Presidential Election Profile: Missouri

From the Almanac of American Politics via the New York Times:

Missouri’s peculiar balance of North and South, urban and rural, has helped to make it a presidential bellwether and explains its one deviation in the 20th century, in 1956 when it voted for Adlai Stevenson. He capitalized on farmer discontent and his lukewarmness on civil rights helped him carry traditional Southern Democrats. In the 1990s Missouri saw the two countervailing national trends—toward Democrats in major metropolitan areas, toward Republicans in rural areas—but in different proportions: the rural areas count for more here. In addition to registering voters in urban areas, Barack Obama also is hoping to find support in rural stretches to cut into Republican strongholds.

No Satisfactory Way of Measuring Rural

From In the National Interest: Defining Rural and Urban Correctly in Research and Public Policy by Andrew W. Isserman, which appeared in the October 2005 issue of International Regional Science Review:

We presently have no satisfactory way to measure rural for the study of rural economic or the assessment of rural conditions. Key economic and demographic data are not available for urban and rural areas, and metropolitan and nonmetropolitan commingle urban and rural, leaving us unable to separate them. Yet getting rural right is in the national interest. When we get rural wrong, we reach incorrect research conclusions and fail to reach the people, places, and businesses our governmental programs are meant to serve. [emphasis mine]

8th Annual Rural Education Working Group Meeting

The Rural School and Community Trust will convene its 8th annual meeting of the national Rural Education Working Group on April 19-21 at Kanuga Conference Center, near Hendersonville, North Carolina.

The gathering supports the work of rural citizens as they seek to strengthen their schools and communities by improving educational practice, learning about policy, conducting action research, organizing, and supporting each other. Visit the Trust's website for more information.

Rural Schools: Here to Stay

From Leadership for Rural Schools by E. Robert Stephens & Walter G. Turner, published in 1988 by the American Association of School Administrators:

Many states will always have large numbers of rural small school districts. The creation of larger schools districts that make good educational sense should and will receive pubic support, but further use of this policy will be limited. First, the massive school reogranization that touched virtually every state in the immediate post-World War II period rested on a research base that is now widely acknowledged to be flawed. Second, rural interests in many states are better organized today than in the past to resist indiscriminate use of mandated school district consolidation. Third, continued consolidation of districts will be difficult and not cost-efficient in many areas because of the distances involved. And last, alternative ways to provide a good education in rural areas, such as telecommunications, lessen the need for reorganization.

I'm not sure what to think about the statement that the use of consolidation will be limited since the Rural School & Community Trust is holding a School Consolidation webinar on October 22.

QZAB Extension Passes

From the Organizations Concerned About Rural Education:

As part of the rescue package enacted to meet the financial crisis, the U.S. House and Senate approved the so-called “tax extenders” bill that included a two-year, $800 million extension of the Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) program. QZABs allow local districts to finance school improvments or renovations at no interest cost by giving bond buyers federal tax credits in lieu of interest. The U.S. Treasury allocates the bonds to the states based on their low-income school population and state education agencies assign the bonding authority to their local school districts. The bill also removes an arbitrage modification of the original Act which has negatively affected the ability of school districts to use the bonds.

John Hill on the NREA Listserv Problems

This message came in this morning from John Hill, NREA Executive Director about the problems with the NREA Listserv:

The nrea-l list was captured by a spammer. Many of the reply emails you are receiving are not coming from this office. It is critical that you do not reply to those emails for the spamming to come to an end. I am sorry this has happened and I am more frustrated than you. Your help in not replying will help end this mess.

I appreciate John's efforts in correcting the problem. These things happen to the best of us.

Thanks to Kristi Smalley & Emily Welch Boles

Everybody on the NREA listserv owes a huge thanks to Kristi Smalley and Emily Welch Boles for posting directions on how to unsubscribe from a listserv. Before they posted the directions in separate emails there we so many posts to unsubscribe that I lost count. What's truly disappointing about the situation is that some people became so upset that sent threatening emails to the entire list. Fortunately Kristi and Emily provided some calm directions to those who are incapable of figuring out how to unsubscribe to a listserv.

New York State Center for Rural Schools

In September, New York Governor David Paterson signed a law creating the New York State Center for Rural Schools. From the Education Commission of the States:

Establishes the New York State Center for Rural Schools to operate the state rural education program. Eliminates the authority of the commissioner of education to run such program; expands the membership of the rural education advisory committee. Provides that the program is to disseminate research findings, information, materials and best practices. Directs the committee to promote community and school involvement and collaboration in the development and implementation of policies and activities, and to prepare an annual report, as well as special focus reports that may result from specific research and other activities.

Economic Development Funding

From the Center for Rural Affairs:

Since 2002, nearly every federal program that funds economic development and asset-building in rural communities has been cut, some by as much as 60 percent. With the notable exception of rural single-family housing loan programs, most rural development and rural asset-building programs witnessed significant reduction in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 after spending increases from 2002 to 2003.

Bob Schaffer on Rural Colorado

Colorado is in the midst of a hotly contested Senate race pitting Republican Bob Schaffer against Democrat Marc Udall. I've pulled out the references to rural places from the Bob on the Issues section of Mr. Schaffer's website:

Utilize beetle-killed tree waste to produce energy. Federal policy should aggressively encourage private removal and use of trees lost to infestation and other vestiges of poor forest-management practices. An opportunity exists to use this biomass for distributed energy production providing economic incentives for Colorado’s rural and mountain communities.

I guess that says it all.

Everybody Take a Deep Breath & Relax

There was a bit of a glitch today with the NREA listserv with responses to the original message being sent to everyone. These things happen, so lets refrain from sending snotty emails that end up going to everyone. On the bright side everyone used their words share their feelings. To subscribe visit the NREA website

Healthy Snacks for Schools

As a parent of 3 school-age swimmers, I understand the importance of good nutrition. Having healthy snacks available throughout the school day is important to learning because without good nutrition students aren't as alert. We try and send healthy snacks with our kids everyday but sometimes we forget or run out.

One solution is for schools to offer healthy snack options. YoNaturals, Inc. gives schools the opportunity to own their own Healthy Vending machines. The program provides healthy snacks while generating revenues for the school:

For the first time, your school can receive 100% of all profits generated while providing students with a full range of natural and organic snacks and drinks supplied to you via an easy to use online ordering system and delivered to your school FREE.

The program may be well suited for rural schools since the items are delivered for free. It may not be a fit for every school, but it's worth considering.

Senator Max Baucus on the Secure Rural Schools Program

Montana Senator Max Baucus gets it! The Secure Rural Schools program should not be funded by selling off public lands. From his Senate website:

The Secure Rural Schools program, which expired last year, is a critically important program for Montana. It provides funding for schools and road improvements that keep schools open and teachers employed in many Montana Communities. I will continue to cosponsor and fight for an extension of this important program.

Other proposals to fund the Secure Rural Schools program would sell off public lands to do so. I think that is an unacceptable solution, and I strongly oppose it. Public lands are important to our outdoor heritage and conservation legacy in Montana. We hunt, fish, and camp with our kids. The public lands we enjoy should be well managed and passed on for future generations to enjoy. We can find a better way to keep the Secure Rural Schools program running than selling off those lands.

You can make a donation on his campaign website.

Covering the Cost of School Lunch Programs

I found this report on balancing nutrition, participation, and costs in the national school lunch program interesting. At the beginning of the article are listed the following key points:

• Schools face the dual constraints of meeting nutrition requirements and covering costs.
  
• The free-meal subsidy covers most of the per meal cost, but the price paid by most paying students covers only half of the per meal cost.
  
• School foodservice managers say that to appeal to students and raise revenues, they need to offer less nutritious a la carte foods and vending snacks.

I wonder why the editors left this item of the list:

A clear way to increase revenues relative to costs is to get more students to join the lunch line. Following the lead of successful schools, an important change is to offer freshly made, healthful meals that students help to choose and that they have time to enjoy. Whether this is accomplished by completely revamping the program, by making it more efficient, or by raising prices charged to paying students, schools have shown that providing quality, nutritional meals can be done, and it can lead to higher participation rather than lower.

If you just read the key points, the implication is that schools have to offer less nutritious food in order to raise revenues. Why didn't they highlight offering freshly made, healthful foods? Maybe they didn't read the last paragraph.

The Rural Compact

The Rural Compact is a set of principles for building stronger rural communities and a stronger nation. Here's what they have to say about education:

Every child should have an equal chance to learn, excel, and help lead America to a better, brighter future. Education policy should recognize the distinctive challenges and opportunities for rural schools and reflect the unique needs of those students, families, and educators.

I'm trying to figure out whether I agree with the statement that "ever child should have a equal change to learn," or whether every child should have a fair or equitable chance. Other than that, I am in total agreement.

No Rural for Libertarians

I didn't expect to find a lot mention of rural areas on the Bob Barr Presidential Campaign website, but I expected to find at least one! I visited all 16 issues sections and there is no (none, zero, nil) mention of rural.

I don't agree with much on the Education & Homeschooling section, but I do agree with this:

Public schools should be managed locally, increasing accountability and parental involvement.

What a kooky idea!

It's hard for me to believe the Libertarian agenda would help rural schools and communities, but I could be wrong. No, I'm right.

School Consolidation Webinar

From the Rural School and Community Trust:

School Consolidation is the topic of the October 22, 2008, Rural School Innovation Network (RSIN) Webinar. The event will begin at 2 pm EDT. Across the nation, states are considering arguments for and against school closures. The key questions to be addressed include where this is happening and why, and what does current research say regarding the impact on students and rural communities. Learn what is driving these efforts and how to respond when state policy makers decide for you that your school is too small. The presentation and discussion will be led by the Rural Trust's Director of Policy, Marty Strange.

Two things about the webinar. First, we've got to get past consolidation if we want to transform rural schools and communities. Second, $45 for a webinar for nonmemebers?! Are you kidding me?

Rising Energy Costs Harm Rural Communities

From Amy Glasmeier on the Daily Yonder:

Since the 1950s, cheap energy enabled mobility through the Interstate Highway System, and the ensuing decentralization of people and economic activity benefitted rural areas. While there are no definitive studies that calculate just how much American rural development of the last 50 years owes to the low cost of transportation, nonetheless we can and should consider how today’s drastically changed circumstances will affect the potential for future economic growth of rural America.

We also need to consider how these circumstances will affect rural schools. I'm just guessing, but I don't think it's going to be pretty.

Obama On Rural Communities & Schools

From Barack Obama's offical website:

Rural communities are often left behind: Rural communities often struggle to attract capital because of lack of infrastructure and remote distances. There is less access to quality doctors, and schools have trouble recruiting teachers.

Specifically about rural schools:

Improve Rural Education: Obama and Biden will provide incentives for talented individuals to enter the teaching profession, including increased pay for teachers who work in rural areas. Obama and Biden will create a Rural Revitalization Program to attract and retain young people to rural America. Obama and Biden will increase research and educational funding for Land Grant colleges.

Prosperity for Rural America: What About Rural Schools?

From John McCain's offical website:

As President, John McCain will address the key issues facing agriculture and rural America:

• Establishing a comprehensive energy strategy
  
• Controlling taxation and regulation
  
• Judicial restraint and preserving property rights
  
• Providing a sustainable, market-driven risk management system for farmers
  
• Promoting agricultural markets and reducing trade barriers
  
• Improving incentives to invest in technology and rural infrastructure
  
• Encouraging common-sense conservation and food safety measures
  
• Securing America's borders and implementing a fair and practical immigration policy
  
• Recognizing the role of agriculture in national security
  
• Strengthen America's economic competitiveness by eliminating wasteful government spending

Nothing about rural schools? Why not?

Ralph Stanley on Barack Obama

Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley endorses Barack Obama in a radio ad. The money quote:

He understands that our kids shouldn't have to leave our communities to find work.

Sustaining Rural Schooling through Place-consciousness in Teacher Education

There is some nice rural education work coming out of Australia. The most recent piece, by Simone White and Jo-Anne Reid, looks at the need for teacher education institutions to incorporate place-conscious pedagogies into the teacher preparation curriculum. Placing Teachers? Sustaining Rural Schooling through Place-consciousness in Teacher Education has been released by the Journal of Research in Rural Education. Here's the abstract:

This paper explores two seemingly disparate areas of social inquiry: teacher education and the sustainability of rural communities in Australia. It suggests that these may be usefully understood in close connection with each other, and that healthy rural communities may be supported via reform of the ways in which teacher education prepares graduates for teaching in rural schools. In making this argument we claim that consideration and consciousness of place are important for all teacher education curricula, not merely that on offer in rural and regional centers. We call for metropolitan-based teacher education institutions to consider curriculum practices that take a more active role in fostering healthy and productive rural communities through place-conscious approaches to pedagogy (Gruenewald, 2003). At the center of this call is a concern to ensure the provision of high-quality education for children in rural families and the need for well-trained teachers who are personally and professionally equipped to address the educational needs of their communities.

By the way, I've been really impressed by the job that Kai Schafft has done as editor of JRRE. We're fortunate that Kai has taken over so ably from Ted Coladarci. Ted would be a tough act for anyone to follow, and Kai has done a terrific job!