Congratulations to Mr. Jason Miller, Forestry Teacher at the Clarke County Career and Technical Center (CCCTC). The state ranks programs each year based on CPAS scores, and his Forestry program ranked #1 in the state of Mississippi. Forestry I and II are courses that count as a science credit towards graduation, and the CPAS exam is a comprehensive exit exam. His kids actually learn how to cruise a track of timber, read legal land descriptions, basic surveying, forest fire management, tree and wildlife identification, and forest stand management. These skills can help them in a career or even managing their own properties later. Mr. Miller is very proud of all his former students who are working in the timber industry, driving log trucks, or are heavy equipment operators, or timber contractors in our area. This recognition is a huge honor for him, his students, and the Quitman School District.
Mr. Miller has been a teacher for 21 years. He is passionate about what he teaches. When he isn’t teaching, you might find him coon hunting or maybe working on his family farm. Mr. Miller wears several hats each day. He starts his day driving a bus route. After dropping those kids off at school he picks up students from QHS and drives them to CCCTC. He and the students then go to class. When class is over, he drives students back to QHS and gets another group of students to CCCTC and he teaches another class. When most teachers are planning lessons or getting ready for the next class, Mr. Miller is on a bus. He ends his day by driving another route of students to their homes. So, Mr. Miller’s success in his classroom is truly outstanding given the tasks he endures on a day to day basis. Mr. Miller is known for his life lessons taught in the classroom, on the bus, and everywhere he encounters kids who will listen. He wants them to grow up to be hard-working, family-oriented, productive citizens of our communities, and he encourages them to do just that. He is a great example of someone with an excellent work ethic.
Next year, his students will be assessed in a different format. The state is moving toward work based learning for this and other technical programs. So, instead of learning the information and taking a multiple choice exam, his students will be evaluated through hands-on activities, application of skills, as well as growth and organization of projects. The students will be spending time learning and applying skills needed to be successful in the real world. They will experience jobs to prepare them for their futures.
Congratulations to Mr. Miller and his students for their amazing commitment and accomplishments this year. A special shout out to Mason Tucker and Mason Turner for scoring advanced on the test and helping the QSD Forestry program be #1 in the state of Mississippi.
