Job Description

The Dwayne O. Andreas Ag Academy (www.itstartswithag.com) seeks an Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor to

join the current Andreas Ag Academy staff comprised of Becca Merrill, Delia Jackson, Scott Davidson, and Clayton

Thomas. The successful applicant will take up teaching duties at Eisenhower High School in August 2023. This new

position will join an agriculture teaching team managing three sites \xe2\x80\x93 one teacher at each high school, and three at the

new FFA Agriculture Education Center; this team works cooperatively to advise two Andreas Academy FFA

Chapters. Students from Eisenhower and MacArthur High Schools jointly operate horticulture and livestock projects.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Andreas Academy will transition most instruction to the $11 million FFA

Agriculture Education Center. The facility is under construction and slated for completion in Spring 2023. This

facility and adjoining production acreage will house Andreas Academy courses and serve as a host site for regional and

state chapters to meet for special events. Responsibilities for this posted include teaching Introduction to

Agriculture and Basic Ag Science. These are our most pivotal courses for new Academy students

before transitioning to the new center. The Academy is now offering 17 separate courses for older students,

with several thematic pathways available in Power and Structural Systems, Animal Science, Plant Science, Natural

Resources, Agribusiness and Leadership, and Food Science.

Created through partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation \xe2\x80\x93 www.thehowardgbuffettfoundation.org \xe2\x80\x93 the

Andreas Academy has grown to 465 students in its fifth year of operation. Its objective is to engage non-traditional

students in exploring careers in Agriculture. 100% of the students are FFA members, with a focus on encouraging

creative SAE immersions. More than 80 area businesses, such as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), media outlets,

family farms and community partners operate as an advisory panel in support of the program. The Academy continues

to strengthen ties with the four major universities in Illinois that provide agriculture education to create strategic

connections with other collegiate agricultural programs.

An important component of Andreas Academy activities is managing a 15-acre Living Science

Farm (www.facebook.com/LivingScienceFarm) to host instructional enrichment activities for animal science,

agriculture test and production plots, student-run entrepreneurship, and related hands-on learning experiences.

The successful applicant may have a special interest in one or more focus areas but must demonstrate proficiency in

facilitating classwork for each pathway. Instructors utilize both CASE curriculum and other online-focused resources

to deliver content. The Academy covers costs for CASE training and other relevant professional development

opportunities. This position offers a competitive salary/benefits package, including significant additional

compensation through the Three Circle Grant.

Please direct email or phone inquiries to our Program Administrator:

Zach Shields

Executive Director \xe2\x80\x93 Decatur Public Schools Foundation

zshields@dps61.org

(217) 362-3042 (office)

(217) 853-4722 (cell)

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Decatur Public Schools