Posted: 04.27.2011

As the school year begins to close - so may many opportunities for agriculture education in Wisconsin.

Nicole Nelson, Executive Director of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation says that so far they've heard of 35 different school districts around the state that are considering reducing or eliminating their agriculture education programs.  There's also additional discussion underway at other school districts to restrict extended contracts - which also impact agriculture educators.

"Agriculture education is in a unique situation,"  Nelson says.  Most of Wisconsin's agriculture instructors are given an extended contract through the summer months she says to assist students that are involved in different agriculture experiences, and hands-on projects like those at county fairs.  Reducing or eliminating those contracts will not only impact the agriculture education experience  - but it will also impact Wisconsin's FFA.

Nelson says that this is an issue that reaches beyond the students and their parents - it's a decision that will impact employee pools available to businesses.  Nelson says employers need to be a part of this discussion and decisions.  "We're asking businesses to go in and speak to their school districts about what they'll need in their future employees,"  Nelson says.  She says a recent survey out from the Harvard Graduate School of Education points to major reforms that are needed in education - including perceptions about where agriculture educated students will go. Nelson says the report says there will be a new set of R's necessary for students to succeed - they are rigor, relevance and relationships.

"This survey shows that most of today's students are going to have to advance to at least some post-secondary education. The work place will require training at all levels,"  Nelson concludes, "Students need to be college and career ready when they leave high school."

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