Abstract
This chapter presents a thorough review of the literature on the role that educational leadership plays in supporting the education of students living in rural poverty in the US. The author ties in her personal experience teaching fifth grade in a rural elementary school and the challenges her students faced. The anecdotal evidence contextualizes the information presented in the scholarly research. This chapter is divided into three main sections: (1) effective support from school leaders, (2) the role of teacher leaders, and (3) impacting students' home-lives. The realities of rural education are explained with the intention of igniting a call-to-action to not overlook the impoverished communities that are outside of city limits.
TopMain Focus Of The Chapter
This chapter addresses the role that school leadership plays in supporting students who live in rural poverty. This chapter is divided into three main sections: (a) effective support from school leaders, (b) the role of teacher leaders, and (c) impacting students’ home-lives. Each subsection presents a mixture of literature and personal reflections to aid in contextualize main ideas. While this chapter provides insights and recommendations, it evokes questions that warrant explanation.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Stakeholder: Anyone who has interest and/or investment in the school’s well-being. Their support is typically is in the form of time or money.
Impoverished: Living at or below the poverty line. Not having sufficient means of everyday life.
Rural: An area that is low in population and is not deemed “urban.”
School Leader: A figure in education who makes decisions that affect the school as a whole, which can include, but is not limited to, teachers, principals, and other administrators.
Empathy: Being able to understand another person’s perspective and relate to the emotions he or she is experiencing.
Place-Based Education: A form of learning that is project-oriented, focused on the whole-child’s development, and is reliant upon the resources immediately available in the surrounding community and nature. This type of learning ends with benefitting the community as a result.