This article is a first person's account of working in a rural district affected by drought, economic recession and poor levels of services. It is a facto-fictional narrative describing a typical working day in the life of Peggy, the acting CEO of quality teaching, in what is locally referred to as an NIDA district (where everyone is acting).…

It is not uncommon for beginning teachers in Queensland (Australia) to be assigned their first teaching placement in a rural area. Many of these teachers stay there for the minimum time that they must, then seek to relocate to a coastal city. The literature and interviews with beginning rural teachers suggest that those who view the experience…