South-Central PAAE Meeting

“To provide and support professional leadership development for and about agriculture education.”  This has been the mission statement of the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators for 19 years and it still holds true.  Like the mission, the vision statement has been established nearly two decades ago and is still implemented.  The vision is “Universal agricultural education from ag ed family unity through communication, cooperation, and collaboration.”

On April 15th I had the privilege to attend a PAAE meeting for the South Central region at Cumberland Valley High School.  During this meeting I was able to learn about the importance of having a strong network of supporters and people whom one can relate with.  Mrs. Bier has shared with me continuously that as a single teacher program it is really important for her to be engaged in professional organizations like the PAAE because it enables her to strengthen her program.  I was able to see this first hand at the PAAE meeting because agriculture educators from the south central region were all excited to see each other and bounce ideas off of one another.  During the meal alone people engaged in conversations about budgeting, conferences, and banquet plans.  There was so many positive vibes from the teachers at the meeting.  I even found myself saying that I felt charged and refreshed by being in attendance and that I do want to continue to be involved in this professional organization

One of the most interesting discussion points from the meeting was related to approved agriculture programs in Pennsylvania and certifications that can be provided for students that connects to industry.  The debate on this as I interpreted it was that the Department of Education wants to see evidence of how the skills learned in an agriculture class connect to industry based jobs.  While this is a fantastic goal and certainly helps with accountability, there were several teachers who mentioned that most certifications that can be provided to high school students are either things that must be earned annually or things that will not make or break a hiring decision from an employer standpoint.  As the conversation progressed the question was posed “Are we just creating certifications to jump through a hoop, and if so perhaps this part of program accreditation should be re-evaluated.”  Even though Shippensburg is not an approved program, I was fascinated by the conversation at the meeting and I am curious as to the outcomes of this discussion. 

Overall by attending the PAAE meeting I realized that the members of this organization ultimately want to live out their mission to ultimately achieve their vision!  I am excited to become more involved with this organization!