Rural poverty rises to higher levels than poverty in urban and suburban areas, and rural communities and their schools face greater isolation, which means that families must travel farther than their urban and suburban counterparts to access available services and learning opportunities. Elaine Weiss describes two rural communities, one in…

Inertia created by the 15 years of teacher quality reform leading up to Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), coupled with a renewed focus on innovation and flexibility under ESSA, might provide a recipe for establishing new ways to recruit, develop, and retain teachers in rural schools. Many hope that the development of complex and tailored staffing…

A lot of children are suffering--from bullet wounds, car crashes, gashes in legs, and great tears in the social fabric. There are wounds to heal, hopes to foster, and scar tissue to form. Public school teachers and leaders, wherever we are, this is our work. And we can do a good job of it, if the school community is strong, and if we always work…

High-poverty schools in rural areas and small towns are under attack from state policy makers who want to consolidate these schools in order to save money. In addition to calls for consolidation, rural schools also are threatened by unfair and inadequate funding formulas.

Discusses the growth of preschool education in Europe from 1970 to 1977, the period covered by the Council of Europe's project on preschool education. Focuses on levels of government support, needs of socially disadvantaged children, and programs for children in sparsely populated areas. (PGD)

After outlining ways in which the federal government has discriminated against rural education, the author goes on to sketch ways in which the government can redress this history inequity and ensure that federal education agencies are more responsive to their rural constituents. (Author/IRT)

While metropolitan school systems are moving toward decentralization and personalized instruction, rural America is still being coerced into consolidations and district mergers. The Annenburg Rural Challenge, a force for nontraditional reform, is sponsoring bold, community-based initiatives aimed at transforming teaching and learning in genuinely…

Teleconferences are one method for improving the quality of schooling in rural communities. Among suggestions for enhancing teleconferencing are face-to-face meetings, familiarity with teleconference technology, and advance notice to students of materials to be examined in such courses. (PB)

A survey of superintendents in a nine-state region of the midwest indicates a shortage of good teachers in many areas. The predominant scarcity of teachers in all certification areas resides in rural districts. (Author/IRT)

Redesigning education to recreate an ecologically sustainable community is a critical societal need. Educators should focus not on technological fixes, but on formulating new cultural assumptions. As Wendell Berry realized, genuine improvement will begin only in the country. Rural schools should stop emulating urban and suburban schools and attend…

Describes a small (305 students in K-12) school district in Iowa and its relationship to its community. (IRT)

Seniors in all 13 school districts of a rural county in central New York participated in a survey in which they were asked which of their needs the community and the schools were meeting. Tables present information on the needs the students feel are not being met. (Author/IRT)

Reports on a study of 50 urban and 50 rural Indiana districts covering school district characteristics, liability actions against either the school district or professional personnel, liability insurance coverage, employment of legal counsel and fees paid, and opinions of respondents regarding the potential impact of educational malpractice…

The author recalls his thoughts on his address to graduating high school seniors in Karval, Colorado. He concludes that, although Karval students perhaps lack skills necessary to the information age, they have learned more important lessons in their warm and supportive community. (PB)

Describes a field-based teacher education program in a small rural school district. (IRT)