Retaining agricultural educators

Kansas State University has done well in recruiting agriculture students, many of whom go on to become agriculture teachers themselves. Brandie Disberger, agriculture communication instructor, and her team are working on keeping them in the field. Disberger received an Engagement Incentive Grant from the Center for Engagement and Community Development to create a retreat to support these new teachers in their first years of their careers.

“We’ve seen a real need for retaining ag teachers. Our initial research showed us the reasons teachers aren’t staying are financial reasons and [lack of] engagement in communities in which they live. We need to come together and talk about the challenges they face and overcome them,” said Disberger, instructor of agriculture education.

Disberger introduced the retreat at the annual Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education conference in Wichita. She then personally invited every agricultural teacher in the state through an email listserv. The program matches first- through third-year teachers with financial service mentors to help plan their personal savings and retirement funds. The teachers also learn about service-learning in agricultural education to strengthen bonds between communities and schools.

She was assisted by Hannah Anderson, junior in agricultural education. Anderson recruits high school students to the agriculture education program. She says the retreat makes her feel better about her future.

“For me personally, I can see myself being here in two or three years. I could be in that position. It helps me see that this is the help you can get from the grassroots up,” said Anderson.

Ten teachers attended the first Beginning Agriculture Teacher’s Retreat, held at K-State’s Salina campus on Dec. 6, 2013. Martin Seay, assistant professor of personal financial planning (PFP), gave the first presentation Friday evening. Graduate and undergraduate students in PFP gave private counseling sessions on the basics of investing, risk management, retirement, home ownership and teacher loan forgiveness.

Lee Weis, agriculture instructor at nearby Ell-Saline High School, hosted the second day of the conference. He provided his own facilitation as well as helped coordinate the meals and services. Ell-Saline’s vocational programs place a heavy emphasis on agriculture, maintaining their own greenhouse and studying food sciences. Weis met Disberger ten years ago while she was still a high school instructor and remembers her passion for young teachers.

“I speak to young teachers about some things I do as well as some of the things that worked well for me as a veteran teacher - what do we do for our communities, and how do we structure programs? The biggest thing is there’s a huge need for programs like this so young teachers have many opportunities to stay in [the profession] and strengthen their career,” said Weis.

Jerry Schmidt of Minneapolis High School spoke about making agricultural education programs visible in the community. Trisha Gott, of Leadership Studies assistant director of service learning and a group students worked to connect the participants with resources and ideas to complete a service learning project in their communities. The teachers received funding through the grant to support their projects, ranging from community gardens to a “Girl’s Night Out in the Shop,” a special session in the woodworking lab for female students.

Attendees were high school instructors Chelsy Champlin, Sedan; Jacqueline Gabbert, Marysville; Krista Rice, Hoxie; Gloria Belton, Plainville; Karl Dawn Hobbs, Ellsworth; KaCee Thompson, Hiawatha; Chris Bauerle, Prairie Hills; Amanda Griffin, Solomon; Drew Obermeyer, Valley Heights and John Bergin, Southeast of Saline.