Ag teacher or work around program sought

Odessa Schools Superintendent

The administration and school board are committed to having an agriculture education program in Odessa that meets the needs of our students now and for their future. The biggest issue that we are trying to solve is to find a traditionally certified agriculture education teacher. We will continue to look for a teacher but are not optimistic about our chances. We can solve this problem and offer agriculture education in the next school year if we can find someone who can be “conditionally certified” to teach the classes we need. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction provides the following guidance for this process.

“A one-year conditional CTE certificate enables a school district, which cannot find a regularly certificated CTE instructor in a specific area, to hire someone who is highly qualified and experienced in the knowledge and occupational skills to be certified. The certificate is subject to specific limitations and the teacher must complete a written training plan developed in coordination with the CTE administrator and the CTE advisory committee.”

During this past school year we offered one Introduction to Agriculture and two Agriculture Mechanics classes. We are not limited to these options; we could expand our offerings if we have a teacher who is qualified through experience and able to teach our classes.

The Introduction to Agriculture class is for eighth- and ninth-grade students and covers all areas of agriculture. The eighth-graders are in the class half of the time and the ninth-graders are in the class the other half of the time. There is a good textbook that covers the curriculum, but a significant amount of time is expected to be hands-on learning. Students should be hearing from members of the agriculture community through guest speakers, field trips and demonstrations. Students should be doing projects, in class and out of class, supporting the things they learn in the classroom.

The Agriculture Mechanics class covers all areas of shop work, including but not limited to, welding, mechanics, fabrication, materials and function. It is for students in grades 10-12, and all Agriculture Education classes take place in the afternoon.

The extra-curricular FFA program is part of agriculture education and is the student leadership part of the program. We expect the 8th/9th grade ag teacher to be the FFA advisor, and additional compensation is provided for the position.

We are also trying to build a work-based learning program for agriculture education. In work-based learning, the student would work as an intern in local agriculture-based businesses, learning as they are doing. This is not the same as OJT (on-the-job training) – it will require contracts, regular communication between employer, the school coordinator and students being graded on their performance on preset criteria.

We are interested in hearing from members of the community who might be interested in providing student placements in this program. Students would apply, be interviewed and “hired.” Students can also be “fired.” There is no pay for the internship, but the school district covers the cost and general liability for the program through the Department of Labor and Industries.

Principal Jamie Nelson (982-2111) or superintendent Suellen White (982-2668) are the contacts for businesses that are interested in work-based learning, or for members of the communitiy who are considering the possibility of pursuing conditional certification in an agriculture-related trade in which they are highly qualified and experienced in the knowledge and occupational skills to be certified.