S05E10 - Telling the NREA Story: Annual Report, Strategic Vision, and the Future of Rural Education

S05E10 - Telling the NREA Story: Annual Report, Strategic Vision, and the Future of Rural Education

NREA 2026 Annual Report [https://nrea.net/voice-of-rural-schools-2026-annual-report/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — this is the main link for the episode; NREA describes it as the organization’s first annual report. NREA Homepage [https://nrea.net/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — general organizational landing page, mission, updates, and member information. NREA Membership Information [https://nrea.net/about/membership/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — useful since the episode discusses membership value, lifetime membership, institutional membership, and affiliate options. National Forum to Advance Rural Education / NFAIR [https://nrea.net/nfare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — registration and information for the October 19–21, 2026 conference in San Antonio. Why Rural Matters 2025 [https://nrea.net/wrm-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — relevant because the episode discusses NREA’s research and national rural education data work. The Rural Educator [https://nrea.net/research/journal/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — NREA’s peer-reviewed research journal. NREA State Affiliates [https://nrea.net/about/state-affiliates/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — useful for listeners who want to connect at the state level. NREA Foundation [https://nrea.net/about/foundation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] — connects to the episode’s discussion of awards, scholarships, and philanthropic support.

S05E09 - Teaching Social Studies in a Multilingual Rural Community: An Interview with Rebecca Burnfin

In this episode of *The Rural Voice*, Chris, Melissa, and Bill talk with Rebecca “Becca” Burnfin, a 9th–12th grade social studies teacher and PLC lead at Garden City High School in rural western Kansas. Becca shares what it means to teach in a community where students speak more than 40 languages and bring rich lived experiences shaped by immigration, rural life, global conflict, and family history. The conversation explores how high-quality instructional materials have helped her reduce planning time, keep social studies relevant beyond stale textbooks, support new and veteran teachers through PLC collaboration, and create more engaging, experiential lessons for students. Becca also speaks candidly about rural teacher recruitment and retention, post-COVID pressures on educators, and the importance of honoring student dignity while helping young people connect history to the world unfolding around them.

S05E08 - FAFSA, Rural Access, and Meeting Students Where They Are: An Interview with Jim McHale and Kierstan Dufour.

Resources: * Woodward Hines Education Foundation [https://www.woodwardhines.org/] (WHEF) and its Get2College program [https://get2college.org/], @get2college on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/get2college/?hl=en], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Get2College/], and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/tag/get2college]. WHEF is on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/woodwardhines].  * NCAN FAFSA Tracker [https://www.ncan.org/Web/FAFSA/FAFSA-Tracker.aspx?hkey=9c41edcd-99a3-4883-89a1-43b3f9cc218d] * High-School Level Data [https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/application-volume/fafsa-completion-high-school] from Federal Student Aid * Get2College FAFSA resources [https://get2college.org/fafsa-federal-aid/] * Get2College Mobile Center [https://get2college.org/students/mobile-center/] * College & Career Readiness [https://get2college.org/college-career-readiness/]

S05E07 - Rural Schools at the Front Edge of AI, an interview with Dr. Beth Rabbitt

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future issue for schools. It is already shaping how educators plan, teach, lead, and prepare students for the workforce. In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Christopher Silver and Dr. Bill Chapman are joined by Dr. Beth Rabbitt, Co-Chief Executive Officer of FullScale, for a timely conversation about AI, rural education, and the future of learning. Dr. Rabbitt explains why rural schools may be positioned not as late adopters, but as potential leaders in thoughtful AI implementation. Drawing from FullScale’s national work with rural districts, she discusses how AI can expand access, build operational capacity, support teachers, and help students develop the adaptability needed for a rapidly changing economy. She also addresses the practical concerns educators are facing, including student data privacy, FERPA, AI misuse, teacher readiness, and the limits of generative AI. The conversation offers concrete guidance for school leaders, including the use of red-light, yellow-light, and green-light protocols for classroom AI use, the importance of district-level policy, and the value of allowing teachers to safely tinker with new tools before using them with students. Dr. Rabbitt also encourages educators to approach AI not as an expert replacement, but as a “helpful, coachable, smart, but young intern” that still requires human judgment, oversight, and ethical decision-making. This episode is especially relevant for rural educators, school administrators, district leaders, and anyone thinking about how schools can prepare students for an uncertain future while protecting the human relationships, creativity, and local wisdom that remain central to education.

S05E06 - Building Strong Readers in Rural Schools: An Interview with Ms. Tracy Kingsley and Ms. Ashley Wood

This episode of The Rural Voice podcast features a conversation with Superintendent Tracy Kingsley and teacher Ashley Wood from the Newburgh R2 School District in rural Missouri, highlighting how a structured literacy coaching initiative transformed early reading outcomes in their schools. In response to post-COVID learning loss, teacher inexperience, and inconsistent literacy instruction, the district partnered with TNTP to implement a coaching model grounded in the science of reading. The approach emphasized collaboration over evaluation, with coaches working directly alongside teachers through classroom visits, modeling, and ongoing feedback. This support led to curriculum changes, stronger alignment between grade levels, and significant gains in foundational literacy skills, including a dramatic increase in first-grade reading proficiency. District leadership played a key role by prioritizing professional development, protecting instructional time, and fostering teacher buy-in through trust and shared decision-making. The discussion also underscores the importance of family engagement, data-driven assessment, and long-term sustainability planning in small rural districts. More broadly, the episode frames literacy coaching as a scalable, high-impact strategy while raising concerns about funding, policy pressures, and the future of rural education. Bios Tracy Kingsley is the Superintendent of the Newburg R-II School District and is currently in her third year in that role. She brings 30 years of experience in public education, including 18 years as an elementary teacher, one year as a reading coach, and 11 years in administration. Her background reflects a sustained focus on literacy, instruction, and school leadership in rural education settings. Ashley Wood is a kindergarten teacher at Newburg R-II School District, currently in her second year of teaching and her second year in the kindergarten classroom. Prior to becoming a teacher, she spent two years working as an Early Childhood Special Education paraprofessional in Rolla immediately after high school. She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and is set to graduate in May.