A32-Lancuter Fanning, Saturday, Fibruary 17,1990
Kutztown’s Vo-Ag Benefits
(Continued from P«go A 1)
school board on Monday, showed
30 students in Agriculture 1-4; 20
in Ornamental Horticulture; 12 in
Small Gas Engines/Welding; and
five taking non-ag majors.
Karr also said that there seemed
to be a stigma associated taking
vocational agriculture and that the
curriculum needed to be updated to
reflect today’s industry.
A lack of qualified agriculture
instructors is another difficulty
that plagues the program, accord
ing to Karr.
In light of these difficulties,
Karr offered three options: a
change in the number of instruc
tors; integration of the program
into other classes such as science
and business; and sending ag stu
dents to another school system.
Although no district was named
during the meeting, published
reports have mentioned the ag
program at Hamburg Area High
School as a possible choice. Ham
burg is a 20-minute drive from
Kutztown.
After Karr’s presentation, die
floor was opened for other
speakers.
Among the 14 allowed, were
state officials, educators, business
men, graduates, parents, and stu
dents; all supporting the continua
tion of vo-ag at Kutztown High
School.
One of the audience who didn’t
have an opportunity to speak was
vo-ag teacher Reinert.
Reinert, who has taught at Kutz
town since 1965, doesn’t agree
with Karr’s assessment of the
program.
“Ideally we would have two full
time teachers for the Kutztown
program,” he said. “From the time
I started, until a couple of years
ago, we did have'two positions.
Then, when Christine Williams
(the other teacher) resigned, they
reduced her position to half time
status,” Reinert explained.
Reinert conceded that the board
has had a tough time locating qual
ified candidates, but points out that
it’s more a problem with process
than with a tight job market
“When I gave notice that I
would be taking a sabbatical in
March of last year, the position
opening was advertised in the local
papers,” Reinert said. “But when I
attended the National Vocational-
Agricultural Teacher Association
Region 6 conference in May, I
found out that Penn State had not
been contacted so they could post
the opening for graduating seniors
to see. I explained to the admi
nistration that Penn State needed to
be notified and a secretary made
the call,” he said.
The result of the phone call is
unknown. However, Reinert said
some people were interviewed.
“They (Kutztown officials) did
have at least one qualified candi
date interview here. He also inter
viewed at Oley (school district in
Berks County). A week or so after
the interview, Oley offered him a
job. He called Kutztown but they
told him they hadn’t made a deci
sion so he took the Oley position.”
Reinert said.
“A number of other candidates
were interviewed, but the board
couldn’t find anyone they felt was
suitable, so they put Dr. Cal in the
position.” he said.
“A number of qualified candi
dates were due to graduate this
January so the board agreed to
advertise again. I saw the ad in the
Morning Call (an Allentown news
paper) and the Kutztown Patriot,
but when I talked to Dr. Scanlon
(an ag education professor at Penn
State) I found that they hadn’t been
notified.”
Karr confirmed that Cal was
hired for the first half of the school
year with the understanding that
another candidate search would be
done in January. According to
Karr, the search was done, but no
suitable candidates were found.
In contrast to statements made
Monday by Karr, Reinert said that
the ag department curriculum is
constantly being updated.
“While doing research for the
meeting, I came across a county
superintendent’s bulletin stating
that a whole new curriculum was
being developed in southeastern
Pennsylvania, emphasizing that
agriculture was no longer just pro
duction work. The bulletin was
dated 1969.”
According to Reinert, the ag
program was the first one in the
school to use the computer.
“We were working with compu
ters in 1971. We started with a bus
iness simulation using the compu
ters owned by businesses in the
community. I took my own per
sonal computer in and we had the
first IBM in the building,” Reinert
said.
“My computer is still there, and
if another teacher has a problem
with computers. I’m one of the
fust ones that gets asked,” he said.
The Kutztown Ag Advisory
Council helps keep the ag program
current.
‘The advisory council reviews
our curriculum. The latest revision
of the curriculum was completed
in July of last year and the advisory
council is waiting to review it,”
Rcincrt said. “A core curriculum
for agriculture is in the develop
mental stages at the state education
department in Harrisburg, and die
council wanted to see that, before
giving final approval,” Rcincrt
explained.
Advisory council member Dr.
Sam Yoder, a local veterinarian,
was able to share his feelings dur-
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ing the meeting. He suggested that feicultarc - responded to * quote
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that ag is not port of the computer industry in Berks County and in
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Yoder said he also felt junior ag dependent”
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.exposure to the ag program. four years that Ag in the Claij-
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