NAAE: News Items

April 2, 2007
NAAE President Lee James selected as 2007 Outstanding Member by Mississippi Association for Career & Technical Education

ACKERMAN, MS – Lee James, a 30 year agricultural education veteran and current president of the National Association of Agricultural Educators, was recognized the 2007 Outstanding Member of the Mississippi Association for Career and Technical Education (MSACTE) at the association’s annual meeting on March 12.

September 5, 2007
NAAE member selected as educational ambassador to Galapagos Islands
Joe Green, NAAE member and horticulture instructor at Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, was selected as one of only 24 teachers nationwide to participate in Toyota's International Teacher Program as an educational ambassador to the Galapagos Islands this October.

Teachers will visit prominent sites on the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. They will observe environmental projects, talk with experts and community leaders, and participate in activites that encourage global awareness about environmental conservation

September 20, 2007
NAAE member Carl Aakre named Minnesota Teacher of the Year
Agriscience instructor and NAAE member Carl Aakre was named Minnesota teacher of the year in the 12th annual Wal-Mart State Teacher of the Year Program. Aakre was honored at a special surpise ceremony at the school, and in his honor, the school recieved a $10,000 grant from the Wal-Mart foundation

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- West Virginia may not be among the nation's top farm states, but it's likely the only place where anyone would pay $10,000 for a dozen eggs.

Or, for that matter, nearly $12,000 for an old-style, dry-cured ham or $800 a pound for a meaty slab of well-marbled bacon. Such windfalls have become common at the West Virginia's Future Farmers of America's annual Ham, Bacon and Egg Show.

Successful bidders at the auction win a hearty meal or two in most cases or donate the winnings to charity. The student farmers receive recognition and money to apply for college.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Agricultural educators from across the country participated in the 2007 Association for Career and Technical Education National Policy Seminar (ACTE NPS), held March 5-7 in Washington, D.C. While attending the conference, NAAE members visited their respective members of Congress on Capitol Hill, learned about current initiatives related to agricultural education and career and technical education, and attended issues briefings.

About the time reporters were swarming the high schoolers who had battled over history and science questions in Southern California's recent Academic Decathlon, other students, including Salvador Vergara, squared off using drafting pencils, welding torches and curling irons.

That so few of us knew this SkillsUSA competition was raging at Cal State L.A. offers insight into the way Americans think about success. The way Vergara, 28, gazes at his award-winning electrical wiring diagram says plenty about a hot educational debate of the moment: What's the best way to prepare all students for what's looking to be a pretty tough century?

Sally Shomo, NAAE Region VI Vice President was recently awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Award by Virginia's Channel 3 WHSV News. She was nominated for this honor by a student, which makes the award that much more meaningful to Shomo.

A snapshot of agricultural education in the United States, published by Team Ag. Ed. The 2005-2006 annual report includes data about agricultural education in the U.S., agriculture education's major initiatives, and organizational reports from the members of Team Ag. Ed.

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is sponsoring an essay contest in the memory of former ACTE Senior Director of Communications, Cliff Weiss (1951-2004). This year, students will be asked to respond to the question, "How will what you learned in Career and Technical Education help the American economy in five years?" The essay should be no less than 500 words in length for postsecondary and no more than 500 words in length for secondary students. Maximum Award: $250 and publication in ACTE's Techniques Magazine. Eligibility: students enrolled in at least one CTE course. Deadline: March 30, 2007.

An interesting point of view from the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research about why so many students feel the need to enroll and struggle through college, even when vocational school might be a better fit for their needs.

This article from the San Jose Mercury News discusses California's high drop-out rate, and how high school vocational education is emerging as one solution to the crisis.

USA Today honors outstanding students and educators four times each year with the All-USA Academic and Teacher Teams.
Student Awards
The All-USA Academic teams honor students at the high school level, as well as students enrolled in four-year and two-year programs. Judges consider grades, activities and leadership, among other factors. Students selected for the All-USA First teams will be profiled in USA today and will receive $2500.00 cash.
Educators
The All-USA Teacher Team honors outstanding individuals and instructional teams teaching grades K-12. Team members are profiled in USA TODAY throughout the school year and are invited to join the All-USA Teacher Team network, founded by former winners to serve as a resource for each other.
All-USA Teacher Team award money is divided between the teacher and their schools, with each teacher getting $500.00. Nominees must be certified, full-time teachers teaching K-12 students in an accredited school, public or private. Individuals must have at least four years of full-time experience, and teachers who form and instructional team must average at least four years of experience. Teachers may be nominated by anyone willing to describe in writing why the nominee is outstanding.

NAAE Member John Sutton will receive an Honorary American Degree at the upcoming National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Fewer than one percent of all middle and secondary educators receive this honor. Sutton was nominated for the Degree by Georgia FFA because of his outstanding personal commitment to agricultural education.

As demand for workers with specific skills continues to rise, enrollment in vocational education courses is soaring. Enrollment in technical education went from 9.6 million students in 1999 to 15.1 million in 2004, the US Department of Education reported to Congress.

"American career technical education is being redefined because the needs of the evolving US and world economies are changing," says Darrell Luzzo, incoming president of the National Career Development Association. "Educators at all levels are recognizing that the world's employers increasingly need skill sets that the conventional four-year college degree doesn't give."

This article from the West Virginia Coordinator for Agricultural Education originally appeared in the West Virginia Ag. Ed. News and Views July-August 2006 edition. Although there are one or two specific references to West Virginia, these tips are great for any agricultural educator. Read article

Georgia began "re-engineering" its career, technical and agricultural education program this month, kicking off the first phase of a three-year process. The new curriculum will be designed to prepare students for life after high school, whether they attend a traditional four-year institutuion, a technical college, or go directly into a career. Agriculture is one of the eight areas of concentration students enrolled in the new program will be able to choose

NAAE member Brian Fuller, an Agriscience teacher at Peoria High School in Peoria, Arizona, has been named a 2006 American Star of Teaching by the U.S. Department of Education.
Fuller was surprised with the award at a recent ceremony in the school’s gym. Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, Congressman Trent Franks, and a U.S. Department of Education official were on hand to congratulate the award winner.
The spotlight hasn’t changed things for Fuller, however. He plans to “keep teaching and trying to become a better instructor every day.” Fuller said he feels that Agriculture Education is vital because it is the place where all academic subjects come together in a reality-based environment. “Ag Education is where students get it,” he said. He feels that keeping current with industry standards and staying on top of the latest technology are challenges that all agriculture teachers must face. By meeting that challenge, Fuller feels that teachers will be able to train students who can be competitive in the workplace of the future.
The American Star of Teaching program recognizes teachers who use innovative strategies to improve student achievement, and is awarded to teachers across grade levels and disciplines. 2006 winners were selected from more than 4000 nominations.

The newly reauthorized Perkins Act includes changes that states will be required to implement by 2008. This opinion piece outlines some of the key changes and what continued improvement of Career and Technical Education will mean for high school graduates

NAAE has welcomed two communications interns to the Lexington, KY office. This year's interns are Holly Schin

dler of the University of Arizona and Lindsay Pennington of the University of Kentucky. The NAAE advocacy intern, Franklin Davis, is stationed in Washington DC.

Agricultural Educators Participate in the 2006 USDA TEACH excursion in Mexico

Twelve educators of agriculture and science recently took part in the USDA TEACH program held June 17 - July 1 in Mexico. TEACH which stands for Teaching Educators Agriculture and Conservation Holistically exposed educators to a variety of agricultural practices in Mexcio. Participatns travled through the areas of Mexico City, Toluca, Morelia, Texcoco, and Huatusco. To view photos of the 2006 program click here.

Lee James, NAAE President-Elect, has recently found himself soaking in his newfound celebrity status as he has been named the 2006 Mississippi Teacher of the Year. James’s passion exhibited in the classroom, profession, and his community has fueled his career from the start. Click here for more information.

This year, nine high school students were awarded the NAAE Future Teachers Scholarship. Winners include: Tracy Dye of Federal Hocking High School, Rebecca Funk of Clear Spring High School, Ashley Harshbarger of Juniata High School, Kimberly Ann Henderson of Enterprise High School, Felicia Quaintance of Parkway High School, Noelle E. Rist of West Central High School, Mark R. Smith of Serena High School, Ginger E. Spangler of Mifflinburg Area High School, and Crystal Watters of Maquoketa Community High School. To read more about these outstanding future teachers click here.

Garst Seed Company Excites Young People About Ag Through Its Popular Communications Curriculum and FFA Competition

Garst Seed Company will once again be offering the popular ag communications curriculum and FFA competition with the 2006 theme of America’s Farmland. Today’s Solution to Tomorrow’s Energy Needs. This unique classroom curriculum offered by Garst is released each spring and is available to FFA advisors free of charge. This curriculum is designed to teach high school students basic principles of marketing and communications through hands-on classroom activity and national competition.

In competition, students are challenged to design commercials related to each year’s theme, incorporating print, radio, television and general public relations skills into the media package. Winning chapters in each division will receive $750. Second-and-third place chapters will receive $500 and $200 respectively. The Best of Show will receive a $500 award. For more information regarding the 2006 curriculum and FFA competition offered by Garst Feed Company, please view the fficial release.

The Boston Globe recently ran an article regarding the changing face of vocational education in our school systems, amidst the quest for continued federal funding. Agricultural education is much more then it once was. Our educators are focusing on areas such as aquaculture, biotechnology, gold course management among others.

March 23, 2006

Over 50 NAAE Members Attend the 2006 ACTE National Policy Seminar

The 2006 Association for Career and Technical Education National Policy Seminar (ACTE NPS), was held March 6-8, in Washington DC. While attending NPS, agricultural educators worked as advocates for career and technical education, took a pro-active role in the legislative process, learned about current research and initiatives in the industry, attended issues briefings and made visits to Capital Hill. Guest speakers at NPS included Beto Gonzalez, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education; Mason Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Employment and Training Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor; and Eric Steiner, staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

View feature story on 2006 NPS here.

View feature story on Eric Steiner here.

View photos here.

PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

March 23, 2006

The National Council for Agricultural Education Released Report Findings on Issues and Trends in Agricultural Education

The National Council for Agricultural Education has sought perspectives from the profession and affiliate groups regarding pressing the identification and further understanding of issues and trends facing agricultural education today. This project was implemented in 2004 and an initial summary report was repared in the spring of 2005, based on the first year’s data. The current report issued by The Council details data that was collected as a follow-up to the 2005 report. Through clarification of key issues and trends facing the profession, we will be able to formulate meaningful strategies and solutions.

View report here. PDF file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

March 2006

Irrigation Industry Survey Says: Strong Growth, Demand, High Job Satisfaction

The irrigation industry is experiencing a strong demand for new hires at all educational levels. Projected annual industry growth of 5-7 percent over the next five years continues to increase the demand for new hires. Students holding a two - or four-year degree and some irrigation experience can expect entry-level compensation in the range of $30,000 - $40,000 per year. These figures can run as high as $60,000 or more for some positions for with irrigation industry background. These positions offer tremendous entry-level opportunities with career growth potential. Preference is given to individuals with irrigation education including industry training programs, independent study, apprenticeships, or part-time post high school education programs. For more information consult the IAEF website at www.iaef.org. Detailed survey results are available. View complete survey results.

End of the Trail for the Lone Ranger

Stefan Knudsen, 2004 NAAE Summer Advocacy Intern
An NAAE student intern shares his experiences advocating for agricultural education and career and technical education during his NAAE internship in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Bottom line: it's all about grassroots advocacy. View article reprint. PDF file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Articles of Interest from Education Week

These articles have been found in Education Week and include the specific title, edition, date and page number, along with summaries. In order to view the complete article, please visit Education Week online registration where you will sign up as a guest. By registering you will have access to two articles of your choice each week, full access to Teacher Magazine online, tools from the Research Center, e-newsletters and much more.

"Rising to a Challenge: A vocational-technical school turns to data to help students succeed on high-stakes exams"

Blackstone Valley Technical High School has begun to implement new strategies in test-preparation after a mandate to improve student achievement in Massachusetts. The school adopted the attitude that they were not going to be left behind and focused on improvement. This shifted focus has prompted the school to raise their scores steadily since 2000. For further information regarding this article, please consult Education Week online.

Last week, a new center designed to expand work-based learning programs integrated into upper-level academics, was launched by the James Irvine Foundation in California. The program, entitled ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, stresses real world learning through both technical and career education alongside strong academic content. For further information regarding this article, please consult Education Week online.

As the U.S. continues to push forward in the quest for skilled students in the areas of math, science and technology, educators have begun to examine the means by which this goal can be achieved. This article touches on the current trends in math, science, and technology education, along with the long road to increasing the retention of students in these areas. To view this article in entirety, please consult Education Week online.

Rural educators have begun to increase their lobbying efforts in Washington, DC. Educators and members of the National Rural Education Association met with legislators on May 14, to discuss the importance of rural schools and the increased need for federal funding. To read more about this story, please consult Education Week online.

Like many vocational schools across the country, this Michigan district has begun to pair up teachers of differing interests, in turn bringing math and science into everyday learning opportunities. For instance, a skilled carpenter is paired with an instructor whose passion is found in math and science. When these two instructors paired up, students were able to learn the basic principles of trigonometry that are applied to building anything from a doorframe to constructing a roof. Team teaching efforts such as this are also helping to bolster academics in vocational education and silencing critics of the programs in an era of declining federal funding. To read this article, please consult Education Week online.

As NAAE members, you recognize the importance of advocacy; however, there is another segment of the population within education that fails to weigh in on policymaking efforts. Several reasons exist that explain the lack of involvement by educators in policymaking. This article examines the reasons behind a lack of involvement by teachers in policymaking efforts and places emphasis on the need for continual involvement by educators. To obtain a copy of this article, please