Rural Voice — National Rural Education Association

Guest Biography Dr. Closson brings over two decades of experience in special education and educational leadership.  He began his career as a high school special education teacher in New York State, before continuing his work as a teacher in Tennessee.  His dedication to inclusive education led him to a… Read more

We'd like to thank the Tourette Association of America for sponsoring this episode. Guest information Brett Jennrich is the Director of Affinity Partnerships at Apollo Health Insurance. His work focuses on building partnerships with organizations such as NREA and connecting school districts with insurance education,… Read more

We'd like to thank the Tourette Association of America for sponsoring this episode. The Handbook on Rural and Remote Education brings together nearly 60 contributors in 32 chapters that examine teaching, leadership, innovation, equity, rural development, and future research. Learn more about the book through… Read more

In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Dr. Bill Chapman, and Dr. Christopher F. Silver speak with Dr. PJ Caposey, superintendent of Oregon Community Unit School District 220, best-selling author, and upcoming keynote speaker at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education. A nationally recognized… Read more

Official website: https://www.thomascmurray.com/ Free resources for educators and school leaders: https://www.thomascmurray.com/resources Books and publications: https://www.thomascmurray.com/books Personal & Authentic resources: https://www.thomascmurray.com/authenticedu Articles, interviews, and podcast appearances:… Read more

NREA 2026 Annual Report — this is the main link for the episode; NREA describes it as the organization’s first annual report. NREA Homepage — general organizational landing page, mission, updates, and member information. NREA Membership Information — useful since the episode discusses membership value, lifetime… Read more

In this episode of *The Rural Voice*, Chris, Melissa, and Bill talk with Rebecca “Becca” Burnfin, a 9th–12th grade social studies teacher and PLC lead at Garden City High School in rural western Kansas. Becca shares what it means to teach in a community where students speak more than 40 languages and bring rich lived… Read more

Resources: Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) and its Get2College program, @get2college on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. WHEF is on LinkedIn. NCAN FAFSA Tracker High-School Level Data from Federal Student Aid Get2College FAFSA resources Get2College Mobile Center College & Career Readiness

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future issue for schools. It is already shaping how educators plan, teach, lead, and prepare students for the workforce. In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Christopher Silver and Dr. Bill Chapman are joined by Dr. Beth Rabbitt, Co-Chief Executive Officer of FullScale, for a… Read more

This episode of The Rural Voice podcast features a conversation with Superintendent Tracy Kingsley and teacher Ashley Wood from the Newburgh R2 School District in rural Missouri, highlighting how a structured literacy coaching initiative transformed early reading outcomes in their schools. In response to post-COVID… Read more

In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Christopher Silver, Dr. Melissa Sadorf, and Dr. Bill Chapman welcome Dr. Daniel Johnson, Professor of Music and Music Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he coordinates the graduate studies program in music education. Drawing on more than 30 years of… Read more

In this episode of The Rural Voice Podcast, the conversation examines how school voucher and school choice policies affect rural communities. The hosts are joined by Dr. Preston Green, a nationally recognized scholar of education law, to explore why policies designed for large or urban districts can destabilize rural… Read more

Jeff Granrud, the NREA’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, traces his path to rural math teaching to a timely scholarship nudge from a professor during a tough first year of college, then a formative student-teaching experience under North Dakota Teacher of the Year Fred Strand. Early confidence gave way to a student-driven… Read more

In this episode, Drs. Melissa Sadorf, Bill Chapman, and Christopher Silver discuss the upcoming NREA convention. Together, they highlight the excitement surrounding the gathering and share what they are most eager to experience, from key sessions to opportunities for professional growth. The hosts reflect on how these… Read more

In this episode of The Rural Voice, host Dr. Chris Silver welcomes listeners back with an update on the National Rural Education Association (NREA) and its exciting period of transition. Chris introduces his new leadership and co-hosts, Dr. Bill Chapman and Dr. Melissa Sadorf, both of whom bring deep experience in… Read more

Recorded on November 8th, 2024. In this podcast, we welcome Lisa Rahn, Chief Product Officer at eDynamic Learning, to discuss the company's impact on rural education. Lisa shares that eDynamic Learning, founded by a high school teacher in 2008, provides online career and education resources for middle and high… Read more

We interviewed Annette Logsdon-Rodriguez of Proximity Learning and discussed the teacher shortage issues within Rural Education and how companies like Proximity Learning meet these challenges through synchronous online learning. We talk about the challenges of finding qualified teachers to meet the unique needs of… Read more

In today’s episode, we interview one of our listeners and rural high school teachers, Rachael Straughn, from Russell County High School in Seale, Alabama. In this episode, Rachael shares her educational journey and narrative. Rachael talks about her childhood dream of being a broadcast meteorologist and storm chaser.… Read more

Imagine you are in a small town, and several industries have moved out of your community. Many of your citizens have lost their jobs. What do you do now? Meet Jon Chadwell, the Executive Director of the Newport Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Jon’s community rallied together and formalized a plan to… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we are discussing student data privacy and best practices in technology for protecting student data. We explore the importance of protecting student data, why rural schools particularly should be focused on data protection, and ways that teachers and administrators should be… Read more

For this episode, we interview Dr. Brian Noland, the President of East Tennessee State University (ETSU). ETSU is a rural university serving the states of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. ETSU is located in a mountainous area of the country and has a strong presence in these states. ETSU has a strong… Read more

We interviewed Dr. Casey Jakubowski about teacher retention, policy, and practice. Dr. Jakubowski shared that Appalachia extends into New York State, and we reflected on how New York has large rural communities. Much of Dr. Jakubowski's work has focused on these communities and beyond (including West Virginia). We… Read more

In this episode, we discuss rural initiatives to train students in computer science. We interviewed Ms. Karen Mix, the co-director of CS4NorCal, a five-year research grant. This program creates K-12 computer science training. CS4NorCal was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Innovation… Read more

In the first episode of the new season of the Rural Voice, we talk about the research of place and process of rural education from a data-informed perspective. We discuss the role of Ground Truthing and connecting data within the domains of politics, culture, and fear of consolidation. Dr. Mitchell talks about… Read more

Dr. Valerie Rutledge, Dean of the College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, discussed the large, diverse mix of accredited and licensure programs her college oversees. With an extensive background as an educator and administrator, Rutledge highlighted… Read more

Mike Hines, representing business and industry, discussed new federal infrastructure funding for rural schools at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference. The Inflation Reduction Act's $369 billion tax credits allow non-taxable entities like schools to access cash to upgrade aging systems for energy… Read more

Dr. Melissa Seidorf, superintendent of a small, rural Arizona district, was interviewed at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference. Seidorf co-hosts the Rural Scoop podcast highlighting rural education issues. At the conference, she presented on overcoming leadership challenges, drawing from her… Read more

Julia Cunningham, the U.S. Department of Education's Director of Rural Engagement, attended the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference to connect with rural advocates and share federal efforts like the new Career Connected High School grant program. This program funds career pathways and work-based… Read more

Joe Sanfilippo, a superintendent from Northwest Wisconsin, keynoted the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference. He discussed the welcoming, supportive nature of rural educators who face common challenges with small school sizes and remote locations. Sanfilippo emphasized the importance of storytelling to… Read more

Jerry Johnson, the Phoebe Moore Dale Distinguished Professor in Rural Education at East Carolina University, discussed the upcoming release of the 2023 "Why Rural Matters" report. This tenth edition marks the first published under the National Rural Education Association. Johnson notes how NREA has strengthened… Read more

Dr. Jason Gordon, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was interviewed at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education conference. Gordon discussed his former special education teacher background and current work preparing teacher candidates. He presented research on an apprenticeship… Read more

Christopher Ligoni, executive director of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association, was interviewed at the National Farm to Advance Rural Education conference. He discussed innovative teaching models like Cosmos teacher sharing that help small, rural districts maximize resources. He touched on equity issues… Read more

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'… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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.… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

This episode of the Rural Voice begins our series of interviews with upcoming National Rural Education Conference speakers to be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in October of 2022. We Interviewed Mr. Ben Winchester, a former guest on the podcast, regarding the changing trends in housing from urban to rural areas of the… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, Drs. Allen Pratt and Christopher Silver interview Dr. Lisa Costello regarding her experience and expertise on the COVID-19 Pandemic and vaccines. We discussed the impact of COVID on schools and on children. We discuss the variants and the science behind treatment and invention… Read more

The Rural Voice interviews Hall Charter is a Director at TRANSFR based in New York City, and Katelyn Cutshall is currently Vice President, Economic Development and Government Relations. We discuss the usefulness of TRANSFR VR and how the technology has advanced beyond the classroom. This technology provides simulated… Read more

Today's episode interviews Representative Mark White District 83 representative to the Tennessee General Assembly. Representative White serves as Chair for the Education Administration Committee and has served on several committees related to education. He is also the Director, College of Leadership and Public Service… Read more

In Arizona, school superintendents are elected. Superintendent Carter discusses providing services to help schools organize and fund elections. He discusses the importance of active listening to meet the needs of schools. He talks about finding a critical mass in the themes of these discussions. Once critical mass is… Read more

In this episode of the rural voice, we interview Mike Hogg and Denise Yonts regarding rural education, technology, college preparedness, and adaption to the changing COVID world. We discuss utilizing school buses for creating a mobile STEM lab for virtual learning. We discuss how they have created programs to help… Read more

In this episode, we interview Rhonda "Randi" Weingarten at the National Rural Education Association Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ms. Weingarten is most notable for her work on education advocacy and legislation. She served as a teacher from 1991 to 1997 at Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn,… Read more

In this episode, we interview the authors of Teaching in Rural Places Thriving in Classrooms, Schools, and Communities, Drs. Amy Price Azano, Devon Brenner, and Ann Schulte regarding the changing demands of education in rural America. They discuss the importance of geography, culture, and change in rural education.… Read more

In this episode, we interview Mike Lowers, Director of School Implementation at PresenceLearning, discussing issues within special education, pedagogy, and IEP and speech in addressing support services. We discuss that many rural schools have limited to no resources where students might find special education… Read more

In today's episode of the Rural Voice, we interview the author of the bestselling book "The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life–and Saved an American Farm." We provide a short introduction to Ms. Frey as well as discuss her vision for rural America and education. We discuss the importance of internet connectivity… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, the cohosts interview Dr. Christina Kishimoto, former state superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education. She discusses the role of educators as influencers and policymakers. She discusses how teachers and principals have significant power to create and sustain lasting… Read more

In this special episode of the Rural Voice, the cohosts Drs. Pratt, Bigham, and Silver invite NREA friend and contributor Dr. Brad Mitchell, to respond to a recent article from the New York Times titled The Tragedy of America’s Rural Schools by Casey Parks, Published Sept. 7, 2021. As noted in this article, the… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interview Ms. Laurie Smith, a 4th-grade teacher in Sumner, Nebraska, and the National Rural Education Association’s teacher of the year for 2021. In this interview, we meet Ms. Smith and discuss her vision for rural education. We explore her approach to creating and maintaining… Read more

For this episode of the Rural Voice, our cohosts Drs. Bigham and Pratt interview Dr. Landon Mascareñaz and Ms. Shannon Nicholas about rural planning, partnerships, and connections between business and education and ways to capitalize on partnerships to better serve rural school districts. They discuss their work and… Read more

In this week's episode, we interview Ms. Haley Danielle Richardson, Second-Grade Teacher, University Charter School, Livingston, Alabama. She discusses her experience with rural charter schools and connecting a new charter school and the community. She discusses the role that modeling plays in teaching children to… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we speak with Mr. Benjamin Winchester, Rural Sociologist from the University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Community Vitality, regarding the complexities of small-town living in rural America. We discuss some of the stereotypes of rural small towns and how such assumptions… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association, the Rural Voice, Dr. Brad Mitchel rejoined us to readdress many of the themes discussed in episode S01E19 and some of the early indicators of the Biden team plans for rural education. We discuss the current issues facing rural school districts in our… Read more

Mike Krause is the former Tennessee Higher Education Commission Executive Director and now a senior advisor for government affairs and economic development at the Bradley Arant Boult Cummings law firm. Krause served as the coordinator for all statewide higher education efforts relative to COVID-19, acting as the chief… Read more

In this Rural Voice episode, we interview Dr. Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow and vice president for external affairs at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. He is also a senior advisor to Democracy Prep Public Schools, a high-performing charter school network based in Harlem, New York. He has written extensively on… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association Podcast, the Rural Voice, we interview our cohost Dr. Jared Bigham regarding his personal experience with becoming infected with COVID-19. In this episode recorded in October of 2020, we discuss rural education given COVID. We discuss some of the challenges… Read more

In a long-overdue episode of the National Rural Education Association, we interview author and Planning Director of the Caswell County Planning Department in Yanceyville, North Carolina, Matthew Hoagland. In his recent book Think Small: A Millennial's Guide to Building a Meaningful Life in Rural America proposes a… Read more

The Rural Voice is joined by Dr. Brad Mitchell, the Senior Strategist at Battelle for Kids. Brad was The Ohio State University/Battelle Director of STEM Partnerships, CEO of the Educational Council, a professor at The Ohio State University, the Director of Community Partnerships for the Ohio Children and Family First… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association Podcast, we interview Bharanidharan Rajakumar, Chief Executive Officer of TRANSFR Inc., a virtual reality solution for skills-based learning. Their solutions provide a variety of methods for not only virtual reality-based skills training but also… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association, we discuss the technological transitions during the Fall Semester of teaching, including resources, strategic alignment with technology and curriculum, and technological availability based on geographic location, socio-economic status, as well as political… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association, the hosts speak to Will McIntee, the Midwest Political Director for the Biden Campaign. We discuss Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and how rural education and resources would be addressed should he be elected. We discuss the challenges of COVID-19 for… Read more

In this episode, Dr. Silver leads the discussion on identifying, assessing, and preparing for the Fall Semester in Elementary and Secondary Education. We discuss how various school districts are surveying families to determine online capacity for learning and technology accessibility. We discuss how precise assessment… Read more

In this episode, we explore the use of Competency-Based and Micro-Credentialing as a method for furthering the professional development of teachers. For many teachers, there are limited options for furthering their professional training to stay current and meet yearly state standards. As part of this episode, the… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Podcast, the co-hosts discuss the current COVID-19 status for rural school systems around technology and contingency planning. We discuss the ever-changing landscape of public education, ways the international community is responding to the crisis, and some of the approaches… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association, Drs. Pratt and Bigham interview Dr. Penny Schwinn, Tennessee's Education Commissioner. She discusses how COVID has influenced education in the State of Tennessee with themes connected to rural education around the United States. She discusses the challenges… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Association Podcasts, the cohosts interview Mr. Wade Owlett, a 5th-grade teacher at Clark Wood Elementary School in Elkland and recipient of the Pennsylvania Rural Teacher of the Year Award as well as the National Rural Teacher of the Year Award. He received the award on October… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Podcast the cohosts interview Mr. Ben Garrison, Social Impact Real Estate Entrepreneur of Chattanooga Tennessee regarding a method for recruitment and retention of new teachers given the challenges of hiring and sustaining employment in education. Mr. Garrison discusses the… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Association Podcast, we interview Dr. Stephen Pruitt, the President of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), as well as Alen Richard News Manager for SREB. In this episode, the cohosts and guests discuss the challenges following the COVID-19 crisis for school… Read more

The co-hosts in this episode discuss what happens in education following COVID-19 and what are some aspects of culture administrators and teachers should consider as they plan for the future. The co-hosts also suggest that COVID-19 will be with us for a while and will influence education policy and pedagogical… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Association Podcast, we discuss how school districts are settling into the new normal of COVID-19 and the use of technology. The co-hosts discuss how some technologies have helped learners while others have been taxed with an unusually high user load on their servers. Further, we… Read more

In this episode of the National Rural Education Podcast, we interview Dr. Steve Johnson of Lisbon Public Schools in North Dakota. In this podcast, Dr. Johnson discusses shifting from classroom to online from the perspective of a small rural school district and the northern plains of the Midwest. Dr. Johnson shared… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Education Podcast, Drs. Bigham, Allen, and Silver discuss the current state of rural education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The co-hosts discuss the challenges with addressing the pandemic given the little time to prepare in addressing large and small school districts, as well as… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, Drs Pratt and Bigham interview Dr. Jon Turner, Assistant Professor of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education at Missouri State University on his research regarding the four-day school week. In this episode, Dr. Turner discusses his research related to the benefits and… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, all three co-hosts discuss the importance of extra-curricular activities for not only teaching teamwork and social norms but also building community. The co-hosts share their own experiences with extra-curricular activities both as students as well as teachers and administrators.… Read more

In this episode of the Rural Voice, the co-hosts interview United States Congressman Mike Bost regarding his work on rural education and support of the Rural Education Investment Act. This act suggests investing in rural education as directed by local school districts throughout the United States. Representative Bost… Read more

The Rural Voice interviews the Honorable Brandon O. Gibson, who serves in the Office of the Governor of Tennessee. The co-hosts interview her regarding rural educational initiatives in Tennessee and how rural education varies between counties. She discusses some of the current initiatives within the state and the foci… Read more

Dr. Allen Pratt has served as a high school science teacher and coach, a high school principal, assistant superintendent/curriculum director, executive director of the Tennessee Rural Education Association, executive director of the East Tennessee Center of Regional Excellence for the Tennessee Department of… Read more