congratulations to Michael McGee, who was recently selected as the 2009 American Worker of the Year by Dickies. Michael is a NAAE member and an ag teacher at Broken Bow High School in Broken Bow, OK. Below is the news release from Dickies about Michael.

Michael McGee is the quintessential role model for today's youth with his solid accomplishments, unwavering determination and positive spirit. The owner of a horse training farm, an agricultural teacher and an advisor for the Future Farmers of America, this Broken Bow, Okla. resident has always had an affinity for education. He held the prestigious honor of graduating as high school valedictorian and put himself through college via scholarships and hard work.

A sterling example of the American Dream, McGee purchased his own home and a 41-acre farm when he was only 23. He credits his early achievements in life to being a normal guy with a dream and good, old-fashioned hard work, saying, "my motto is to put 110 percent into everything, no matter the task at hand."

Now 25, McGee's greatest passion is his students, inspiring them to follow their dreams and reach their full potential. Teaching over 200 eager minds, McGee provides his students with guidance both in and out of the classroom, serving as not only a teacher, but a mentor they can turn to, whether school related or personal.

McGee's greatest inspiration and the individual who taught him to follow his own dreams is his younger brother Aaron. Diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of five, Aaron always had a positive attitude and a smile on his face. McGee feels Aaron's unrelenting optimism and bravery brought their family closer together, teaching them that life is what you make of it.

In addition to teaching, which includes nights and weekends, McGee also owns a horse-training business and is an active member of the community, donating his time to local road cleanups and volunteer opportunities.
In the future, McGee plans to continue teaching and hopes to one day have a family.

Also as part of his prize package, Michael had the opportunity to choose the winner of the Dickies 500 NASCAR race. He selected correctly, and won $1,000,000. For more information, visit www.dickies.com.

Ford Everyday Hero

Agriculture school teacher Chaney Mosley has been awarded the “Ford Everyday Hero Award” here at the Ford Ironman Florida this evening. He was nominated by a senior student where Mosley teaches, Zackery Neese. I could do no justice in representing what Zackery had to say about a teacher he so passionately admires. So here is Zackery’s unedited appeal:

“I understand that his award is geared towards athletes who have contributed to a person, charity or organization in a significant way while training for the Ironman event. Mr. Mosley has contributed to each of the three entities mentioned above. In this message, I will explain how I came to know Mr. Mosley and provide testimonies to his contributions.

For more details go to: http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php?option=com_altcaster&task=
viewaltcast&altcast_code=f599839c82&ipod=y&rand

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11/8/09 Montgomery Advertiser
Program aims to boost interest in agricultural careers

During the past few years, there has been a decline in the number of students pursuing degree paths in agriculture and agriculture science, as well as teachers in the disciplines, at the nation's land grant universities, said Donald Mulvaney, coordinator of leadership and student development at the College of Agriculture at Auburn University. MATRIX For the Future: Premiere Agriscience Education Academy is designed to bring those numbers up. The agriculture and education colleges at AU have joined forces in the effort.

The AU program will offer leadership workshops and academies for sophomores and juniors in the state's high schools. That's the lure to get them interested in agriculture, Mulvaney said. The payoff for the students is they can be dual enrolled at Auburn through distance learning and can get college credit for classes while still in high school.

For more information go to: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20091108/NEWS01/911080335/
Program+aims+to+boost+interest+in+agricultural+careers

11/3/09 MSNBC
Obama uses money to urge school changes

Using stimulus dollars as bait, President Barack Obama is coaxing states to rewrite education laws and cut deals with unions as they compete for $5 billion in school reform grants, the most money a president has ever had for overhauling schools. And it may end up going to only a few states. In Wisconsin, where Obama will visit Wednesday, lawmakers are poised to change a law to boost their state's chances. Nine other states have taken similar steps. Wisconsin lawmakers planned to vote Thursday to lift a ban on using student test scores to judge teachers. That helps clear the way for an Obama priority, teacher pay tied to student performance. California lifted a similar ban last month. And before that, charter school restrictions or budget cuts were eased in eight states — Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Delaware, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

For more details go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33608269/ns/us_news-education/

11/8/09 Coshocton Tribute
Women take reins of agricultural enterprise

The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census showed women represent more than 30 percent, or 1 million, of principal farm operators in the United States, an increase of 19 percent in five years. In Coshocton County, the growth was higher, at 32 percent, with an increase from 90 in 2002 to 119 in 2007.The statewide increase in women as principal operators reflected the national trend, with a 19- percent increase, up from 7,660 to 9,127, during the same time.Although not all of them are the chief operators of their agriculture enterprises, the following women represent a sampling of the hundreds of women involved in agriculture in the county, and were suggested to The Tribune by people involved in agriculture-related organizations.

For more details go to:
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/article/20091108/NEWS01/911080303

10/02/09 EyeWitness News
Lebanon teacher gets top honors

Lebanon - A Lebanon High School Teacher got a surprise of his life Tuesday.
Byron Ernest was named the 2010 Indiana Teacher of the Year. He's the Agriculture Science Teacher at Lebanon High School and is credited for starting the agriculture department there from scratch. Ernest has been a teacher for 25 years.

"I think it humbles you to think that people are considering you. You work very hard; that's not something I think about. You don't think about getting awards. A lot of times people do that, but for me it's about doing my job, having passion for it and now I feel good that this has happened for our school," said Ernest.

Ernest receives a thousand-dollar cash award. He's now nominated for the 2010 National Teacher of the Year Competition.

For more details go to:
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=11178425

Byng Elementary teacher receives an Ag in the Classroom Grant

The Oklahoma Pork Council is helping local teachers educate their students about Oklahoma agriculture.

Each year the OPC works with Oklahoma’s Ag in the Classroom program to provide grants for teachers to purchase supplies needed to teach the Ag in the Classroom curriculum. Teachers can request up to $300 for supplies.

Ronna Haney received a grant to teach her 4th through 6th graders the Ag in the Classroom curriculum. Haney will teach a lesson about agriculture each week this semester. Some of the lessons Haney is teaching are How to Pick the Best, Hogs on a Diet, and Clucking Chickens. Her students will learn about agriculture first hand when local farmers come to the class to talk about what they do. Through each of the lessons, the students will come to understand the diversity of Oklahoma’s agriculture and the importance of agriculture in our everyday life.

For more details go to:
http://www.adaeveningnews.com/local/local_story_299122359.html

Stimulus saved 6,000 education jobs in L.A., report says

Some 250,000 education jobs have been saved or created by the economic stimulus package, according to a White House report released Monday.

The news previews what will be a more comprehensive accounting to be posted by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board on its website next week.

"There is a lot more work to be done, but we applaud those districts that have successfully used stimulus funding to stave off catastrophic layoffs and invest in critical reforms," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement. Of the $97.4 billion in education funding included in the stimulus bill, $67.6 billion has been spent.

For more information go to:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-education-jobs20-2009oct20,0,3456241.story

U.S. Biotechnology Industry Organization contributes $15,000 to FFA to support youth science

In a show of support for expanding innovative science projects for high school students, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has presented the National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America) with a contribution of $15,000. BIO’s contribution will go largely to support a new pilot contest within FFA through which students will produce videos creatively explaining the benefits and sustainability of modern agricultural methods.

“BIO recognizes the importance of providing America’s high school students with the resources needed to further their science education, specifically a science-based understanding of how to feed today’s growing global population,” said Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, Executive Vice President, Food and Agriculture at BIO. “Biotechnology is one answer to the challenge of how to feed, fuel and heal the world in the 21st century.” She added, “Today’s FFA student members will likely be tomorrow’s agricultural leaders, so helping them understand today’s real-world challenges and cutting edge solutions is a high priority.”

The FFA “Sustainability through Biotechnology” pilot project will offer students the chance to win new equipment for their chapter by producing winning videos that creatively highlight the benefits of modern agricultural methods such as seed technologies that produce more yields per acre and farming practices that are more environmentally friendly. The prizes will be presented by biotechnology industry leaders on-site at the winning chapters’ schools in early 2010. More information on the program can be found at www.FFA.org.

For more details go to: http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/us_biotechnology_industry_

organization_contributes_15000_ffa_support_youth_science

The Long Shadow of a Great Teacher

With coaches and teachers making big headlines recently -- for drinking and sexual abuse -- now seemed a good time to check in on a project years in the making out at Clackamas High. Following through on detailed planning begun two years ago, students are harvesting the crop in an organic garden that's used to feed the hungry while teaching kids about construction, sustainable ag practices and building something that reaches beyond your own shadow. As the longtime adviser of the school's Key Club -- known for its homeless feeds and clothing drives that serve hundreds of families each year -- Potampa stepped back in this year when the teacher set to replace him as adviser was bumped to another school by budget cuts.

For more details go to: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/andy

_parker/index.ssf/009/10/the_long_shadow_of_a_great_tea.html

Hispanic College Fund and PepsiCo Launch New Scholarship for Hispanic Students

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, PepsiCo is partnering with the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) to promote higher education among Hispanic students. The 2009 Pepsi Hispanic Heritage Month program’s main feature, is a bilingual website (http://www.buildurdestiny.com or http://www.construyetudestino.com), that will offer information and resources to help parents and students through the college application process.
The program will launch on September 14th and end October 18th to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month. The site’s main feature is an opportunity for students to apply to a special merit scholarship, where the recipients will be selected by HCF.

Thirty PepsiCo scholarships will provide recipients with financial assistance for their college and post-graduate studies:
· 5 Major Awards – $4000 Tuition Scholarship each· 25 Secondary Awards – $500 Tuition Scholarship each Entries for the merit-based scholarships will be accepted online. Applicants will have until March 1, 2010, from their date of entry to submit paperwork required for consideration. Evaluation, selection, notification and student acknowledgement of award will take place from March 2nd- April 30th. All Scholarships will be awarded in September 2010. The website will also feature a daily Hispanic Heritage Trivia question that will enter participants in a daily and weekly sweepstakes with spectacular prizes, such as notebook laptops.
To learn more about this program go to www.buildurdestiny.com

Lebanon teacher nurtures students' devotion to agriculture

Byron Ernest's original career path didn't include Lebanon High School. It didn't even include teaching. He credits two mentors with steering him toward a job he loves -- the first a Purdue University professor who suggested he become a teacher and the second a former colleague who resorted to a little trickery to recruit him to Lebanon. But five years after joining the staff there, Ernest has earned the respect of his colleagues and the love of his students and managed to restart an agriculture department that had been dormant for four decades. Now the high school in Boone County has a thriving FFA club and offers agricultural science courses that count for dual credit at Purdue. State education officials on Tuesday recognized Ernest for those accomplishments, naming him the state's Teacher of the Year. It is the first time the honor has gone to an agriculture teacher.

For more information go to: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090923/LOCAL0202/909230367/1145/

LOCAL02/Top+teacher+encourages+devotion+to+agriculture

Ag/Science Education & Veterinarian Bills Pass State Assembly

Two rural Wisconsin lawmakers are pleased to see a pair of bills move through the Legislature that they say will benefit the agricultural industry. Rep. Mark Radcliffe of Black River Falls and Senator Kathleen Vinehout from Alma teamed up to co-author the Agriculture Education Science bill and the Veterinarian Pesticide bill.The ag education measure aims to ensure that if an agriculture course is certified as a science equivalent, that they are awarded a science credit towards completion of graduation requirements. Radcliffe says the policy reflects that agriculture education classes are becoming more firmly established in the sciences. The legislation highlights that the Department of Public Instruction has a system in place to evaluate individual agriculture courses to determine if they are at a level to be certified as a science equivalent. Furthermore, it ensures that those classes certified as equivalent count towards the two science credits required for a student to graduate from high school. Meanwhile, the Veterinarian Pesticide bill removes some outdated and over cumbersome regulations which essentially required vet clinics to get a license to apply things like tick medication that any consumer can buy over the counter.

For more details go to: http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=1124&yr=2009

A Team Approach: Waterloo Ag Teachers are Partners at School and Everywhere Else

Mindy and Tim McDermott's love of agriculture came before their love for each other. Now their lives and careers are intertwined. The young married couple, who teach at Waterloo High School, laugh when talking about living and working together. "People think we see each other a lot because we're here all the time and our classrooms are next to one another," said Mindy, a petite redhead with a wide grin. Married nearly four years and teaching together for five at Waterloo, they are separated by only a hallway in their spanking-new digs they helped design at the just-opened school. Both Mindy and Tim graduated from the University of Illinois' School of Agriculture. Her undergraduate degree is in animal science. Her master's is in agricultural education. Tim's degree is in agricultural education. Tim is a hands-on kind of teacher. In his Intro to Agriculture class, he had freshmen create a soil profile by layering chocolate pudding, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and whipped cream. They talked about surface soil and subsoil as they ate.

For more information go to: http://www.bnd.com/yourlife/story/932663.html

Thome named Outstanding Ag Educator

The Outstanding Ag Ed Teacher Award is an award that distinguishes NAAE members who are at the pinnacle of their profession-those who are conducting the highest quality agricultural education programs. The award recognizes leadership in civic, community, agriculture/agribusiness and professional activities. Outstanding agricultural educators are innovators and catalysts for student success in agricultural education. Toyota sponsors the Outstanding Ag Ed Award as a special project of the FFA Foundation. NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators. The mission of NAAE is "professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service." The NAAE office is located on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky.

For more information go to: http://www.austindailyherald.com/news/2009/sep/17/thome-named-outstanding-ag-educator/

NAAE and Outdoor Power Equipment Institute Announce National Webinar for Agricultural Educators on the 'TurfMutt' Educational Program

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) today announced an educational Webinar on September 24th titled Barking up the Right Tree with TurfMutt, a New Yard Dog Science Program, directed at members of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The Webinar poses the question: As the climate change debate has pushed the need to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and reduce warming front and center, what role can grass and green spaces play in helping our planet stay cooler and cleaner? Webinar presenters include Dr. Ron Sahu, environmental researcher, who will discuss the latest study showing the science behind the value of lawns and what the findings mean for a balanced discussion about the value of green spaces, and Kris Kiser, EVP at OPEI, who will discuss the TurfMutt educational program, the inspiration and goals for the program, and what educators can expect to see moving forward.

For more details go to: http://uk.sys-con.com/node/1104913

To register for the Webinar go to: www.naae.org/webinars

Ag enrollment, once sliding, now surging

Five years ago, enrollment in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources was sliding down hill fast at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but now the University is seeing an all time high in enrollment in the Agriculture department. The University has seen a 24.9% increase over the last decade in the College of Ag giving University’s across the US hope. “I think people begin to recognize that food is a fundamental need," Berger, head of the animal science department said, "and if you look at global warming and some other indications, we're going to have to have people who go all the way from conception to consumption." The future is looking bright for agriculture even in hard times.

For more information go to:

http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_6c2f29fc-9fff-11de-99e1-001cc4c03286.html

Tours Provide Ag Education

Ag teachers across Ohio have the opportunity to tour Ohio State University’s Farm during the Farm Science Review held Sept. 22-24 in London, Ohio. Amanda Meddles, Ohio State University program coordinator for environmental management with the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, will be offering tours during the three-day show for rural and urban school systems and home-school environments. "The tours are designed for students and teachers to learn more about current issues in agriculture and see the latest in technology and equipment in natural resources, horticulture, landscaping, health, home and environmental education, among countless other food, agricultural and environmental areas," says Meddles.

For more details go to: http://ohiofarmer.com/story.aspx?s=31416&c=9

Articles of Interest from Techniques

CTE’s Role in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

For the last several years, concern has been brewing about America’s underinvestment and underperformance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics—the field collectively known as STEM. What is STEM, and why is it drawing so much attention? STEM can be described as an “initiative for securing American’s leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and identifying promising strategies for strengthening the educational pipeline that leads to STEM careers.” The elements of STEM are integral parts of our nation’s critical economic sectors, from health care to energy, infrastructure and national security.

STEM careers include not only those requiring a research-based advanced math or science degree, but a broad range of related occupations in areas as diverse as aquaculture, automotive technology, accounting and architecture. More careers than ever before require a deep understanding of STEM principles. Unfortuantely, the supply of STEM talent is not increasing to meet the growing need. Two main factors are affecting the supply side of STEM equation. First, the looming retirement of the baby boom generation will significantly affect the STEM labor force. The number of current scientists and engineers retiring will increase rapidly over the next decade. Second, too few students are currently choosing to prepare for STEM careers. The United States is standing still or falling behind in terms of producing its home-grown STEM talent. At the same time, other nations, particularly population-rich ones like India and China, are rapidly increasing the number of STEM professionals that their secondary and postsecondary education systems produce.

To read more go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_march10.html

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How to Mobilize Students Using Social Media

Social Media continues to evolve. Today there are a number of sites where users can interact with each other and share information—think Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Skype, among others—making social media a powerful tool for advocacy. According to Forrester Research, three out of four Americans use social technology. Social Sites are the fourth most popular online activity, according to Global Faces & Networked Places by Nielsen.

Due to popularity, a number of organizations, including schools, are using social media tools to gain support for causes and campaigns. After the earthquake in Haiti, a number of organizations started a viral social media campaign to raise money for the victims. The American Red Cross asked people to donate $10 by sending a text message with the work “Haiti” to the number 90999. In the first 24 hours of the campaign, the Red Cross raised approximately $5.1 million dollars. People using Twitter and Facebook advertised the campaign by updating their statuses asking friends to donate money to the Red Cross. The Red Cross compaign illustrates the power of social media as an advocacy tool.

To read more go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_march10.html

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Lack of Sleep Could be Trouble for CTE Students

Career and Technical Education students more so than non-CTE students find themselves in school environments using equipment and tools that could cause injury if mishandled. It is imperative that these students be wide awake and alert when operating these tools. But many adolescents are not getting the sleep they need to be refreshed and alert. Researchers have found that adolescents and even those in their early 20s need nine to ten hours of sleep a night to feel refreshed. The National Sleep Foundation found that 75 percent of teenagers were not getting the recommended 9 to 10 hours of sleep on school nights and high school seniors averaged only 6.9 hours of sleep.

For more information go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_feb10.html

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Assessing the Value of Education

Assessment: an appraisal; an official determination of value. The dictionary definitions may seem simple and clear, but when inserted into the complex field of education, assessment becomes anything but simple. There are summative assessments, formative assessments, interim assessments, diagnostic assessments, predictive assessments and benchmarking. For career and technical education teachers, there are often also industry skill standards assessments. It’s complicated enough just sorting out the terms, and then a teacher has to figure out which of them will actually work.

For more information go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_novdec09.html

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Increasing the Minority CTE Teacher Pipeline

A great deal of attention has been given to the need for more minority teachers. This issue deserves serious consideration as the K-12 minority student population increases and the number of minority teachers does not. Minority students are usually more successful in classrooms when their teachers reflect their racial or ethnic groups, but minority teachers are beneficial to all students as their presence can help create an awareness of and appreciation for diverse populations.

The U.S. Department of Education has provided several reports on the shortage of minority teachers. Recommendations for increasing the minority teacher pool have included various pre-service and in-service programs and funding for teacher education programs designed to recruit and retain more minorities. Various states have implemented programs designed to recruit minority teachers, including teacher shadowing initiatives in South Carolina and grow-our-own program in Minnesota. Although numerous other programs have been started to increase the minority teaching pool, few have focused specifically on recruiting and retaining career and technical education teachers.

To read more go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_jan10.aspx

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How To Communicate Effectively During a Crisis

As a school leader, you may be put in a position where you have to take in a crisis situation and having the right tools and information will be critical. Every school, organization or business should develop a crisis communications plan and train employees on how to implement it. Such a plan is a strategy on how to communicate before, during, and after a crisis- which could be wide ranging from violence on campus to natural disasters or facility damage to changes in operations, such as budget cuts.

People involved in the plan need to practice their different roles so that each knows his or her responsibility. The plan should be concise and lay out who has authority to implement the plan during a crisis. These plans are essential in communication information to all audiences in an effective and timely manner.

For more details go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_novdec09.html

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Pursuing a Pipeline for the New Green Collar Workforce

As the white-and blue- collar jobs are thinning because of the economic downturn, the economy downturn, the economy is being rejuvenated by a new color of collar jobs-green. The green industry has been recognized as a high-growth workforce sector because of the demand for sustainability products and services, in addition to government initiatives. Within the next 20 years, one in four Americans will be directly or indirectly employed in a green industry; however, reports indicate that there is a tremendous shortage of qualified individuals with the necessary skills to work in the green economic market.

For more details go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_sep09.pipeline.html

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The Future of Jobs and Careers

Today’s long-term jobs crisis is not about the current financial meltdown. It is about an accelerating talent showdown. The basic cause is that unprecedented technological advances are ever more rapidly transforming the world of work. The global economy will be more tech-driven with each passing year. This will continue to raise the U.S. talent ante for people seeking employment or the businesses that need to fill high-skill jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor finds that 62 percent of all U.S. jobs now require two-year or four-year degrees and higher, or special postsecondary occupation certificates or apprenticeships. By 2020 we can expect that these talent requirements will increase to include 75 percent of U.S. jobs.

For more information go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_sep09.future.html

Trends and Perceptions of Female Agriscience Teachers

The demand for “Vocational Education” teachers began with the first curriculum offerings for boys studying farming. Since that time, the complete spectrum of vocational education (now career and technical education) - curriculum, teachers, students, and organizations- has undergone changes which mirror the broad range of careers in the world of work. Female participation in school-based agriculture, food and natural resources education has grown to the point that females comprise approximately 38 percent on National FFA membership, and hold approximately 50 percent of elected state student leadership organization positions.

For more information go to: http://www.acteonline.org/tech_sep09.research_report.html

Articles of Interest from Education Week

Measuring Teaching Effectiveness

Across the nation, policymakers and education leaders share growing agreement that we must do a better job in measuring effective teaching and identifying effective teachers. And increasingly, there is a belief that measures of effective teaching should contribute to high-stakes decisions like pay for performance and tenure.

But people disagree about what it would take to identify effective teaching consistently and accurately. And many teachers worry that important contributions they make to schools and to the growth and well-being of students will be ignored.

Identifying good teaching doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be a matter of conjecture or opinion. We can build on solid research and create tools that accurately distinguish teaching that leads to student success from teaching that does not. And we can use multiple measures, including student-performance data, classroom observation, feedback from students, and other evidence, to provide well-rounded, fair, and valid input into important decisions.

For more information go to:
http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.
org/ew/articles/2010/01/27/19tyler.h29.html&destination=
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/01/27/19tyler.h29.
html&levelId=2100

Education Funding Bill Moving Through Congress

Congress last week advanced a fiscal year 2010 spending measure that would provide level funding for key education programs, even as lawmakers and the Obama administration weighed the prospect of a jobs package that could include new education aid for cash-strapped states and localities.

A House and Senate conference committee Dec. 8 approved a bill that would finance programs in the U.S. Department of Education at about $63.7 billion, a 2 percent increase over fiscal 2009, but a 0.7 percent decrease over the president’s request of $64.2 billion.

The House of Representatives voted 221-202 on Dec. 9 to pass the bill.

For more information go to: http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.

org/ew/articles/2009/12/16/15budget.h29.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles

/2009/12/16/15budget.h29.html&levelId=2100

The 'Master's Pay Bump'

To assert that it is misguided to pay teachers more for earning a master’s degree (the “master’s bump”) can cause quite a dust-up. Deans of graduate programs in education become very upset—and they make their feelings known. We have heard it all since our university published a study saying just that. If the master’s pay bump were eliminated, wouldn’t fewer teachers (customers!) enroll in our programs? And, by the way, why would your institution be promoting such a thesis—one contrary to its own best interests?

This all began with the publication in July of “Separation of Degrees: State-by-State Analysis of Teacher Compensation for Master’s Degree.” The report suggested that teacher compensation should instead be structured “in ways that offer greater benefit to students.” Current pay-bump policies invite a cynical, wasteful, and expensive logic: Since the compensation incentive is automatic, why not simply obtain the cheapest, most expedient degree? After all, if there is no link between the subject matter of the degree and what the teacher does, nor an imperative to improve teacher performance in return for higher pay, the current compensation system rewards the path of least resistance.

For more information go to:

http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/12/02/13

roza.h29.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/12/02/13

roza.h29.html&levelId=2100

Schools Need a Culture Shift
Consider this description of the work environment of California-based Meebo, one of the Web’s fastest-growing messaging companies, and then ask yourself if today’s classrooms can be described the same way:

“A great team, and tons of meaty problems to solve. … It’s open, collaborative. … We’re facing problems that are pretty unusual. … We take the smartest and most passionate team-oriented people we can find and put them in an environment where they can thrive. We value innovation, teamwork, and good clean fun. … We’re still a small company, so one person can make a big impact.”

I’ve spent 37 years in education, teaching preschool through graduate students, recently leading a school district as superintendent, and, not too long ago, heading a state agency as commissioner of education. This I know, from watching a multitude of classrooms, pre-K through high school, and from talking to teacher leaders who are in my graduate classes: The culture in most of our classrooms is diametrically opposite to the description of this thriving company.

2009/11/18/12sternberg_ep.h29.

html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/18/12sternberg_

ep.h29.html&levelId=2100

When Teachers Are the Experts

I think I’m going to miss the coffee and Danish most of all. I won’t miss staring at the clock with my politely disengaged colleagues. And I won’t miss the guy up front, some former principal or ace teacher, who’s going to teach us about some topic that has been deemed important for the entire staff.

These whole-school workshop sessions that many of us have experienced are what I’ll call “old PD”: professional development in the form of an expert up front and teachers listening passively. If improved teaching practice and better student outcomes are the goal, then these methods of keeping teachers up to date and growing professionally are not working.

What my school is learning, and what current research suggests, is that teachers don’t improve by listening to someone tell them how to do something newer or better in their classrooms. They learn by working together to address problems they themselves identify in their schools and classrooms. This type of staff development goes by many names, but I’ll use the term “collaborative PD.” The problems with old PD are so many, and the benefits of collaborative PD so great, that the days are surely numbered for the former. Yes, old-style professional development is doomed.

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&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/04/10hunefeld.h29.html&levelId=2100