Educators in rural communities face unique challenges, but they also have special strengths that aren’t always found in urban and suburban schools. In California,where 60 percent of districts are in towns or rural areas, a new project is leveraging those strengths to help educators connect with one another and get the support they need.
The California Rural Ed Network started in 2017 but recently launched an online resource bank that offers free informational and professional development articles about topics relevant to rural educators, such as teacher recruitment and adverse childhood experiences. The bank includes materials that were handpicked by experts as well as user-generated content, which researchers are in the process of vetting and verifying, said Rindy DeVoll, the network’s chair and a former teacher in Tehama County.
The resource bank launched Oct. 1 and already has dozens of resources, which are available for free to anyone who visits the site. But it’s just one part of the network’s mission, DeVoll said. The steering committee is currently planning for its next summit in the spring, seeking ways to elevate student voices from rural communities, and connecting with state and national organizations to form partnerships.
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