As Onalaska ISD prepares to “Focus on the Grow” during the 2026-2027 school year, the Onalaska agriculture science teachers and FFA advisors are already putting that vision into action.
Adam Graham, Jessica Graham, Jancie Ivey and Anna Miller recently attended the 2026 Professional Development Conference of the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas (ATAT) in Corpus Christi. The ATAT Conference provides an engaging and productive week of learning, leadership development, networking, fellowship, and collaboration with Texas Team Ag Ed, bringing together more than 2,500 agriculture teachers alongside the Texas FFA Association and Foundation, Texas Education Agency, and hundreds of industry sponsors and supporters from across the state and nation.
Just as agriculture teaches that healthy harvests begin long before seeds ever emerge from the soil, educators understand that student growth begins with intentional preparation and is nurtured through patience, time, and a caring presence. Each year, conference attendees participate in numerous hands-on workshops, motivational general sessions, and professional development opportunities designed to strengthen classroom instruction, expand technical knowledge, network and foster relationships, and provide fresh ideas to cultivate another year of growth and success within their classrooms, FFA chapters, schools, communities, and families.
This year’s OISD theme, “Focus on the Grow,” aligns perfectly with the mission of agricultural education. Growth requires clarity of purpose, commitment to continual improvement, and the courage to embrace new challenges. Throughout the week, the OISD teachers remained focused on that growth by gaining valuable insights for the year ahead while sharing the passion they have for agricultural education and the culture that has been built within the agriculture department and Onalaska FFA chapter.
The team attended district, area, and state-level meetings, collaborated with fellow educators and industry leaders during curriculum-specific workshops and demonstrations, learned new strategies for leadership and career development events, award applications, and student opportunities, and received important updates from major livestock shows, iCEV curriculum and industry-based certification representatives, Texas Team Ag Ed, and Les Hudson, the Texas Education Agency’s statewide Career and Technical Education Specialist for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.
Conference week also brought special recognition for two of the Wildcats. Adam Graham was recognized during the opening general session and presented his 20-year agriculture education service pin and tenure plaque. Additionally, Anna Miller was honored as an ATAT Outstanding Student Teacher and awarded a stipend during the family night.
During the coming year, Onalaska FFA advisors will continue pouring into agriculture teachers and students across the Sam Houston FFA District, Area IX FFA Association, and the Texas FFA Association. Specifically, Adam Graham will continue serving on the State Wildlife Alliance for Youth Committee and as Sam Houston District Ag Teacher President. Jessica Graham was also elected by her peers to serve a three-year term on the ATAT State Board of Directors, marking her second appointment after previously serving from 2021-2023. These servant leadership opportunities allow the Onalaska Ag Department to help cultivate personal and professional growth, not only for our OISD students, teachers, and FFA members, but for agricultural education programs and FFA members across the entire state of Texas.
