Dive Brief:
- Taking a break from Common Core bantering, Louisiana's House Education Committee passed a new bill Tuesday calling for the creation of an agriculture education immersion pilot program by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
- Under the bill — which would also create a commission of advisers to help build agriculture-related curriculum and activities for the involved districts — schools would be able to opt into the pilot program.
- The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ben Nevers, who argued more attention needs to be placed on agriculture, which "is still the largest business in our state.”
Dive Insight:
According to Sen. Nevers the "agri-business" is worth $30 billion in Louisiana, with farmers bringing in $11 billion this year.
Similar to how California tech companies are pushing for more computer science classes to fill the demands of the state's tech job market, Sen. Nevers seems to be thinking about what students need to know in order to match the job market and prominent industries of Louisiana.
