State Policy


Rural public schools worry they will be left behind

 With a new administration in the White House that prefers  "school-choice” approaches — favoring charter schools and private-school vouchers so parents can opt out of public schools and bring taxpayer dollars with them — the nation’s rural schools are left to wonder about their fate.


Why Rural Matters 2013-14 Garners National Attention at Capitol Hill Briefing

On July 9, 2014, Rural Trust staff and researchers presented the key research findings of Why Rural Matters 2013-14 at a policy briefing on Capitol Hill. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Glen Thompson (R-PA) sponsored this Hill event, which was attended by a diverse group of educators, policy enthusiasts and rural supporters.


Teachers Feel More Stressed and Disregarded Than Other Workers

Teachers feel more stressed and less likely to think their opinions matter than other workers, but policies and administrative practices make a big difference.


Welcome Back to the 2013-14 School Year

After a brief summer hiatus, RPM is happy to welcome our readers back.
Date: September 30, 2013
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: State Policy


Register for Racial Healing Network Regional Calls

The Within Our Lifetime Network invites you to connect with others in your region who are committed to ending the impact of racism in our lifetime. The Within Our Lifetime Network,  which works to promotes racial healing and racial equity, invites you to join one of six scheduled calls in early September.


The Influence of Teachers: Reflections on Teaching and Leadership

The Influence of Teachers: Reflections on Teaching and LeadershipIn this urgent and insightful book, John Merrow draws on his experience as a reporter for PBS and NPR to examine this question and others, and offer possibilities and solutions for a new education system.


School Discipline Update: April 2011

New Mexico has just banned corporal punishment in schools and Texas seems poised to do so as well.


Zero Tolerance and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Efforts to end zero-tolerance discipline problems continue to make headway.


South Carolina Report Examines School Governance Structures

School districts in South Carolina are controlled largely by legislative delegations, with some unusual implications.


Commission Formed to Recommend Consolidation in Mississippi

A Commission formed to recommend — rather than study — consolidation of Mississippi school districts must deliver a report later this spring…
Date: January 28, 2010
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Consolidation, School/District Size, State Policy


A Long Distance Relationship is Proposed Between Weiner and Delight:
Why they want it and how they got there

Renee Carr, Executive Director of Arkansas’s Rural Community Alliance, describes how — and why — two schools districts are seeking an innovative solution to the state’s minimum enrollment law…
Date: January 28, 2010
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Consolidation, School/District Size, State Policy


Rural Education Featured in Work of Civil Rights Award Winner

The creator of documentary film about rural education in South Carolina wins civil rights award…
Date: January 28, 2010
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Income Related Issues, School Finance/Funding, State Policy


Kansas Districts Will Go Back to Court

School districts say Kansas is not meeting its constitutional obligation…
Date: January 28, 2010
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Rural School Funding News, School Finance/Funding, State Policy


Plans for Implementing New Funding System in Ohio

New funding moving ahead in Ohio despite budget challenges…
Date: January 28, 2010
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Rural School Funding News, School Finance/Funding, State Policy