By April Clark Honaker
A Lincoln Parish teacher has been honored with an appointment to Louisiana’s inaugural Teacher Advisory Council. Antonio Wilson, who teaches agriscience at Ruston High School, was one of 22 teachers chosen by the Louisiana Department of Education to serve on the 2022-2023 council. Wilson was selected from nearly 900 applicants in K-12 education.
“I’m very honored to be on the council,” Wilson said. As a member of the council, he will attend quarterly meetings with State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley and the other council members to discuss the state of education in Louisiana and provide feedback from a front-line perspective.
Wilson, who is beginning his first year of teaching ag at Ruston High, captured the interest of the selection committee by sharing with them his belief that every teacher should have an understanding of how the classes they teach fit into the path of diploma achievement.
When he started his teaching career at Natchitoches Central, Wilson did not really understand how his class, ag, contributed to diploma achievement. After teaching in Natchitoches for a year, Wilson went on to teach at North DeSoto High School for four years. In DeSoto Parish, they had a program that provided teachers with information about how their classes help students achieve their diplomas. Wilson found it valuable and wants all teachers in Louisiana to have this knowledge.
In his first meeting with the council, Wilson said, “I will give my insight on career technical education because that’s the kind of education I’m in. I would like to share just how important ag education and career technical education is to our students.”
According to Wilson, a lot of these programs are dying because they don’t have the support they need to thrive, but Wilson said they’re needed.
“Ag is important, and it’s something in Louisiana that we need to continue,” he said. “Ag gets students ready for all aspects of life and makes them well-rounded.”
It also exposes them to a wide range of skills and job options.
“Students can apply what they learn directly to their lives right away,” Wilson said.
As Wilson looks forward to his first meeting, he said, “I’m excited to do it. I eventually want to move up in the world of education, so I want to learn as much as possible.”
Wilson hopes to use this experience not only to promote better education in Louisiana but also to become a better leader for his students and his fellow educators.
