National Rural Education Association Official Podcast

Rural education leaders Bill Chapman and Jason Bell were interviewed at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference. As members of state and national rural educator associations, they value the quicker impact and tight-knit community support possible in rural schools. Chapman emphasized rural schools' vital role in expanding students' limited worldviews. If he had a "magic wand," Bell...

Josh Reese, a special education supervisor from rural Tennessee, attended the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference seeking collaboration. Representing a small, 5,000-student district, Reese values the tight-knit community and the opportunity to empower staff to benefit students. He stressed the importance of partnerships and advocacy to align stakeholders toward progress. If Reese...

We interview Hal Bowman, a social influencer and the author of Teach Like a Rockstar. He will speak at the Chattanooga National Forum to Advance Rural Education (NFARE) conference. In this episode, we discuss how teachers should take the perspective of a parent or grandparent in the education kids receive. Kids have access to knowledge of the internet in their pockets. Still, teachers serve an imp...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Maria Coady, the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity from North Carolina State University. Dr. Coady's research examines multilingualism, multiliteracy development, bilingual education, teacher and leader education, and language policies. We discuss the current migratory patterns of immigrants to the United States, including the changing landsc...

She has taught for 22 years at the Morris Area School District in West Central Minnesota. We begin the episode by discussing the importance of embedded activity by teachers where they identify with the local community. Jenny discusses how each rural community could be like a postcard where we capture the local story. Each postcard would be unique, demonstrating the simplicity of the local region....

In this episode, we interview Dr. April Ebbinger, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who is the Director of Psychological and Behavioral Services for the Tennessee Department of Education. In this episode, we discussed recruitment and retention of mental health providers in rural Tennessee. One of the challenges smaller and remote school districts experience is that many healthcare provide...

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interview Todd Cordrey, the Superintendent of Mancos School District, about project-based learning. In School Year 2020/21, the Mancos Board of Education worked to formalize its strategic plan. Teachers and Parents identified project-based learning that would facilitate long-term learning and apply to the workforce. Cordrey highlighted the importance of stude...

S03E12 - Rural Literature as Pedagogy and Whippoorwill Award, An Interview with Drs. Chea Parton and Erika Bass. In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interview Drs. Chea Parton and Erika Bass about their work with the Whippoorwill Committee, which recognizes outstanding rural literature. The episode is organized on two themes. The first is the need for voices in rural experience. We discuss how...

S03E11 – the Role of HBCUs in Rural Education, an Interview with President Logan Hampton of Lane College. In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interviewed Dr. Logan Hampton President of Lane College in Jackson Tennessee. We open the discussion discussing the role of Jackson Tennessee as both a small urban and rural location. We discuss how perception of what constitutes rural versus urban can va...

Today's episode discusses a timely issue on fully funding IDEA or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Heather Zellers and Jamie Green rejoin us to discuss this very important legislation. IDEA is a law that provides free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities nationwide and ensures special education and related services to those children. The IDEA governs...

Packard began his career in the banking industry but soon found it was not for him. He returned to his alma mater, the University of La Verne, to obtain his teaching credential. After a short stint teaching in the Ontario-Montclair School District, he moved to Kern County, where he continued teaching, rising through the ranks, working at various schools throughout the county, and settling in Butto...

Julia Cunningham – Director of Rural Engagement, US Department of Education. Most recently, Julia was the Deputy Director for State Engagement for The Hunt Institute. In this role, she primarily focused on overseeing relationship building, strategy, and program development in support of The Institute’s expansion into new states through the state legislators' retreat model. Prior to joining The Hun...

Recognized as the NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal and Virginia Principal of the Year, he was also honored with the VAESP School Bell Award and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and Principal of the Year for the online national publication – Education Dive. Prince William County Public Schools named Hamish the school...

The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, an MS in Educational Psychology, an MS in Educational Leadership, and a Ph. D. in Leadership, Learning, and Service. Joe co-hosts the Hacking Leadership Podcast and co-authored The Power of Branding: Te...

In this episode, we interview Jaime Green, Superintendent of the Trinity Alps Unified School District in rural Northern California. The county is mostly federal lands. He has served as the superintendent for the past five years. Trinity Alps sends buses an hour to an hour and a half one way. The school traveled with the LA Times to Washington DC and was impressed by how caring legislators are to i...

President Boyd’s Bio Randy Boyd serves as President of the University of Tennessee System, which includes campuses in Chattanooga, Pulaski, and Martin; the Health Science Center in Memphis; and the Institute of Public Service. Additionally, it includes the flagship campus in Knoxville, which is also comprised of the Space Institute in Tullahoma and the statewide Institute of Agriculture. The UT Sy...

In this episode, we are joined again by our colleagues from Missouri State University and Dr. Staci Fuqua from the University of Tennessee, Martin, regarding pathways for para to professional or in Tennessee called “Grow Your Own” program. We discuss that many of the problems in education are tied to workforce needs in the community. This is about workforce development. This program is now a regis...

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the four-day workweek in education. We revisit the research and application of the four-day workweek and considerations for teachers, administrators, and school leaders. We discuss the possibilities of using the fifth day for teacher training and productivity, including Dr. Sarah Wisdom discussing the “Monday Academy”...

The episode is in Honor of Civic Education Week, March 6 through 10 During our interview with Jessica Culver, we discuss Civics Week and the types of programming around Civic Engagement in Rural Education. Jessica works with grades 10 through 12. The cohosts discuss how civics education has been neglected in many programs. Dr. Bigham discussed how some states have a Civics Education requirement in...

Recorded on November 18, 2022, we debriefed following the 2022 NREA conference and all the interesting activities during the conference. We discussed attendees' experiences, including cross-political discussion on how to address challenges in rural education. We also reminded the listeners that the 2023 conference will be in Chattanooga. This episode interviewed Tim Nikolai Senior Rural Health Dir...

Mr. Alan Morgan National Rural Health Association Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association. He has more than 30 years of experience in health policy at the state and federal levels and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy. Mr. Morgan served as a contributing author for the publication “Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health C...

In this episode, we discuss what it means to be a rural teacher with the 2022 NREA National Teacher of the Year Ty White from Willcox High School in Willcox Arizona. Ty shares his experiences growing up outside of a rural copper mining town, and his experiences teaching in the farming and ranching community of Willcox, Az. Like so many people in small-town schools, Ty plays various roles – serving...

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we are again joined by Dr. Lisa Costello. We discuss the changing landscape of COVID-19 and emerging viruses in the United States. We discuss data tracking approaches to determine changes in the infection rates and new challenges arising in a post-pandemic world, particularly for children, teachers, and administrators. We discuss some methods for addressing infe...

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interview Ms. Kayleen McCabe, a collaborator and subject matter expert from HGTV. She worked on several home improvement television shows. In this episode, we discuss the role of mentoring and experiential learning and how classroom content can contribute to learning for students. She discusses her work with elementary and high schools to show how trade skill...

In this episode of the Rural Voice, the cohosts interview Eric Sheninger, Author, thought leader, and educator, regarding technological innovation in pedagogy and the classroom. Mr. Sheninger is one of our keynote addresses at the upcoming NREA conference. Mr. Sheninger discusses the importance of capitalizing on technology through the framework of meeting kids where they are. For example, he disc...