Can Rural Education Survive the 21st Century?

The pandemic was bad for schools. It was even worse for rural schools, which are often the centers of daily life, culture, and economy in their communities. Poor internet connections made remote learning inaccessible and downright impossible in many cases. Attendance dropped. Rural schools, which struggle to attract and keep staff even in good times, hemorrhaged teachers and administrators; staff who remained were exhausted and prone to leaving. How can rural schools and districts recover from such damage—and how can state and regional governments best support them? What sorts of changes must rural schools make to adapt to the environmental, economic, and technological threats to rural communities? And what will it take for rural education to survive the 21st century? California Collaborative for Educational Excellence assistant director of systems of support Julie Boesch, Cal Poly Humboldt executive director of initiatives Connie Stewart, and Small School Districts’ Association executive director Tim Taylor visited Zócalo to explore how rural schools can prosper. This event was streamed live from Bakersfield, CA, on Thursday, November 10, 2022 and was moderated by KQED correspondent and co-host of “The California Report” Saul Gonzalez. Read more about our panelists here: https://zps.la/3cjL6OA For a full report on the live discussion, check out the Takeaway: Visit https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/ to read our articles and learn about upcoming events. Follow along on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepublicsquare Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepublicsquare/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zocalopublicsquare LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/z-calo-public-square