Rural Policy Matters: December 2014


Last Updated: December 17, 2014
 

Rural Policy Matters: December 2014


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The December 2014 issues of RPM features stories of rural teachers who travelled internationally as Rural Trust Global Teacher Fellows; reports on Congressional defunding of the Secure Rural Schools program; examines the rural-urban college completion gap; considers the most recent shooting at a school; and reports on legal actions related to school funding and charter schools.

Applications for 2015 Global Teacher Fellowship Program Due January 30, 2015
Teachers and other academic personnel working in a rural or small town school may apply for fellowships for self-designed summer learning experiences based in international travel.

Fact and Figures About States Where More Than One-Third of All Students Are Enrolled in Rural Districts
Question: In which sixteen states are more than one-third of all students enrolled in rural school districts?

To Travel: 2014 Rural Trust Global Fellows Share Their Stories, Part 2
The Rural Trust Global Teacher Fellowship program offers rural teachers the opportunity to choose and design their own international learning experiences. Four Fellows in the class of 2014 talk about what the opportunity has meant to them and their students.

Secure Rural Schools Program Defunded in Federal Spending Package
The federal program that has provided billions to rural timber counties to help support schools and roads received no funding in Congress’s recent funding agreement.

Rural-Urban College Completion Gap Growing
Residents of rural counties are less likely than their urban counterparts to hold a four-year college degree—and the gap is growing.

Students Injured in Shooting Outside School
Shooting injures four students outside a Portland, Oregon school.

Charter Schools Facing Legal Challenges
A recent court ruling in Arizona found that the state’s charter schools are not entitled to the same level of funding as regular schools, and a complaint has been filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights claiming that most of Delaware’s charters are racially identifiable and that common enrollment practices violate several provisions of federal law.

School Finance Overview: Arizona and California
Attorneys for the state Legislature of Arizona are back in court seeking a stay in a Court ruling requiring increased funding for schools. In California, schools are getting more funding along with greater flexibility and a mandate to work more closely with parents and community organizations.