April 2021
In This Issue
Sacramento Scene
Department of Education Update
News & Views
- Letter From the CATA Executive Committee
- Reflecting on the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association Code of Ethics
- CATA April Updates
- 2021 State FFA Leadership Conference Gamification and Curriculum
- Ed Source: Ethnic Studies Curriculum Vote
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Sacramento Scene: April 2021
By: Matt Patton, CATA Executive Director
The California Legislature went on spring break on March 25, reconvened on April 5, and now the legislative cycle will be in full swing until June. It will be interesting to see how the legislature and Governor manage a surplus budget amidst a pandemic and a potential recall.
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California Department of Education Update: April 2021
By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor
At the end of March, I received my first Pfizer vaccination. As I left the vaccination center, I was waiting for the sun to shine, the clouds to open up, singing to occur, for something to make me appreciate the moment. But, I simply walked to my car and headed off to my next meeting. Maybe in three weeks when I receive the second dose I will feel as if everything is better.
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Letter From the CATA Executive Committee
On behalf of the CATA Executive Committee, we write this letter to encourage our members to think about how we work through these trying times, particularly, preparing our students to compete in virtual LDE and CDE competitions. It has come to our attention that there are some shortfalls in how some students are behaving in virtual competitions.
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Reflecting on the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association Code of Ethics
By: Tim Donovan, CATA Post-Secondary Chair-Elect, Mechanized Agriculture Instructor at Merced College
As I was pondering for an appropriate article topic, I decided to review the agriculture educators Code of Ethics, Professional Ethics Position Paper and Conduct for CDEs, due in part to the many comments and concerns expressed in Zoom meetings and phone conversations over SAE, CDE and/or record books this past year. I decided to focus on the Code of Ethics, since it is the foundation for agricultural educators.
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CATA April Updates
By: Matt Patton, CATA Executive Director
The CATA 2021 Conference will be virtually held the week of June 21-24. The conference will focus on recognizing California Ag Teachers’ achievements, the organization’s business, camaraderie, and professional development. CATA Summer Conference registration is now being accepted, and paperwork is being processed.
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2021 State FFA Leadership Conference Gamification and Curriculum
By: Dane White, Educational Program Consultant, California Department of Education
Gamification is a system built into the Events On Air! Platform that is being used to host the 2021 State FFA Leadership Conference. This system allows the hosts to help incentivize and observe participation of California FFA members in order to monitor session attendance and engagement.
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EdSource: A final vote, after many rewrites, for California's controversial ethnic studies curriculum
On Thursday, the State Board of Education will adopt an Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum for high schools that is four years, four drafts, three public vetting periods and 100,000 comments in the making.
Had they more time and an endless reservoir of patience, the board, the California Department of Education and the Instructional Quality Commission, which reports to the state board, could have continued to refine what and how ethnic studies should be taught. But the Legislature set an April 1 deadline to pass the model curriculum, and more iterations would not resolve the irreconcilable differences between its staunchest advocates and critics.
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