Senator Lincoln Selected Chair of Rural Outreach

On November 14, incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that Blanche L. Lincoln (D-AR) will continue to serve as Chair of Rural Outreach for the Senate Democratic Caucus. In announcing the Senate Leadership for the 110th Congress, Reid noted Senate Democrat's commitment to rural Americans: "As she did in the 109th Congress, Senator Lincoln will again serve as Chair of Rural Outreach. This position was created in the last Congress as a sign of the Democrats’ strong commitment to aggressively engage and communicate with rural Americans. In this post, Senator Lincoln will continue to guide rural outreach for the Caucus and find new ways to reach rural, suburban and exurban American communities."

“Rural America provides us with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world as well as renewable sources of energy with the potential to significantly reduce our country’s dangerous dependency on foreign oil,” Lincoln said. “Rural America is critical to this nation and such an important part of the fabric of our great country. I look forward to working with my colleagues to address the challenges and obstacles rural Americans face so they are able to enjoy every blessing and opportunity our nation offers.”

Research on Teacher Recruitment, Hiring & Support

The Connecticut Center for School Change has released a report I did with Robert Reichardt on teacher recruitment, hiring and support. Although the report isn't specific to rural schools, it provides insight into strategies superintendents and principals can use to find, hire and keep effective teachers. An Executive Summary and a Technical Report of In Search of Quality: Recruiting, Hiring and Supporting Teachers are available on the CCSC website.