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Gap Between Rich and Poor Schools Grows

via National Opportunity to Learn

Recent data released by the US Department of Education  and the Hechlinger report revealed that funding disparities between rich school districts and poor school districts increased by 44% over the last decade. According to the National Opportunity to Learn, there is a funding gap of $1,500 per student.

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Idaho Educators and DC Insiders Differ on Rural Ed Priorities

A recent report conducted by Whiteboard advisors and funded by Idaho’s J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation revealed a “significant disconnect” between rural superintendents and Washington “insiders” that could account for the lack of suitable attention paid to rural education issues.

Overall, however, we found significant disconnects between the Insiders (administration and Capitol Hill officials and key education leaders in Washington) and rural superintendents. When we asked both groups to rank the three biggest problems facing rural school districts, there was no overlap. Superintendents said their top issues were lack of “full funding for special education,” paperwork and compliance requirements, and lack of flexibility for spending federal dollars. Insiders said the top challenges facing rural superintendents were recruiting and retaining teachers and lack of school and classroom technology. Moreover, two of the top three challenges cited by Idaho superintendents were issues that Insiders put at the bottom of their list. This helps explain why policies designed for the communities dominating the political and education debate are often poorly suited for rural districts.

Idaho Statesman | Guest Opinion: Rural Idaho leaders need to make education demands clear to Washington

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How Colorado is Supporting its Rural School Districts

As rural school districts everywhere continue to struggle with acquiring and retaining quality teachers, Colorado’s Department of Higher Education has developed several unique programs to entice teachers to stay.

The department has five programs targeting schools in rural areas. It will expand Teacher Quality grants to support more professional development for teachers. The grants will also aid science, technology, engineering and math programs in rural districts — especially in northern Colorado.

The Department of Higher Education will also conduct roundtable meetings to develop a pipeline of teachers to rural school districts. The first meeting will be held in February.

“We’re going to sit down and say, ‘hey look, what can we do?'” Mitchell said. “What can we put in place to help develop this pipeline, to help strengthen the pipeline of teachers going into these rural communities?”

The Adams State University Foundation will work with DHE to help more teachers meet the requirements to teach concurrent enrollment programs. Concurrent enrollment allows students to earn college credit while still in high school.

The Colorado GEAR UP program will continue to work with the state to provide support to students from lower income families seek careers in education.

The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative awards $3.4 million in grant money to support students across the state –including those in rural areas — to allow them to attend college and enter the workforce.

NBC 9 News Colorado | State offers help to rural school districts