Farm Forum
teen years I am obviously very
interested in this issue. I can
understand the interest this issue
has stirred in an election year
among segments of the agricultur
al community and state officials.
My primary reason for writing
is to perhaps shed some light on a
little different perspective on this
issue. As a teacher of agriculture
at Garden Spot High School for
the past thirteen years, I have seen
a lot of changes in agricultural
education. Some of these changes
have been positive in my opinion
such as the broadening of the
instruction to include far more
than the traditional agricultural
production and agricultural
mechanics programs. However,
many of the changes have nega
tive consequences on our high
school agricultural education
programs throughout the state.
From my perspective the elimi
nation of the $33,000 line item
from Governor Casey’s budget is
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(Continued from Pago A 10)
insignificant when compared to
the far greater problem of
inadequate staffing at the state and
regional levels of-PDE.
Since I entered the profession in
1977 there have been significant
changes in the availability of
assistance from PDE in the areas
of curriculum development, and
developing a quality FFA program
with supervised agricultural
experiences being an integral part
of the total agricultural education
program. I had the advantage of
having Mr. Henry Givler serve as
the regional vocational consultant
upon my entry into teaching. He
was able to provide me with the
kind of sound advice that only a
person with experience in agricul
tural education could provide. At
that time there were two full-time
specialists in agricultural educa
tion in the state office and seven
regional specialists with agri
cultural background and expertise
to assist us.
In contrast today we have basi
cally a half-time person in the
state office and a person with
absolutely no FFA or agricultural
education experience serving us as
FFA coordinator in the vocational
student organization office. Addi
tionally there are three individuals
designated in the regional offices
to consult with agricultural educa
tion instructors and provide on
sight assistance. Two of the reg
ional staff members have some
experience in agricultural educa
tion. However; in the western reg
ion, where the need appears to be
the greatest for assistance, there is
no one to assist the high school
agriculture education instructor in
a meaningful way. Even the indi
viduals who have the expertise to
be of assistance to the agriculture
education instructor in the field
are virtually unable to do so
because their positions have
evolved into that of generalist,
expected to include all seven areas
of vocational education.
Since 1980, forty-one agricul
ture education programs have
been eliminated in the state,
twenty-one of them were prog
rams in the western region where
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1-800-722-0231 (NY)
Da?r
831 James Street Syracuse, NY 13203
there is a vacancy in the regional
Held office.
When I began in teaching I was
able to get assistance from Henry
Givler. He was able to answer spe
cific questions about curriculum
emphasis, FFA program develop
ment and other problems facing a
new teacher. If I were to begin
teaching agricultural education
today, I would upon contacting the
regional office for assistance find
that I would be met with the pros
pect of having an individual who
has no agricultural education or
FFA background whatsoever
attempt to advise me. I would find
that I could expect little more than
a cordial attempt to be supportive
in a very general kind of way (in
the absence of anything more sub
stantive) and possibly to have
some of my questions on funding
answered by reading exerpts of
the PDE policy manual to me.
This letter is not meant as an
indictment of the Casey admi
nistration or our current agricul
tural education program specialist
in the eastern regional field office.
It is meant to shed some light on
how far backwards we have
lea.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Hay 12,1990-A33
moved in die past ten yean in
terms of support of agricultural
education in this state. It seems to
me that it wouldn’t take a genius
to figure out that since agriculture
is the number one industry in the
state that it would be both eco
nomically and-politically prudent
for leaders in both parties to make
agricultural education a number
one priority.
It will take far more committ
ment than a $33,000 line item to
get the job done. We need a far
reaching and comprehensive plan
to upgrade curriculum to meet the
ever changing technological needs
of agriculture education in our
state and the staffing and funding
to make it a reality. I sincerely
hope that legislators on both sides
of the aisle, our State Secretary of
Agriculture, Stale Secretary of
Education and Governor will util
ize their leadership skills collec
tively to clearly identify this prob
lem and have the courage to do
something about it The economic
well-being of our state and the
future of many of our finest young
people may hang in the balance.
Robert B. Lauffer
Environmental
Agriscience Instructor
Garden Spot High School
New Holland
Editor:
The American Oat Association
would like us (taxpayers, the gov
ernment) to subsidize the oat pro
cessing industry (Lancaster
Farming, April 28 issue).
I submit that if oat processors
need a reliable supply of oats, they
should contract with growers for
their needs. Surely there are people
willing to grow oats if the price
warrants.
Further, I would like to know
who is “forcing” these processors
to “build in foreign countries.”
Isn’t it their own unwillingness to
pay a livable price for oats that has
caused this decline in production?
Aren’t they publicly waving the
flag for American agriculture and
going elsewhere because it’s
cheaper?
Lastly, I would like to say, I
don’t believe another excuse they
like to use; “The consumer won’t
pay.” Sure, there are limits, but I
don’t think they can’t afford to pay
more for oats. Stop by the markets
sometime and check out the prices
on these new products made with
oat bran.
R. Poole
Oxford
Editor:
Several weeks ago you printed
my original letter to Governor Ca
sey concerning the staffing for
agriculture education through the
Pennsylvania Department of Edu
cation and the elimination of fund
ing for our FFA Foundation from
the state budget. As subsequent
letters have pointed out, both
items are of major concern to agri
culture teachers, FFA members,
and supporters of agriculture edu
cation in Pennsylvania.
As the number one industry in
Pennsylvania, we feel agriculture
and specifically agricultural edu
cation deserves the BIPARTISAN
support of the Pennsylvania De
partments of Education and Agri
culture, Governor Casey, and the
legislature.
The problems we face in agri
cultural education have not started
with the Casey administration, but
neither have they improved. If
agricultural education in Pennsyl
vania is to provide relevant, dyna
mic, and progressive education for
a constantly changing agriculture,
all groups must work together.
(Turn to Page A 34)