The bald eagle. The grizzly bear. The American bison. The rural public school. What do these things have in common? They’re all endangered.
Rural public schools are critical to their ecosystems—the rural communities across our country. Unfortunately, rural public schools are being hunted by those who push vouchers, traditional charters, and cyber charters on these communities.
Our cover story, “Who’s Looking Out for Rural Schools,” exposes the crisis facing rural public schools. There are 9 million rural students in the United States. Concentrated poverty, teacher shortages, and high transportation costs are just a few of the challenges rural schools face, compounded by funding cuts and privatization schemes.
While privatization can destroy public schools, one strategy for improvement is investing in locally run, community schools. In this issue, read about a school in Marietta, Ga., that is offering services—from food and counseling to clothes and mentoring—to help students succeed. See “It’s ‘Home Away from Home’ in a GA Community School.”
The feature story “In Step with Miss Gloria and Miss Monica,” introduces a teacher-paraeducator team in Florida that finds the right rhythm to help their classroom hum. And don’t miss where we profile the top 30 educators under 30 who are making a difference in the classroom and in their Association with a lot of heart, spirit, and determination.
