The Missouri Association of Rural Education has been retained by the Jamestown C-1 School District to assist with their search for a Superintendent of the School District located at 222 School Road, Jamestown, Missouri, 65046. The selected candidate will assume leadership responsibilities on July 1, 2025. Jamestown C-1 School District is a K-12 district serving 181 students with a total staff of approximately 46. For more information on this great opportunity, please access the links below:
Jamestown C-1 Superintendent Vacancy Announcement
Jamestown C-1 Superintendent Application
Dr. Jamie Burkhart is serving as the Superintendent Search Consultant. She may be reached by phone at (660) 525-0952 or by email at jamiebeth.burkhart@gmail.com. The deadline to submit an application is Thursday, January 2, 2025!
Bringing New Meaning To Cleaning
4M Building Solutions, privately held and founder-operated, is a full-service cleaning, janitorial, housekeeping, and disinfection services company headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. Founded in 1978, it has become one of the nation's largest janitorial service companies, operating in 25+ states east of Kansas. Over 6,600 Team Members provide daily environmentally friendly cleaning to over 200 million square feet of space in business segments including education, industrial/manufacturing, logistics/distribution, corporate owner-occupied, medical healthcare, senior living, and multi-tenant buildings.
Learn more at 4-m.com.
The Missouri Association of Rural Education offers two scholarship programs for students interested in becoming teachers and returning to rural school districts to teach. The first program is the MARE Rural Missouri Scholarship Fund. This program is open to only junior and senior level students attending Missouri colleges or universities that offer degrees in education. Applicants must have completed 60 or more credit hours and have declared a major in education. Last year, MARE provided twenty-three (23) $1,000.00 scholarships. We plan to present 20-25 $1,000.00 scholarships this year alone! Information for this program is available below. This information was mailed to all Missouri colleges and universities that offer teacher education programs and certifications. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Friday, March 14, 2025.
2024-2025 Guidelines & Application for College Scholarship Awards
The second scholarship program offered by MARE is open to graduating high school seniors of MARE member school districts. Applicants must have indicated plans to pursue a degree in education. Only senior students from MARE member school districts are eligible to apply. Last year, MARE, with support from EdCounsel, LLC provided thirty-eight (38) $750.00 scholarships to graduating high school seniors from all over the state. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Friday, March 14, 2025.
2024-2025 Guidelines & Application for HS Senior Scholarship Awards
If you have any questions regarding these Scholarship Programs, please contact Kevin Sandlin, Executive Director, at (660) 747-8050 or ksandlin@moare.com. Since 2017, MARE has provided a total of $262,000.00 in scholarships through these two programs.
MARE is pleased to welcome Pepco, Inc. as an Associate Member. Please read below for more information on this company and what they can provide for your school district:
The Missouri Association of Rural Education has been retained by the Orrick R-XI School District to assist with their search for a Superintendent of the School District located at 100 Kirkham, Orrick, Missouri 64077. The selected candidate will assume leadership responsibilities on July 1, 2025. Orrick R-XI School District is a PK-12 district serving 299 students with a total staff of approximately 61. For more information on this great opportunity, please access the links below:
Orrick R-XI Superintendent Vacancy Announcement
Orrick R-XI Superintendent Application
Dr. Margret Anderson is serving as the Superintendent Search Consultant. She may be reached by phone at (816) 898-0005 or by email at mg2.anderson@gmail.com. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, December 6, 2024!
Attached below are various presentations from the recent MARE/MO K-8 Conference. As additional ones are submitted to me, I will update this record with those.
EdCounsel General Session - "Elections Happen"
Dr. Kyle Kruse - BOE & Superintendent - Suggestions for Success
Mickes O'Toole General Session - "Discipline by the Rules"
Dr. Kyle Kruse & Drew Beaugard - Insurance Presentation for BOE Members
DESE Area Supervisors Presentation - CSIP Cycle 2
Navigate & Union School District Presentation
DESE Presentation - Recruitment and Retention
We are going to use this article on the website to provide regular updates, news and notes and other items of interest pertaining to education at the federal level. We will also include information from our federal lobbyists in Washington. Dr. Allen Pratt and the good folks at NREA do an outstanding job of representing rural education at the federal level. They provide weekly updates and lots of useful information for rural schools.
Access the link below to see the latest news from the National Rural Education Association.
NREA Weekly Update - November 8, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - November 1, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - October 25, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - October 18, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - October 11, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - October 4, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - September 27, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - September 20, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - September 13, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - September 6, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - August 30, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - August 23, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - August 16, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - August 9, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - August 2, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - July 26, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - July 19, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - July 12, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - July 5, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - June 28, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - June 21, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - June 14, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - June 7, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - May 31, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - May 24, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - May 17, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - May 10, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - May 3, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - April 26, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - April 19, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - April 12, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - April 5, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - March 29, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - March 22, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - March 15, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - March 8, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - March 1, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - February 23, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - February 16, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - February 9, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - February 2, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - January 26, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - January 19, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - January 5, 2024
NREA Weekly Update - October 27, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - October 20, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - October 13, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - October 6, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - September 29, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - September 22, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - September 15, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - September 8, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - September 1, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - August 25, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - August 18, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - August 11, 2023
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NREA Weekly Update - July 28, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - July 21, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - July 14, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - July 7, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - June 30, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - June 23, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - June 16, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - June 9, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - June 2, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - May 26, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - May 19, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - May 12, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - May 5, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - April 28, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - April 21, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - April 14, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - April 7, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - March 31, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - March 24, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - March 17, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - March 10, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - March 3, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - February 24, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - February 17, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - February 10, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - February 3, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - January 27, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - January 20, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - January 13, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - January 6, 2023
NREA Weekly Update - December 16, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - December 2, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - November 18, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - November 11, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - November 4, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - October 28, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - October 14, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - October 7, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - September 30, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - September 23, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - September 16, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - September 9, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - September 2, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - August 26, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - August 19, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - August 12, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - August 5, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - July 29, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - July 22, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - July 15, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - July 8, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - July 1, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - June 24, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - June 17, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - June 10, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - June 3, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - May 27, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - May 20, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - May 13, 2022
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NREA Weekly Update - April 29, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - April 22, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - April 15, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - April 8, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - April 1, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - March 25, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - March 18, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - March 11, 2022
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NREA Weekly Update - February 25, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - February 11, 2022
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NREA Weekly Update - January 28, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - January 21, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - January 14, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - January 7, 2022
NREA Weekly Update - December 17, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - December 10, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - December 3, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - November 19, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - November 5, 2021
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NREA Weekly Update - October 22, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - October 8, 2021
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NREA Weekly Update - September 10, 2021
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NREA Weekly Update - August 27, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - August 20, 2021
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NREA Weekly Update - July 30, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - July 23, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - July 16, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - July 9, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - July 2, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - June 25, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - June 18, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - June 11, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - June 4, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - May 28, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - May 21, 2021
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NREA Weekly Update - April 30, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - April 23, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - April 16, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - April 9, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - April 2, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - March 19, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - March 12, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - March 5, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - February 26, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - February 19, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - February 12, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - February 5, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - January 29, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - January 22, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - January 15, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - January 8, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - January 1, 2021
NREA Weekly Update - December 11, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - December 4, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - November 20, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - November 13, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - November 6, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - October 30, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - October 23, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - October 16, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - October 9, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - October 2, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - September 25, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - September 18, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - September 11, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - September 4, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - August 28, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - August 14, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - August 7, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - July 31, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - July 24, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - July 17, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - July 10, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - July 3, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - June 26, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - June 19, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - June 12, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - June 5, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - May 29, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - May 22, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - May 15, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - May 8, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - May 1, 2020
NREA Weekly Update - April 17, 2020
https://www.eventbank.com/organization/1212/campaign/39109/
https://www.eventbank.com/organization/1212/campaign/38612/
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NREA official Podcast: Welcome to the official podcast of the National Rural Education Association called the Rural Voice. Co-Hosted by Drs. Allen Pratt, Jared Bigham, and Christopher F. Silver, they discuss the common themes and experiences facing teachers, parents, and administrators in elementary and secondary rural education. https://nrea.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e04-the-four-day
The New Science of Rural Education https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/chevron-stem-education/the-science-of-rural-education/207/?utm_source=twb
FDA Spread the Word: Science and Our Food Supply: Using the Nutrition Facts Label to Make Healthy Food Choices: This is a nutrition-based curriculum that introduces students to the fundamentals of healthy food choices using the Nutrition Facts label as a starting point. Here is a link to the middle school curriculum, and here is the link to the high school curriculum.
Read the Label Youth Outreach Materials: These materials challenge children ages 9–13 to look for and use the Nutrition Facts label on food and beverage packages.
In addition, there are some images of the updated Nutrition Facts label available for download here and some information about the key changes to the label here. The link here provides more information about other nutrition education materials we currently have available, including the materials listed above.
Opinion: Rural Needs a Positive Vision to Survive and Thrive: More people than ever need opportunities that rural America can provide. It’s up to those who love those communities welcome the next generations of rural Americans. https://www.dailyyonder.com/opinion-rural-needs-a-positive-vision-to-survive-and-thrive/2020/02/12/
Maine DOE Warns That State Could Lose More Than $1 Million In Federal Grants For Rural Schools By Robbie Feinberg https://www.mainepublic.org/post/maine-doe-warns-state-could-lose-more-1-million-federal-grants-rural-schools . https://cpa.ds.npr.org/mpbn/audio/2020/02/robbie20200211.mp3
Want to bridge urban-rural divide? Let employees work remotely, says economic developer BY Don Kirkman
CEF:
House Members have one month to submit requests to Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee – Starting today until March 13, House members can submit electronic requests for program funding or language to be included in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has posted a letter explaining the process. Members of Congress must rank their priorities in their letters. House leadership has expressed its goal of passing the majority of FY 2021 appropriations bills by the end of June, so we expect that the first of the 12 appropriations bills might be produced in April. We also expect that the Appropriations Committee will hold hearings on the FY 2021 budget with many of the cabinet secretaries, but none has yet been announced.
Senate outside witness testimony for Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee – Outside witnesses may submit written testimony on the FY 2021 budget to the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee from now through May 22. Instructions on the process are posted here. That deadline implies that we won’t be seeing the FY 2021 appropriations bill in the Senate until June at the earliest.
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Wisconsin is our featured state this week for the 50 States in 50 Weeks project! Each week, the #IAmARuralTeacher Campaign is featuring a different state and what rural looks like to them. This collaboration between the National Rural Education Association and I Am A Rural Teacher demonstrates how vast the rural communities of America really are. Are you a Wisconsin rural teacher? We would love to hear from you! Submit your story today at http://bit.ly/RuralTeachersPerspectives. Senate Panel Looks at Build America Bureau and USDOT Rural Initiative https://www.enotrans.org/article/senate-bab-routes-hearing/ When the bus is the schoolhouse In a remote region of Appalachia, a preschool on wheels offers a vehicle to improved life outcomes for young children and their families. https://hechingerreport.org/when-the-bus-is-the-schoolhouse/ How Place-Based Learning Is Changing the Face of Rural Education SPONSORED CONTENT FROM UWA ONLINE The Reading Resource Project is an ongoing program that runs throughout the year. The program distributes high quality, softcover books for Read Across America Day, National Drop Everything and Read Day, Children's Book Week, International Children's Book Day, and other Literacy Programs. Reading Resource Project books are 100 book sets. Any literacy-based effort qualifies for these books. You do not have to be a school or teacher. Reading Resource Project books are available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis. Each 100-book set will contain a variety of at least 10 different titles. Recipients merely pay shipping, handling, and administrative costs, which is only $0.88 cents per softcover book ($88.00 per set of 100 books). https://www.lefbooks.org/ Join Bloomberg Government analysts as they provide an overview of President Donald Trump's fiscal 2021 budget request, set to be released on Feb. 10*. This webinar will examine proposed increases and cuts to federal agencies, discuss new initiatives and programs on the chopping block, and will be a chance to have your questions answered by our team of analysts. 2021 President's Budget Webinar U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Announces New Flexibility for States to Better Meet the Needs of Students, Local Communities 'Response to Deep Disadvantage Has to Start with Listening,' Says Scholar by Jan Pytalski Thinking about Teaching... Teaching is by far one of the most intellectually rewarding, emotionally challenging, and physically exhausting careers in the world. This book explores the thoughts that author Casey T. Jakubowski, PhD has on a wide range of education-related topics. Seeking to give voice to rural education, in this unstable time, and reflecting on a wide of research and experiences, this work offers all educators, from the beginning, all the way to the end, a reflective voice to channel their own experiences against and with on their journey. https://www.amazon.in/Casey-T-Jakubowski/e/B0846883RR/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
NREA official Podcast: Welcome to the official podcast of the National Rural Education Association called the Rural Voice. Co-Hosted by Drs. Allen Pratt, Jared Bigham, and Christopher F. Silver, they discuss the common themes and experiences facing teachers, parents, and administrators in elementary and secondary rural education. https://nrea.simplecast.com/ |
In This Issue 50 State Spotlight in 50 Weeks "I am a Rural Teacher" Whippoorwill Award Daily Yonder NEH Summer Institutes College Board Send Out
​​​Links Sponsor Links ​MyOnCore ​Pragmatic
Contact Us allen-pratt@utc.edu
NREA 615 McCallie Ave Hunter Hall 205 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN 37403 ​
Follow NREA on:
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School closures can hit rural communities hard by Dr. Mara Tieken
http://theconversation.com/school-closures-can-hit-rural-communities-hard-128837
Alaska's Rural Schools Struggle to Attract Teachers Despite High Salaries
Educators in rural parts of the state earn an average of more than $102,000 per year.
By Casey Leins Staff Writer
Commentary: Making Our Towns Better Places to Live
A holistic approach to community development means looking beyond strict economics
to other factors that sustain rural communities. By Scott Thompson
https://www.dailyyonder.com/commentary-making-our-towns-better-places-to-live/2020/01/10/
Two-Thirds of Rural Counties Gain Jobs from November 2018 to 2019
A familiar pattern emerges in the latest monthly employment figures. The more rural a county, the slower its job gains are. By Bill Bishop
Global Teletherapy Currently staffs 100+ schools in over 30 states with Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Mental Health Professionals to provide Online Therapy (Teletherapy). They have developed the trust and relationships amongst many schools and therapists all across the United States. https://globalteletherapy.com/experience-now/
They currently help many Rural Schools across the United States including a partnership with Nebraska Rural Schools Association (NRCSA). Please let Rafi Cohn rafi@globalteletherapy.com know if you'd like to set a call to discuss how they can help your member school districts across the state. Here is a video of some of the schools that they have worked with, in Nebraska. Nebraska Testimonial Video- Click me!
GotZoom. They specialize in securing student loan assistance for their clients as well as successfully enrolling them in loan forgiveness programs. It almost sounds too good to be true, but folks all around the country are using this company to help people find ways to reduce their payments and even eliminate their student loan debt in a few years.
During the past 7 years, GotZoom's expertise has reduced the monthly student loan payments for their clients by an average of 65% as well as the total payout over the life of the loan. See sample matrix below.
If you would like to learn more about these student loan cost reduction programs and how GotZoom can provide you with a no cost, no obligation "complimentary" analysis of how much of your student loan debt could be reduced, click here to view a short 3 minute video explanation.
The Rural Education Investment Act
Rural school districts and communities across the United States are currently facing a number of pressing issues, including lack of funding, outdated infrastructure, and a growing teacher shortage. Many rural school districts have a lack of a tax base due to adjacent federal land, such as military bases. According to a 2017 report by the School Superintendents Association, 53% of all public school districts in the United States are located in rural areas, and these students make up nearly one-fifth of America's K-12 population.
One of the ways to combat inadequate funding in rural areas and a worsening teacher shortage is by ensuring that rural America gets its fair share. Programs like the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) Grant Program allow teachers to be placed in a full-time classroom apprenticeship while completing Masters-level coursework. However, only a handful of these TQP Grants reach rural areas that are desperate for more teachers.
The Rural Education Investment Act requires the Secretary of Education to determine the percent of K-12 students living in rural areas and ensures that percentage of TQP Grant dollars go to schools in rural areas.
Specifically, the bill:
For more information or to add your boss as a cosponsor, please contact Noah Yantis in Rep. Bost's office at noah.yantis@mail.house.gov
Texas Rural Education Association and NREA member: Hawkins ISD spotlighted on The Today Show: Great job! How 4 Texas girls rescued a bee colony and built a business:
Meet Mackenzie Rutherford, Rachel Parish, Brook Goddard and Jessica Henneous, four students at Hawkins High School in Texas who helped solve a bee problem at a local water bottling plant and launched a business in the process. NBC's Kerry Sanders has the story.
https://www.today.com/video/how-4-texas-girls-rescued-a-bee-colony-and-built-a-business-74625093875
College Fairs Might Seem Ho-Hum. Until You Meet the Rural Students at This One.
https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/20191205-CollegeFair?cid=db&source=ams&sourceId=486674
Rural Communities Offer Unique Opportunities For Place-Based Learning Posted on December 3, 2019 by Annie Freeland
https://tnscore.org/rural-communities-offer-unique-opportunities-for-place-based-learning/
Improving Education In Rural Tennessee Schools
By Alan Richards and Allen Pratt
https://tnscore.org/improving-education-in-rural-tennessee-schools/
ANNOUNCING OUR 2019-2020 GRANTS IN PLACE FELLOW RECIPIENTS!
Rural, USA DECEMBER 04, 2019
Fiscal Year 2020: SRSA Application Update
The number of Americans training to become teachers has dropped by a third since 2010, and it's creating a critical educator shortage that will affect every state. Allana Akhtar
Member Forum on the Youth Vaping Epidemic
An Eyewitness Perspective from Students & Principals https://www.facebook.com/principals/
Tuesday, December 10th * 1:30pm – 2:30pm
NREA Executive Committee November Ballot: Voting ends November 30th.
Rural School Administrator Election: (Please vote for 1 candidate):
Mr. Sean Rickert or Dr. Kristin Brown
Voting Link: https://utk.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_55BrEm7GkeapTZr
YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE "I AM A RURAL TEACHER" CAMPAIGN
Last week, we launched our new project "I Am a Rural Teacher". This narrative-focused national media campaign will feature ten diverse rural teacher voices. In these media pieces, we will highlight both the opportunities and challenges that passionate educators face in their positions. Additionally, we will place the teachers and schools in the context of their rural communities, to illustrate the critical role that rural schools play in their broader communities.
We will be featuring rural educators from the Ozarks, Midwest, Southwest, Southern Border, Appalachia, Northern California, Rocky Mountains, Upper Plains, New England, and Alabama's Black Belt.
I Am a Rural Teacher is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Rural Schools Collaborative, National Rural Education Association, Alabama's Black Belt Teacher Corps, and Missouri's Ozarks Teacher Corps. The project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The "I Am a Rural Teacher" Campaign is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We want to thank them for providing a national platform for authentic rural teacher voices. Stay tuned! http://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/you-are-invited-to-join-the-i-am-a-rural-teacher-campaign
Commentary: How to Make Rural Development More Than Industrial Recruitment
Small towns have more to offer than cheap land and tax abatements. Building a development plan based on holistic community needs can be a recipe for economic and social success.
By Scott Thompson
What is National Rural Health Day?
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health sets aside the third Thursday of every November to celebrate National Rural Health Day. National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to "Celebrate the Power of Rural" by honoring the selfless, community-minded, "can do" spirit that prevails in rural America, gives us a chance to bring to light the unique healthcare challenges that rural citizens face, and showcase the efforts of rural healthcare providers, State Offices of Rural Health and other rural stakeholders to address those challenges. #powerofrural https://www.powerofrural.org/ https://www.powerofrural.org/issue/coloring-book/
Rural areas like Appalachia are our country's backbone. More must be done to save them
BY MARK REESE https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article237498649.html
Report: Rural schools struggle to make do with low funding https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-education/new-report-georgia-rates-poorly-rural-education/aK3Aldb7IkzQpf0kZzwxUI/
State of the State Report: Education Superhighway 2019 Report
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/esh-sots-pdfs/2019%20State%20of%20the%20States.pdf
AC&E | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 2019 https://ace-ed.org/
Redefining Rural is a Colorado State University - Global Campus sponsored series. This series is focused on bringing awareness to the rural communities of Colorado in the education sector. Today's episode comes from the recent conference, the National Forum to Advance Rural Education. Kirk Banghart films Michelle Murphy with the Colorado Rural Alliance and Denille Laplatt with the Colorado Department of Education as they talk to three experts of note from the conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9F5joBIiAk&app=desktop
myFutureNC Blog Series: Appalachian GEAR UP Partnership Advances Postsecondary Attainment Goal https://www.hunt-institute.org/resources/2019/10/myfuturenc-blog-series-appalachian-gear-up-partnership-advances-postsecondary-attainment-goal/
Why This Year's 'Rural America at a Glance' Deserves a Second Look: The annual reference document from the USDA Economic Research Service shows that there's no such thing as a single rural America. Economic trends vary greatly depending on several geographic and social factors. RURAL ECONOMY By Bryce Oates and Tim Marema
School Ambassador Fellowship Program Applications for the 2020-2021 cohort of the School Ambassador Fellowship applications are open through 5pm EST on December 31, 2019. Please sign-up for updates to stay in contact with the program. https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/school-ambassador-fellowship-program/
The U.S. Education Department released information for the first time Wednesday detailing the median debt and earnings for specific programs at colleges and universities across the country.
In a Wednesday statement, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the College Scorecard website provides "real information students need to make informed, personalized decisions about their education."
"Students will be able to see if a career and technical education program at a two-year institution might generate a higher return on investment than a more traditional program at a four-year institution. Rather than having to rely on reputation-based rankings, the Scorecard will also allow students to choose a program based on the outcomes of students who have already completed that program," DeVos said. https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
School Closure Research. An article in the December 2019 issue of Review of Educational Research, a journal of the American Education Research Association, reveals new insights on school closures. Mara Ticken and Trevor Auldridge-Reveles examine the literature, looking across context (urban and rural) to show how school closure can produce spatial injustice. Their analysis shows that closures are unevenly distributed, disproportionately affecting places where poor communities and communities of color live. This can bring negative effects that harm students and adults, reducing their access to an important educational and community institution. Reference citation for the article is Tieken, M. C., & Auldrige-Reveles, T. R. (2019). Rethinking the school closure research: School closure as spatial injustice. Review of Educational Research, 89(60), 917-953. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3102/0034654319877151
Why Rural Matters Report Released November 7th.
http://www.ruraledu.org/WhyRuralMatters.pdf
Rural schools in S.D. face unique challenges that can affect learning
By: Bart Pfankuch November 7, 2019
MREA
Bond referendums in rural Minnesota have passed at a higher rate, following the expansion of a new tax credit for farmers and timber land owners. During November 2019 elections, rural voters approved 84 percent of bond referendums, the highest rate in recent history. The Ag2School tax credit increases from 40 percent to 50 percent in 2020 and is scheduled to scale to 70 percent in 2023. The Ag2School was a signature effort of MREA in partnership with multiple state agriculture organizations in recent legislative sessions. Learn more: http://www.mreavoice.org/ag2school-provides-support-for-school-facility-bonds/
Miami University's Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2020 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences in 16 countries throughout the world. http://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu
Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. http://GFP.MiamiOH.edu
Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) online master's degree that combines Miami University web-based courses with experiential learning and field study through several AIP Master Institutions in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2020 cohorts are being accepted now with place-based experiences provided at zoos and botanical gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis. New for 2020: residents of the Jacksonville, Florida, area can study at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, AIP's newest Master Institution, and earn Miami's AIP master's degree. http://AIP.MiamiOH.edu
Graduate tuition for all programs is greatly reduced because of support from Miami University.
YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE "I AM A RURAL TEACHER" CAMPAIGN!
NOVEMBER 01, 2019
Last week, we launched our new project "I Am a Rural Teacher". This narrative-focused national media campaign will feature ten diverse rural teacher voices. In these media pieces, we will highlight both the opportunities and challenges that passionate educators face in their positions. Additionally, we will place the teachers and schools in the context of their rural communities, to illustrate the critical role that rural schools play in their broader communities.
We will be featuring rural educators from the Ozarks, Midwest, Southwest, Southern Border, Appalachia, Northern California, Rocky Mountains, Upper Plains, New England, and Alabama's Black Belt.
I Am a Rural Teacher is a collaboration between the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Rural Schools Collaborative, National Rural Education Association, Alabama's Black Belt Teacher Corps, and Missouri's Ozarks Teacher Corps. The project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The "I Am a Rural Teacher" Campaign is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We want to thank them for providing a national platform for authentic rural teacher voices. Stay tuned! http://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/stories/you-are-invited-to-join-the-i-am-a-rural-teacher-campaign
Rural Teacher Fellowship Program:
Applications opened October 15th for Stanford University's Hollyhock Fellowship Program, which is a free and fully funded fellowship for high school teachers with 2-7 years of experience who teach in schools where at least 50% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Any teacher across America who meets the eligibility requirementscan apply until January 15, 2020. In addition, school leaders of the teacher teams accepted will be invited to Stanford U. for a Hollyhock School Leaders Institute next summer. You can read about Hollyhock's impact and success HERE and why teachers you know should consider applying HERE. Let us know if you would like more information. We would be happy to talk about why this professional learning experience celebrates teachers, develops their capacity to lead from the classroom, improves their instruction, and helps them to be more culturally sustaining. Join us for an information webinar on Thursday, November 21 at 6:30 p.m. EST.
The Hollyhock Project Team
"Revisiting Our Rural Roots: Supporting Students, Preparing Teachers, and Collaborating with Communities to Influence Excellence in Rural Education"
The Center for Rural Education was founded to encourage post-secondary goals for rural Tennessee students, support pre-service teaching candidates from rural areas, enhance the professional opportunities for rural teachers, and contribute to the profession with rural research. This inaugural conference is the next step in the journey to accomplish those goals. Please join us on March 24, 2020, as we explore the theme, Revisiting Our Rural Roots: Supporting Students, Preparing Teachers, and Collaborating with Communities to Influence Excellence in Rural Education." This one-day conference intends to foster collaboration as we pool ideas, share information, and provide tools and resources to support our rural counties.
2019 Nations Report Card - NAEP Data Tools - click below
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/dashboards/schools_dashboard.aspx
The future of rural communities can be bright despite current narrative, according to researcher. Written By: David Olson | Oct 1st 2019
Videos: Rural Report Findings and Discussion With Community Leaders
New Mexico Gov. Grisham to speak at November workshop in Santa Fe for Reimagining the Rural West Initiative:
2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools:
As Rural Groceries Fade Away, Lawmakers Wonder Whether to Act
STATELINE ARTICLE October 2, 2019
By: April Simpson
In the new report, Dr. Glynn highlights the high-quality practices that equip talented K-12 students in rural America to pursue and complete postsecondary education—based on their learnings from working with community organizations and schools in 6 rural communities across the U.S.
The report focuses on best practices for identifying promising rural students; providing academic services to these students; and meeting their social and emotional needs.
Former North Carolina governor Bev Perdue has authored the foreword, drawing on her own experience as the governor of a state with many rural communities.
Attached is the report, as well as here: https://www.jkcf.org/research/small-town-big-talent-identifying-and-supporting-academically-promising-students-in-rural-areas/.
We'd welcome your feedback on the report, and sharing it with the NREA network. I know Dr. Glynn is really looking forward to participating in the conference.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there's interest from your members in engaging directly with Dr. Glynn.
My very best,
Jenna
Jenna Schuette Talbot | Whiteboard Advisors | jenna@whiteboardadvisors.com | 760.390.6978
We Need To Stop Talking About The Teacher Shortage
Peter GreeneSenior Contributor
I look at K-12 policies and practices from the classroom perspective.
Teacher-Drivers Keep Wheels on the Bus Going Round
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/09/03/teacher-drivers-keep-wheels-on-the-bus-going.html
POVERTY LINKED TO SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
New A-F school ratings expose longstanding correlation between student poverty and test results
Texas A-F School Rating System
MEETING THE NEEDS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES NOW EXTENDS TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
10 Mentoring and Induction Challenges in Rural Schools and How to Address Them
Promoting Positive Mental Health in Rural Schools
Publication Date: August 12, 2019
Developed By: Mountain Plains MHTTC
Keywords: Mental Health Rural Settings School Mental Health Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) Students/Pre-service training
DOWN THE HALLS: Teacher Academy comes to rural N.D. school districts
REL Webinar: Delivering Work-Based Learning in Rural Schools
Join REL Central for a webinar that summarizes the research on work-based learning (WBL). The webinar will be divided into two parts:
Steve Klein, director of the Center for School, Family, and Community at Education Northwest, will first present the research behind and the rationale for WBL programs, the challenges faced in implementing WBL, the different types of WBL programs by locale, and the components of WBL frameworks.
Representatives from two rural districts, Boone Central Schools in Nebraska and Grand River Technical School in Missouri, will describe the components of their WBL programs and the opportunities they provide to students.
https://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/calendar/?id=6131&tid=14&cid=6&va=1&ts=10-2019-1%7Cm
MSU programs collaborate on solution for rural teacher housing shortage
By Carol Schmidt, MSU News Service
AUGUST 28, 2019
I. Policy Intelligence and Education News
SCOTUS to take up use of public funds for religious schools in Montana case
By Kimberly Hefling and Benjamin Wermund
06/28/2019 10:30 AM EDT
Updated 06/28/2019 01:14 PM EDT
School choice advocates celebrated Friday after the Supreme Court agreed to hear a closely watched Montana case that could have big implications for the use of public funds to pay for private religious schools.
Pushed by a libertarian group in Arlington, Va., the suit is intended to further chip away at the traditional wall between church and state, and will be heard by a court with an additional conservative justice since the last time the question was argued.
The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, centers on whether a tax credit scholarship program in Montana violated a state constitutional provision prohibiting the legislature from appropriating public funds to aid religious schools.
The Montana Supreme Court last year ruled it did, determining that religiously affiliated private schools in the state make up the overwhelming majority of qualified education providers in Montana. It ruled that the tax credit was permitting the Legislature to "indirectly pay public funds to those schools," according to a synopsis of the ruling posted by the court.
School choice supporters see the case as a vehicle to overturn so-called Blaine amendments on the books in 39 states — state constitutional provisions that prevent public funding from going to religious education. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a school choice supporter, has called such provisions "bigoted."
Tax credit scholarship programs, which are used in about 20 states, have been advocated for at the federal level by the Trump administration, with DeVos as a key salesperson. Typically, the programs give a tax credit to individuals or businesses that donate to an organization that funds private school tuition or other educational expenses.
"Finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel toward educational freedom and equity!" tweeted Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, a school choice group.
John Schilling, president of the American Federation of Children group, which DeVos used to chair, said the case "has the opportunity to definitively establish that religious schools cannot be excluded from school choice programs by virtue of their religion."
The Montana case comes just two years after the Supreme Court considered the traditional wall separating church and state in another closely watched case related to schools, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia Inc. vs. Comer.
The court ruled 7-2 in that case that Missouri had wrongly denied a church a state grant "simply because of what it is — a church." But it stopped short of addressing the constitutionality of the Blaine amendments.
While the ruling was heralded by school choice supporters, including DeVos, as an incremental win, it was narrowly framed — something that the more conservative wing of the court complained about at the time.
The Montana case could provide an opening to push the ruling further for the court, which includes yet another conservative vote in Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The suit is one of at least three pushed by the Institute for Justice, a libertarian advocacy group based in Arlington, Va., that defends school choice programs in court. The group has said the lawsuit on behalf of three Montana families is intended to "build on" the Trinity Lutheran ruling.
"We hope the Court will clarify that just as the government cannot force families participating in these programs to choose a religious school, the government also cannot ban these families from choosing a religious school," said Erica Smith, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, in a statement.
In contrast, Heather Weaver, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU, wjhich has worked with a coalition of groups on the other side, said the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case was a disappointment.
Weaver said the Supreme Court could potentially rule not just that states can allow religious education programs to get public funds, but that if states open up a funding program, that they are required to fund religious schools as well.
"We hope that the Supreme Court will affirm states' long-standing interest in preventing public funding from going to religious education and religious indoctrination," Weaver said.
To view online:
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/education/whiteboard/2019/06/supreme-court-to-hear-montana-case-on-public-funds-and-religious-schools-1562775
The 111th Rural Research and Conference Symposium hosted by NREA & BFK.
The #RuralEdForum brings together rural #edleaders from across the country to advance #21stcenturylearning. Join our community of bold, courageous educators on Oct. 24–26 in Louisville, KY! Register today to save http://bit.ly/RuralEd19-Reg
"Career Ready, College Ready, University Ready, Digitally Ready!'
How to make college accessible to students from rural communities
School Choices for Rural America
By Frederick Hess 06/14/2019
https://www.educationnext.org/school-choices-rural-america/
Secretary DeVos Advances Higher Education Reform Forged by Historic Consensus
Comprehensive rewrite of federal regulations which seek to promote innovation, protect students, and reduce regulatory burden, are now open for public comment
RURAL AMERICA READY FOR AN INFUSION OF INVESTMENT, PANELISTS SAY
https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-america-ready-infusion-investment-panelists-say/2019/06/12/32293/
25 Groups Join Connect Americans Now In Filing FCC Comments: NREA
https://connectamericansnow.com/25-groups-join-connect-americans-now-in-filing-fcc-comments/
Rural Spark podcast: How to save your rural school:
Policy Intelligence and Education News
#11, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) - Cuts Education Department management funds by $2 million and moves the funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Lyme Disease.
#35, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) – cuts all funding for Division A programs by 4.5%.
#40, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) - Cuts Education Department management funds by $3 million and moves the funding to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
#42, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) - cuts all funding for Division A programs by 14%.
#45, Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) – adds $500,000 for American History and Civics National Activities, paid for by cutting $500,000 from Education Department Management funds.
#50, Rep. Alma Adams et al – adds $500,000 for higher education to keep open the National Center for College Students with Disabilities, paid for by cutting $500,000 from Education Department Management funds.
#61, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) – Adds $5 million for Graduate Medical Education, paid for by cutting $5 million from Education Department Management funds.
#70, Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) – adds $4 million for Education Department's Inspector General, paid for by cutting $4 million from the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards.
The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics. The report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics, which are updated throughout the year as new data become available. In addition, the report's Spotlight indicators provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
In The Lay of the Land, the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition employs a place-based equity lens across three content areas in rural education, offering targeted policy recommendations that correspond to the issues. TN Equity Report for Rural EducationAlso highlighted: Tennessean Report
Miami University Grad student request: Please share this survey to collect data about teachers' knowledge about culturally relevant pedagogy and use of culturally relevant strategies in their classrooms. I was wondering if you would be willing and able to forward an invitation to take the survey to teachers belong to the NREA. The survey will only take 10-15 minutes at most and is completely confidential and anonymous. Here is the link to the survey if you want to look at it before deciding if this is something teachers in your organization would be interested in participating in as well as if it is something you are able to share with your members: https://miamioh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cvbINlAHiT7MBBH
ALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS FOR BOOK
African American Rural Education Edited by: Crystal Renée Chambers, JD, PhD
Loni Crumb, PhD
The year 2008 marks the first in which the world's population globally was greater in urban areas than rural settings. Within the United States, 97 percent of the nation's geography is rural, with urban clusters concentrated on the boarders and coasts. Nearly 20 percent (19.3%), one-fifth, of the U.S. population is rural and African Americans comprise the largest minority in rural settings. Whereas 12.2 percent of the nation's overall population is African American, 8.2 percent of rural Americans (US) are African Americans. They are mostly concentrated in areas where they comprise one-third to the majority population, such as in the Southern Black Belt (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia) and Mississippi Delta (Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) regions, areas marked by high poverty and lower educational attainments.
The purpose of this volume, part of the Emerald Press series, Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education, is to attend to the challenges, trajectories, and opportunities of African American rural students PreK through 20, so as to provide a holistic depiction of education for African American rural students contemporarily. In so doing, we as educators, policy makers and social media influencers will garner a better sense of what it means to be African American, rural, and educated as well as better develop and convey culturally informed pedagogies/ adragogies for rural African American students in addition to improving representation and advocacy for rural African American students to our respective attentive publics. Specific topics include but are not limited to: African American Migration and the Education of Rural African Americans, Meanings of Blackness in Rural Settings, Early Childhood Educational Access and Experiences, Literacy and Numeracy, Exceptional and AIG Student Services, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for African American Rural Populations, the College Choices and Experiences of African American Rural Students. Please submit chapter proposals to chambersc@ecu.edu by June 14, 2019. Full Manuscript submissions are due August, 14, 2019.
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Identifying Your Greatest Education Challenges |
Digital Promise is conducting research to surface shared challenges in education.
This survey asks questions about the challenges you witness and experience in your daily work in a school or district. Your participation will help us understand which education challenges are the greatest priorities for schools in a variety of contexts. Based on what we learn, we will create a database of research and resources that can support you in addressing these challenges so that together we can improve the learning experience for all students. https://www.research.net/r/edchallenges
Rethinking Leadership Development for the 2019-2020 School Year
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 – 3:00 PM ET
This 40-minute webinar focuses on a fresh look at leadership development in rural and remote schools. Many administrators are committed to growing the leadership talent in their schools. What is not always clear is how to do this. What leadership skills and mindsets are needed in a first leadership role? And how do senior leaders need to lead differently to have a school wide impact?
Our 12 Leadership Shifts model identifies the leadership mindsets needed to be effective. The model is research-based and derives from our experience of coaching over 100,000 leaders on the changes and challenges they find the hardest. We will review the 12 Leadership Shifts and show how administrators can use this model to confidently plan leadership development for staff across their school. Additionally, we will discuss the personalization of this model and the ability to implement this model through online, telephone, and video-conferencing models so that everyone can take advantage of professional leadership development.
To register for this webinar, send your name, school name, and note NREA in the subject line of your email to spark.america@bts.com or Marcia.Wratcher@bts.com Upon receipt of your email, your registration will be confirmed and will be sent access information for the webinar via zoom. You may access the webinar via the following link: https://bts.zoom.us/j/168772998 You may also dial in to the webinar using the following number and meeting id:
+1 646 876 9923 Meeting ID: 168 772 998
NREAC Legislative Updates: (5/15/2019)
Appropriations:
Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Higher Education Reauthorization (HEA)
E-Rate:
Fully Fund IDEA
The Rural Educator has new editorial leaders. A huge thank-you goes out to Drs. Anastasia Elder and Dana Franz who helped usher in a new era for the journal. During their tenure as editors, The Rural Educator began being published online and saw great growth in the number and quality of submissions. We also welcome Catherine Biddle and Erin McHenry-Sorber as new editors of The Rural Educator. Drs. Biddle and McHenry-Sorber have served as members of the Editorial Advisory Board for several years and will work with continuing editor Devon Brenner to continue creating a journal that is relevant, rigorous and engaging. The journal is available online at ruraleducator.info and print copies of The Rural Educator are a benefit of membership of NREA. Questions? Contact the editors at theruraleducator@gmail.com.
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2019 – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today unveiled a groundbreaking report, A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies(PDF, 2.5 MB). The report finds that deployment of both broadband e-Connectivity and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technology on farms and ranches throughout the U.S. could result in at least $47 billion in national economic benefits every year.
“Broadband and Next Generation Precision Agriculture are critical components for creating vital access to world-class resources, tools and opportunity for America’s farmers, ranchers, foresters and producers,” Secretary Perdue said. “Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to doing our part to clear the way for nationwide broadband connectivity that will allow the next generation of precision agriculture technologies to thrive and expand.”
Download A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies (PDF, 2.5 MB). To see how Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies can work on farm and ranching operations, view the Connected Technologies infographic (PDF, 910 KB).
The report also finds that if broadband infrastructure and digital technologies at scale were available at a level that meets estimated producer demand, the U.S. economy could realize benefits equivalent to nearly 18 percent of total agriculture production. Of that 18 percent, more than one-third is dependent on broadband e-Connectivity, equivalent to at least $18 billion in annual economic benefits that only high-speed, reliable internet can provide.
For many years, USDA and the American agriculture industry have been actively researching the feasibility, usage and potential upside of Next Generation Precision Agriculture technologies. Until now though, the interdependency of these technologies and broadband e-Connectivity has not been evaluated. The report released today explores this symbiotic relationship and quantifies the potential economic benefit of broadband buildout and the complementary adoption of connected agriculture technologies. Going forward, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be engaged in multiple facets of infrastructure and technology deployment, including financing rural capital investments and supporting producers who are exploring which Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies are best suited to improve their operations and serve their customers.
In April 2017, President Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. The Report identified Achieving e-Connectivity in Rural America as a cornerstone recommendation. The Administration has been executing this priority call to action through the American Broadband Initiative (ABI) (PDF, 647 KB), which reflects rural broadband build-out as one of President Trump’s directives to the Federal government.A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies (PDF, 2.5 MB) opens the next chapter in the USDA’s response to this call to action.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
Dear Rural Stakeholder,
The Department is now accepting applications for the Innovation & Modernization discretionary grant program. This program, authorized by Perkins V, is designed to identify, support and rigorously evaluate evidence-based and innovative strategies and activities to improve and modernize career and technical education (CTE) and align workforce skills with labor market needs. Not less than 25% of the funds available for grants must be awarded to recipients in rural areas, if a sufficient number of applications of sufficient quality are received from applicants serving rural communities. A pre-application webinar has been scheduled for April 25, 2019 at 2:00 pm ET and registration for the webinar is now available. Applications will be accepted through June 14, 2019.
Thank you,
Office of Rural and Community Engagement
U.S. Department of Education
MARE Search Consultants
When MARE is selected to conduct a search for a new district superintendent, the school board will work with one of the following consultants to design, conduct, and lead the search. Each has experience in conducting superintendent searches. Each has been a superintendent with recognitions for their work. Each is dedicated to providing a customized and professional service.
Dr. Michael W. Jinks strives to unify the leadership school boards seek with candidates that have suitable experience and preparation as well as possessing a personality and character consistent with needs of the district. He has over forty years of experience in education, thirty of which was as a district superintendent, including districts in rural Nebraska and Iowa. After twenty years as superintendent in Warrensburg, Missouri, Dr. Jinks taught in the superintendent preparation program as an Associate Professor at the University of Central Missouri.
During his service with the Warrensburg Schools, he was recognized as the Missouri Superintendent of the Year, and served on advisory committees for various organizations and DESE. A sample of his professional involvement includes: chair of the committee to develop a new state model for superintendent evaluation, member of the state advisory board for Advance Ed Accrediting Agency, chair of the School-College Relations Commission and a member of the state ACT Advisory Board. Dr. Jinks was also the lead spokesman in collective bargaining for three school systems. His Bachelor’s Degree is from the Univ. of Central Missouri with his Ed. D. from the Univ. of Nebraska. He has two sons, three granddaughters, and strives to find time for photography, hiking, reading, and general puttering around!
Dr. Paul A. Ricker has had a successful and varied career in public education, spanning nearly 40 years. Having attended public school in Northeast Missouri, Dr. Ricker had instilled in him the values and personal qualities so critical for today’s educational leaders. Working in conjunction with local Boards of Education to locate and employ school leaders is both enjoyable and critical to the success of each district. Dr. Ricker has been a search consultant with MARE since 2012. During his tenure, he has facilitated approximately 40 district searches for new leadership. He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Truman State University, an Educational Specialist degree from Western Illinois University and an Ed. D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Paul is married and has three grown children and five grandchildren.
Dr. Jerry Cochran completed thirty-six years in serving public students in public schools. The last eighteen years he served as the superintendent of schools in the Cole Camp R-1 schools. Jerry led a successful bond issue effort to build fifteen new classrooms, a new gymnasium, and cafeteria/kitchen. The district received Accredited with Distinction in academic performance from DESE every year. Upon his retirement in 2012, he began working with the Missouri Association for Rural Education (MARE) serving as its Assistant Executive Director. He was honored by his peers in 2015 being voted as the West Central Administrators Emeritus Award. Dr. Cochran received a BSE and MS degree from Truman State University. He received an Ed. Spec. and Ed. D. degree from the University of Missouri.
Mr. Darryl Pannier enjoyed 31 years as an educator in public education. Fifteen of which were served as a Superintendent. He had the privilege of serving the Fayette R-III School District for eighteen years and the Nell Holcomb R-IV School District for thirteen years. Darryl was active in statewide organizations and committees, serving on the Missouri Commissioner of Education’s Advisory Committee for five years, serving as president of the Central Missouri Superintendents’ Association for one year, president of the Southeast Missouri Superintendents’ Association, the Missouri K-8 Association and the Missouri Association of Rural Education for two years each. He also was honored with the Missouri K-8 Association President’s Award and Administrator of the Year Award, as well as, a nominee in 2017 for the Pearce Award as Outstanding Missouri Superintendent of Schools. He has taught various administrative courses for William Woods University over the years and is currently working as a Specialist with the Southeast Regional Professional Development Center. He also serves as a mentor/coach for early career superintendents through the Missouri Association of School Administrators. Darryl received his BSE degree from Central Methodist University and his MS and Ed. Spec. degrees from the University of Missouri.
Darryl is married and has three children and four grandchildren.
Mrs. Mary Beth Scherer is a 34-year veteran of Missouri public schools with twenty-five years in administration. She spent 17 years as the superintendent in the Concordia R-II School District. She was active in Missouri Association of School Administrators at the regional and state level. Serving as both president of the West Central Region and State MASA President. She also served as on the MARE Executive Committee. She was honored in 2021 as the West Central Administrator’s Emeritus Educator. She received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist degrees from University of Central Missouri. She is adjunct faculty for the University of Central Missouri and works as a special education improvement consultant for the Central Regional Professional Development Center.
She and her husband, John reside in Concordia and are the proud parents of two registered nurses. She is the proud grandmother of two granddaughters, Jade and Camryn.
Dr. Margret Anderson has 32 years of experience in education (not counting the 12 plus years she spent enrolled in school). She began her teaching career as a math teacher, spent several years as principal in Excelsior Springs during which time the district passed a bond issue and built a new school. While completing her doctorate, she worked in the finance department. She went on to serve as superintendent of three rural school districts, retiring from Knob Noster in 2011. She joined MARE and conducted new board member training for ten plus years. Currently, she is happy to bring the experience of working with school boards to the search function of MARE. When not working on her computer, she enjoys sunshine, shoe shopping and dog training.
Dr. Jamie Burkhart has a passion for Missouri public schools, especially rural schools. She enjoyed a 29-year career as an educator, eighteen of those years being in administration. Jamie retired as superintendent of Green Ridge R-VIII Schools in 2023. Jamie served on numerous state level committees including Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) Executive Committee, Missouri Assessment Partnership (MOAP) Executive Committee, and DESE’s MSIP Advisory Committee and CSIP Review Committee. Jamie received the MASA New Superintendent of the Year award. She was nominated for Missouri Superintendent of the Year for her region, and was also nominee for the region’s Pearce Award. Dr. Burkhart earned her BSE and MSE from University of Central Missouri. She received her Ed. Spec. and Ed. D. degrees from Saint Louis University.
In her retirement, Jamie works as Director of Women in Leadership for MASA, supporting female leaders in Missouri public schools. She is mom to six children and proud Mimi to seven grandchildren.
The Missouri Association of Rural Education has been retained by the Green Ridge R-VIII School District to assist with their search for a Superintendent of the School District located at 401 W Pettis Street, Green Ridge, Missouri, 65332. The selected candidate will assume leadership responsibilities on July 1, 2025. Green Ridge R-VIII School District is a K-12 district serving 352 students with a total staff of approximately 84. For more information on this great opportunity, please access the links below:
Green Ridge R-VIII Superintendent Vacancy Announcement
Green Ridge R-VIII Superintendent Application
Dr. Jerry Cochran is serving as the Superintendent Search Consultant. He may be reached by phone at (660) 596-3184 or by email at cochranj115@gmail.com. The deadline to submit an application is Sunday, December 1, 2024!
The Missouri Association of Rural Education has been retained by the Sullivan School District to assist with their search for a Superintendent of the School District located at 138 Taylor Street, Sullivan, Missouri 63080. The selected candidate will assume leadership responsibilities on July 1, 2025. Sullivan School District is a PK-12 district serving over 2,000 students with a total staff of approximately 323. For more information on this great opportunity, please access the links below the School District Profile:
Sullivan School District Profile
The Sullivan School District is located approximately 65 miles southwest of St. Louis along Interstate 44. The district is bound by 125 square miles and is primarily in south-central Franklin County, with small portions in northeastern Crawford County and northwestern Washington County. The school district is joined by two K-8 districts, which send non-resident students to Sullivan High School. The district is a member of the Four Rivers Conference.
In April 2023, the district passed a 22 million dollar bond issue by 84% yes votes. The bond proceeds will be used to continue to update safety and security and to complete facility upgrades throughout the district.
The Sullivan School District is one of ten districts participating in DESE’s District of Continuous Improvement/MTSS Initiative. Primary, elementary, and middle school are Leader In Me schools, with primary and middle school being recognized as Lighthouse Schools. Sullivan High School offers Early College Academy, PLTW, Advanced Placement, dual credit courses and sends students to Four Rivers Career Center.
The Sullivan community and school district are rich in tradition in fine arts, practical arts, and athletics. The City of Sullivan has a proud past and a promising future. Sullivan offers business, cultural, and recreational amenities of a major urban center while balancing the lifestyle and aesthetic qualities of rural living. Unprecedented yet manageable growth ensures the long-term economic vitality of Sullivan as a place to live, work, and play. The school district is the fifth largest employer of the community.
Sullivan Superintendent Vacancy Announcement
Sullivan Superintendent Application
Dr. Michael Jinks is serving as the Superintendent Search Consultant. He may be reached by phone at (660) 441-7473 or by email at 19mj46@charter.net. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, November 22, 2024!
Special thanks to all of those who attended and supported the 2024 MARE/MO K-8 Conference on October 16-28, 202r! We had an amazing conference! Overall, we had 300 attendees, 90 Exhibitor Tables (202 vendor representatives), and 81 presenters. Huge thanks to our incredible sponsors listed below:
Platinum Level ($2,000.00) – Claim Care, Inc., Coryell Roofing, EdCounsel, LLC, iCEV, MOCAAT, ServPro, SIC Midwest & Veregy
Gold Level ($1,500.00) – Curriculum Associates, Daikin TMi, Forrest T. Jones/MEUHP, L.J. Hart & Company, Penmac Education Staffing, Smith Paper & Janitor Supply & Software Unlimited, Inc.
Silver Level ($1,000.00) – A-Lert Roofing Systems, GRP Mechanical Company, Guin Mundorf, LLC, Heartland Business Systems, MET/Gallagher, Mickes O’Toole, LLC, Navitas, Opaa! Food Management, Proximity Learning, Reynolds Construction & Commercial Roofing, SlateXP (LearnSafe), Trane U.S. Inc. & Tueth Keeney, P.C.
Bronze Level ($600.00) – American Fidelity, Audio Acoustics, 4M Building Solutions, Gilmore & Bell, P.C., Inter-State Studio, Kansas City Audio Visual, Midwest Bus Sales, Inc., Midwest Transit Equipment, OSBA/Acrisure, Quality Network Solutions, Rural Schools Initiative (UCM), Stifel & U-First Reconstruction.
Next year’s conference is scheduled on October 22-24th at the Lodge of Four Seasons! Please make plans now to join us for this growing event!
MARE recognized the following individuals during the Conference Awards Luncheon on October 17, 2024:
Outstanding Rural Support Staff Member – Caleb Fairley, Newtown-Harris R-III
Outstanding Rural Teacher Award – Thomas Unfried, Spokane R-VII
Outstanding Rural Administrator Award – Lexie Wallace, Roscoe C-1
Outstanding Rural School District Award – Phelps County R-III
MO K-8 Administrator of the Year – Dr. Tara Roberts, Taneyville R-II
Friend of Rural Education – Ms. Kay McMurtrey
