Creating a Vermont Rural Education Association

Project partners are creating an organization to connect rural schools across the state; a more robust support network to help educators and administrators more effectively tackle their shared challenges.

Introduction

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Over 70% of schools in Vermont are classified as rural by the US Department of Education, and Vermont has the highest percentage of rural students in the entire country. These rural schools are a source of pride for communities throughout the state, and they are well-regarded in terms of student outcomes and child well-being.

Yet rural Vermont school districts also face major challenges, and their geographic separation means that too many educators and leaders are working to address those challenges in isolation.

The partners in this project are creating the Vermont Rural Education Association to give all rural schools in the state a system of support to address those challenges.

The project has three major goals: 1) create the Vermont Rural Education Association with NREA affiliation; 2) conduct a statewide rural education needs assessment to be used to strengthen leadership preparation, professional practice, policy development, and research in Vermont; and 3) expand the scope and scale of the rural partnership through external funding.

Community Partners:	Vermont Rural Education Consortium (VREC) National Rural Education Association (NREA)
��̽̽ Partner:	��̽̽ Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (EDLP)
Amount:	$10,000 (Capacity Grant)
Primary Region:	Statewide
Focus Areas:	Community Schools, Policy & Governance

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