By Hannah Dillon

The state shortage of agriculture education teachers hits close to home as Albert Lea and Glenville-Emmons schools both search for agriculture teachers.

Depending on the circumstances, this could possibly lead to sharing a teacher, Albert Lea superintendent Mike Funk said.

There has been a shortage of agriculture teachers for about 15 to 20 years, Joel Larsen of the Department of Education said. Larsen works for the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Sciences department.

Larsen said that this year so far there are 30 open agriculture education positions, but only about 15 to 20 of those positions have been filled. With only four to five agriculture education graduates coming from the University of Minnesota this year there will be a shortage, Larsen said.

Larsen said the shortage is happening for a variety of reasons, one of which being that the agriculture economy is good right now. Agriculture education majors are finding jobs in agronomy and animal science, leaving a shortage of teachers.

For Albert Lea and Glenville-Emmons, this shortage is hitting close to home. Both schools are in need of an agriculture teacher for next year due to retirement in Albert Lea and relocation in Glenville-Emmons.

Jerry Reshetar, superintendent of Glenville-Emmons, said both schools are aware there is an agriculture teacher shortage, echoing the words of Funk.

Larsen said this shortage is reflective of current technical education shortages. There aren’t enough teachers for business, marketing, industrial technology and family and consumer sciences either, Larsen said.

A few weeks ago, Funk and Reshetar had a conference where they discussed the possibility of sharing an agriculture teacher. However, both schools are still looking for teachers and Reshetar said that no interviews or formal discussions have been made.

Larsen said there are some other alternative solutions to meet the demand of agriculture teachers, such as alternatively licensed people through the board of education. These people can come in the form of people teaching on a waiver or a community expert. However, the licensure can take two to three years to complete, and while there is financial aid available, it is an investment of time, Larsen said.

If both schools find an agriculture teacher, Reshetar said, more discussion might be held. For the time being, however, “nothing has really happened,” he said.

Funk said that he hoped to have a resolution some time this spring.