Resources

Arnold Fege, President of the Public Advocacy for Kids nonprofit, reflects on what it takes to create equity and reimagine schooling in rural communities after COVID-19. His article centers around five questions: unpacking the United States’ political will to resolve internet inequality; examining organizational changes needed to wholly care for students; identifying effective strategies to… Read More »

Dr. McHenry-Sorber’s and Dr. Hall Sutherland’s study on rural schools in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Vermont is one of the first of its kind to explore the ways rural leaders implement state equity policies in their schools. Drawing on their expertise as rural scholars, they examine strategies, strengths, and challenges for rural community leaders… Read More »

J. Spenser Darden from West Virginia University clearly outlines how racism and placism intersect to make life more difficult for people of color who live in rural areas. He breaks down the direct impact of historic racist policies and ideas on the ways different groups of people are treated in the United States, and describes… Read More »

MAEC’s Dr. Heather Biggar Tomlinson contextualizes the unique challenges and strengths that characterize rural communities and education in the United States. She examines racial diversity, poverty, intersecting discrimination, resource allocation for schools, broadband connectivity, access to high-quality child care, health services, and other topics impacting families in rural areas. Back to Count Us In: Advancing… Read More »

By J. Spenser Darden Director, Diversity Initiatives & Community Engagement West Virginia University I still remember when the email came. “In my 40 years as a university president, the crisis at hand is like none other I have ever experienced… For the remainder of the semester, all classes…will not be conducted in-class and will [instead]… Read More »

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the deep inequities in our society. After experiencing months of limited education, the effect on students will include extensive learning gaps, particularly for at-risk students. As we all return to school, educators need to keep equity at the center of their focus and actions. Putting and Keeping Equity at… Read More »

Trauma is pervasive in our schools and can threaten our students, affecting their academic performance and opportunities for lifelong success. Schools can prevent children from being defined by their adverse life experiences and promote healthy, lifelong learning and achievement. Rather than ask “What is wrong with you?” we can ask “What has happened to you—and… Read More »

According to the CDC, 1.5 million high school students experience dating abuse annually. High school students who have been physically hurt by a partner earn grades of C or D twice as often as grades of A or B. They are 25% more likely to drop out of high school than their non-abused peers. Over… Read More »

Lessons from Five Schools that Serve K-12 Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylees Given the influx of immigrants and refugees over the past several years, newcomer students are found in the classrooms of small towns, suburbs, and big cities across the country and they bring with them a world of culturally diverse experiences and knowledge. Newcomers face… Read More »

“Our public school populations will become majority minority in a decade or so. It is critical that classrooms have effective teachers that reflect the spectrum of diversity that exists in our world.” Continuing the discussion raised in Part I, Zollie Stevenson, Jr., PhD identifies how some school working conditions may be driving teachers of color… Read More »