Golden Slate Newsletter - September 2020

September 2020

In This Issue

Sacramento Scene

Sacramento Scene, September 2020

Department of Education Update

September 2020

News & Views

The Need for a Sunday Drive
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome
Agricultural Incentive Grant Updates
EdSource: Color purple will determine whether California schools can open for in-class instruction

Sacramento Scene: September 2020

By: Matt Patton, CATA Executive Director

The Legislative session came to an end on Monday, August 31, in the early morning hours. Similar to the rest of 2020, the closing day in the capitol was surreal. In the California Senate, only one member of the Republican Caucus was on the floor for the last week. The rest of the Caucus was in quarantine after being exposed to a member with COVID-19.

California Department of Education Update, September 2020

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

As the 2020-2021 school year begins, I cannot help but think back to that September day in 1980 when I welcomed those first students into my classroom. I was a 120 pound 23-year-old who resembled the students more than the faculty. I can vividly remember shaking when I stood in front of the class to introduce myself and take attendance. I will not even pretend to remember what I taught that day, but I am sure it was not important or done very well.

Join us for a Virtual AgVentura! We look forward to offering an opportunity to virtually to LearnAboutAg® while sharpening distance learning skills at the virtual 2020 CA Agriculture in the Classroom Conference! Our free conference program will offer opportunities to LearnAboutAg® through dynamic speakers, farm tours, and hands-on workshops. Register today: https://learnaboutag.org/programs/conference.cfm

Agricultural Incentive Grant Updates

By: Hugh Mooney, Regional Supervisor, California Department of Education

As we begin a new school year, it is interesting to hear how agricultural teachers are dealing with the many unique challenges that the profession faces this year with all the uncertainty and politics related to COVID-19. In the Superior Region, we have schools that are fully open and schools that are limited to distance learning. This creates its own set of challenges. Like all challenges faced by the Agricultural Education profession, we will survive and likely be stronger when we can engage students in the many activities we know they love.

The Need for a Sunday Drive

By: Travis Wyrick, Visalia Technical Early College

The day is Sunday and I showed up to school to run the water in our livestock pastures. It is an early morning and starting the water doesn’t take long. So, by 7:30 a.m., I found myself ready to leave campus, but not ready to go home.

Improvise, Adapt and Overcome

By: John Williams, CATA State Treasurer

In March our lives were turned upside down; lack of toilet paper and ground beef along with the loss of teaching in person. For many of us, the thought of not teaching in front of students, working with students on projects or other aspects of our careers seemed like a bad dream. Although I do not teach in the secondary world anymore, one thing I always look forward to in my new role is hosting State Finals for the Small Engines and Farm Power Contests. I miss seeing all of the coaches from all over the state, some of which have become some of my closest friends. I look forward to the day when we can come back together at field days, conferences, and other activities to interact in person.

Color purple will determine whether California schools can open for in-class instruction

Courtesy of EdSource

Beginning Monday, California school leaders will be closely watching the color their counties are assigned in the weeks or months ahead on a new ranking system that will determine when schools can open for in-person instruction and what businesses can reopen.