Hillsboro agriculture education staffing addressed
To the editor:
Twenty-five years ago, I was elected president of the Hillsboro FFA Chapter and later as a State FFA officer. I was shocked to learn that administrators at Hillsboro City Schools are considering cutting the number of agriculture education instructors by half, a move that would unnecessarily limit the number of students who could experience the life-changing educational and co-curricular leadership experiences that helped shape my life and professional career.
I was there when the school added a second teacher to work alongside longtime FFA advisor Tom Oglesby in the late 1990s and saw the number of students involved in the program double. Demand for agriculture classes remained consistent over the nearly three decades since, with almost 200 students signed up for next year.
The classroom learning and leadership experience I gained as a chapter officer, through public speaking contests, and in career development events such as parliamentary procedure, not only helped ensure I would become a first-generation college student, but also had a direct impact on my ability to embark on a 20-year career in media, and now as the chief executive officer of an international scientific society.
Current Hillsboro FFA leaders made a passionate and eloquent case at a recent Board of Education meeting for maintaining a fully-staffed agriculture department at HHS. Speaking in their support and on behalf of the thousands of Hillsboro alumni influenced by great teachers like Edgar Fawley, Tom Oglesby, Brian Cummings and Libby McNeal, I urge the District in the strongest possible terms to do the right thing by maintaining full support for our most essential science: Agriculture.
Sincerely, Andy Vance
Executive Director
Poultry Science Association
Hillsboro High School Class of 2000
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