November 4

#RuralSchoolsMatter

Recently, I had the honor to be a voice for #RuralEd as I presented at a #KDPConvo18 Roundtable on why #RuralSchoolsMatter. The turnout was better than anticipated. There were pre-service teachers, educators presently in the classroom, and education professors. States like Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio were represented. I was even able to discuss the commonalities with those from Uganda and Nigeria! It was an excellent roundtable session with great discussions and shared insights. A special thank you to @kdpkean for allowing me to present my passion.

As I shared with this great group, the rural influence is a distinct educational environment that brings with it an intensity that can only be found in the rural experience. Research tends to marginalize rural life and individuals, often portraying rurality as the problem that needs to be fixed. As I mentioned in my last posting, there is a #CulturalMindset.

Based on the NCES definition, there are close to 10 million students enrolled in rural school districts, comprising over 20% of all public schools.  Within the state of Ohio (where I reside), the rural student population is the fourth highest among the 50 states, with more than one in four Ohio students enrolled in a rural school.  Moreover, the rural school enrollment continues to outgrow non-rural enrollment.

Rural school districts, and the communities they serve, all share unique characteristics that provide a distinctiveness from their urban/suburban counterparts.  Rural schools are typically the centerpiece of the community in which they serve, an institution connecting generations of families. As Tieken (2014) noted in her recent work, Why Rural Schools Matter, “[the rural school] is more than a job or an institution; it’s an identity” (p. 65).

This identity and #CulturalMindset needs to be understood on a much broader scale. I encourage you, as I did those at the #KDPConvo18 Roundtable session, look deeper into rural life and individuals – into #RuralEd. I offer you a few Rural Resources in which to explore. I believe that once you do dig deep, you will find yourself saying, “Great place and even better people!” (Allen Pratt, Ed.D., 2018).

Rural Resources

Dr. Nate


Posted November 4, 2018 by drnate in category Dr. Nate Intro

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