The Minnesota Association of Agriculture Educators is focusing on recruitment and retention as schools continue to face an ag teacher shortage. Executive Director Pam Koenen says preparing new teachers for the classroom is a priority. “One of the things we’re really focusing on is how we recruit people who want to be ag teachers, make sure they are trained and able to fulfill the needs of the school district, meet the needs of the students and the communities and do an excellent job of providing ag education.” Minnesota’s Teacher Induction Program has proven successful by pairing new teachers with experienced mentors. “We’ve definitely seen an increase of those beginning teachers who stay in the profession longer than the three-to-five-year national average. It makes a big difference if they have that support system.” The MAAE summer conference was held this past week in St. Cloud.
