John White

How One Rural District Used College Students to Keep English Learners in School This leader's mentorship program with a local university has helped rural English learners at risk of dropping out.

Mentorship program pairs Hispanic college students at nearby colleges with Hispanic high school students at risk of not graduating to figure out their next steps after high school www.edweek.org/leaders/2026... #k12 #highered #collegeaccess

Investing in Rural Communities: Why the Delta Demands Bold Philanthropy - NationSwell The Mississippi Delta reveals why rural investment matters, and how community-led, long-term philanthropy can unlock talent, resilience, and shared prosperity.

"Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, and almost a quarter are people of color. These communities are home to deep cultural traditions, close-knit civic life, and an abundance of untapped talent and creativity" tinyurl.com/3bwf4sft #philanthropy #goodread

School closures are accelerating in rural America. But research on whether they help students is mixed Rural school closures are a growing trend, and Vermont, like many states, has recently proposed merging school districts to cope with falling enrollment.

Schools are closing across rural America. Here’s how a battle over small districts is playing out in one state hechingerreport.org/schools-are-...

Ending Rural Teacher Shortages While rural schools are used to being scrappy and doing more with less, without state and federal support, districts will be hard-pressed to close teacher workforce gaps on their own.

Former rural STEM teacher and ED employee writes about ending rural teacher shortages fas.org/publication/...

Congress passes Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 in victory for counties In a major victory for counties, Congress passed the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 356) on December 9. The bill provides payments to counties for Fiscal Year (F...

Reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act provides critical funding for education on untaxable land that is part of the National Forest System tinyurl.com/yc8h9a4d

The Secure Rural Schools Program—created by @wyden.senate.gov—helps rural communities keep schools and libraries open, maintain roads, and keep folks safe.

The Senate UNANIMOUSLY passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act back in June—it's beyond time for the House to pass it!

Rural high school students are more likely than city kids to get their diplomas, but they remain less likely to go to college 1 in 5 students in the US are living in rural areas.

Rural high school students are more likely than city kids to get their diplomas, but they remain less likely to go to college buff.ly/11S5x5f

@mdrc-news.bsky.social's National Rural Higher Ed Research Center to host inaugural Rural Research Mentorship Network cohort, offering opportunities to grad students and early-career researchers interested in conducting #ruraled research. $1000 honorarium. mdrcfed.gov1.qualtrics.com/CP/File.php?...

Rural high school students are more likely than city kids to get their diplomas, less likely to go to college Many high school seniors are currently in the midst of the college application process or are already waiting to hear back from their selected schools.

Many high school seniors are preparing for graduation and are in the midst of the college application process. Why are rural students the least likely to go to college? Professor
Sheneka Williams, who graduated from a small, rural high school in Alabama, explains. phys.org/news/2025-12...

University Researchers to Create AI Strategy for Rural Schools Microsoft will provide $82,500 in grant money to assistant professors at Washington State University, to support them in developing an AI integration road map for rural K-12 schools in three northwest...

Microsoft is funding a project to build tailored roadmaps for integrating artificial intelligence in rural #K12 and small-town school districts across three northwestern states tinyurl.com/3pz8dh23 #AI

What Are the Hurdles to Higher Education for Rural Students? Rural students in college may be older, have children or existing jobs. Learn about their pathways to higher education.

Here's a "Reporting Guide" for covering rural college students by @EdWriters. After reading, suggest additional story ideas ewa.org/educated-rep...

‘The clock is ticking’: Shutdown imperils food, child care for many - The Hechinger Report The federally funded Head Start provides free preschool and child care for low-income families, and is particularly important to rural communities with few other child care options.

The shutdown may contribute to food insecurity and a lack of #childcare for many parents, particularly in rural areas where options are already limited, reports @casamuels.bsky.social @hechingerreport.org tinyurl.com/azre6nez

Thanks, Hope Reese, for doing such a meaningful interview for Greater Good!

Why Well-Being Is Falling in Rural America According to a new memoir, inequalities in rural education may be contributing to the political polarization in the United States.

According to Beth Macy's new memoir, inequalities in rural education may be contributing to our political polarization greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item... @bethmacy.bsky.social #goodread

I learned this week that all staff members who administered the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) were let go at the US Department of Education, what's left of it.

Plans to change H-1B visas are a blow to some rural districts’ strategies to keep teachers in classrooms www.wliw.org/radio/news/m...

Scaling Rural Wellness with Clever Collaboration | The Daily Yonder From hive minds to climbing gyms, 10 small rural colleges share mental health insights through Endeavor Lab Colleges.

The Endeavor Lab Colleges (ELC) are scaling a new model for liberal arts education centered on student mental health and well-being to enhance academic learning and the campus experience. Six of the 10 small liberal arts colleges are rural-serving institutions tinyurl.com/3j5atnyc

Rural Ohio relies on Head Start. Trump is worrying people in the region who need this free child care Close to half of its seats in this federally funded free program are located in areas outside towns and cities. But federal staff cuts and funding showdowns may hurt some of the same voters in rural a...

Read about the critical role the Head Start plays in rural communities. The longer a shutdown continues, the more likely it is that Head Start programs could see a disruption.
hechingerreport.org/rural-americ... #ECE

I look forward to seeing you in Salt Lake!

AI IN ACTION: We’re excited to introduce this half-day experience, included with your 2025 #RuralEdForum registration!

Whether you’re just starting with AI or ready to go deeper, this summit offers real tools, real voices, real value.

Register now: www.nrea.net/nfare

Nationally recognized rural education researcher joins College of Education faculty J. Kessa Roberts joins Clemson University faculty this fall, bringing with her an extensive background in rural education research.

After growing frustrated with “urban-normative” policy assumptions that rarely applied in the settings she knew, Roberts responded to others’ encouragement to “go fix it.” news.clemson.edu/nationally-r...

FCC proposal would disconnect school bus Wi-Fi, hotspots from E-rate coverage Schools and districts have requested millions of dollars in FY 25 for these services, which were made eligible under a Biden-era expansion.

Why disconnect students from school bus Wi-Fi? www.k12dive.com/news/fcc-era...

Register now for Rural Assembly Everywhere, a virtual gathering of the Rural Assembly, on Sept 17 @ 1 PM ET. This event brings together people from across the country who care deeply about their rural places, neighbors, and community issues.

Learn more & register: www.ruralassembly.org/everywhere.

An engineer restores pay phones for free public use In a rural Vermont county, spotty cellphone coverage is the norm. But a local tinkerer is using old technology to help his community stay connected free of charge.

Innovation is what rural people do to help their families, friends, and communities. tinyurl.com/383n8m54

Q&A: College as a First-Generation, Rural Student | The Daily Yonder Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A with a

Insightful Q&A on "elite" college experiences as a first-generation, rural student. It would be great to see a similar article on public university and college experiences where more rural students enroll dailyyonder.com/qa-college-a...

Trump’s FY 26 budget plan would worsen rural schools’ challenges, analysis finds Lower funding would exacerbate issues including teacher recruitment and lack of access to advanced classes, the Center for American Progress finds.

"Because of their heavy reliance on state and federal funding, rural schools are disproportionately impacted by the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal funding for public education" www.k12dive.com/news/trumps-... via @K12DiveNews

How Trump's Policies are Impacting Rural Colleges The AASCU's Chuck Welch examines "The Big Beautiful Bill" and student visa crackdowns.

The @aascu.org's Chuck Welch examines "The Big Beautiful Bill" and student visa crackdowns. mile-markers.beehiiv.com/p/how-trump-...

Proposed international surcharge at National Parks could generate millions in 2026 • Daily Montanan A new model that has been adopted for national parks by the Trump administration would raise visitors fees to pay for a maintenance backlog.

With many national parks facing huge backlogs of deferred maintenance — Yellowstone alone is estimated at more than $1 billion — the federal government is proposing a new fee on foreign visitors to address some of the shortfall, report @dailymontanan.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Lumina aims to help rural colleges reach adult learners - Community College Daily A new initiative spearheaded by Lumina Foundation aims to help rural and semi-rural community colleges reach and enroll more adult learners. Lumina is working with CollegeAPP and StrategyForward Advis...

A new initiative spearheaded by @luminafoundation.bsky.social aims to help rural and semi-rural community colleges reach and enroll more adult learners www.ccdaily.com/2025/06/lumi...

A Colorado district looks to remove LGBTQ policy protections amid Trump’s funding threats The Montezuma-Cortez district in southwestern Colorado is poised to remove protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity from its nondiscrimination policy.

It signals that a school district or government doesn’t believe these students are worthy of protection tinyurl.com/nedh5uz7 via @chalkbeat.org