Proud Rural Teacher

Jessica Brogley

The Proud Rural Teacher podcast will focus on relevant topics in education with a specific focus on education in rural America. It is our goal to facilitate discussion, provide resources, and offer inspiration for both pre-service and current educators teaching in rural areas.

  1. 08/09/2023

    A Tour of the Riverdale HS Agricultural Program with Kally Koch - PRTP35

    In this episode, we're heading to the Riverdale School District. The Riverdale School District is about 50 minutes north of Platteville. It encompasses several small towns, but most notably Blue River, Avoca, and Muscoda. The high school, where we're going today, is in Muscoda. The district itself is definitely rural with just over 700 students K12. You're joining me on this three-part tour with their agricultural education teacher, Kally Koch, to learn what their agricultural education department of one is doing and how the school district has supported her and her kids, and lastly how the community has historically wrapped around agricultural education. It's absolutely remarkable what they have for assets in the district. You're going to tour the following three places: 1.) the building at the high school, 2.) their school farm, And lastly, 3.) their brand new agricultural center, the Jack Meister Agricultural Center, is just 3 miles from the high school. This is definitely gonna be one of our longer episodes, so stick with me. Be sure to check out the show notes at proudruralteacherpodcast.com. I'll include a lot of photos to help match what Kally telling you and give you some inspiration. Stick with me. It's gonna be a good one. So, we're heading up to Muscoda, Wisconsin today to learn all about the agricultural education program and community support with the Riverdale School District. Visit the ProudRuralTeacherPodcast.com for photos and relevant links.

    50 min
  2. 05/12/2023

    What if We Truly Loved Justice? Conversations with Dr. Anton Treuer and Dr. George Dalbo -- PRTP32

    This is probably one of the most difficult episodes to weave together because back in my own K-12 teaching days, I think it’s fair to say that I could’ve done better to integrate indigenous perspectives and history into my English classroom. It’s something I look back on with regret. I know that in my own undergraduate studies, I learned very little about Act 31. The School of Education here at UW-Platteville has made it our mission to make sure our students truly understand the importance of responsive teaching practices and how to authentically and respectfully integrate education on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. For me, that means immersing myself in opportunities like supporting our pre-service educators during their practicums in the Bayfield school district, attending book studies and workshops, and having honest, humbling conversations. Last summer I attended the virtual Wisconsin American Indian Summer Institute and this fall I joined in on a virtual book study on Anton Treuer's book “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but were Afraid to Ask.” All great opportunities. I was doing some research, recently, looking for Wisconsin K-12 examples of educators integrating Wisconsin indigenous history, culture, and contemporary issues into coursework. Most of my discoveries were from school districts adjacent to tribal land or where the student body was mostly Native American. I really had a hard time finding solid examples the further I looked south, for example. Now that could be simply because someone’s efforts were published online, but what if that true that the further we are from tribal lands or native nations, the less authentic our schools integrate education on the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. In order to prompt some discussion on this, I decided to reach out to Dr. Anton Treuer, professor of Ojibwe Bemidji State University in Minnesota, and Dr. Georgo Delbow, a social studies teacher in the Clinton School District, in Southern Wisconsin. If you’re in a school not near tribal land or native nations, I’m hoping you’ll feel inspired to tackle this work even if it's challenging and uncomfortable. And if you’re already working to appropriately integrate Wisconsin indigenous history, culture, and contemporary issues into your coursework, I’m hoping this episode inspires you to share your story as a way to inspire other teachers. Anton Treuer's Website George Dalbo's Website Wisconsin DPIs American Indian Studies -- Be sure to check out the upcoming events! Wisconsin First Nations -- Spend lots of time here! It's packed with resources.

    47 min
  3. 03/17/2023

    EVERYONE Should be Paying Attention to Public School Funding in Wisconsin -- PRTP28

    So today’s episode is a little different for me in that, even though I’ve already done the interview, I still feel I have a lot to learn about funding for public schools in Wisconsin. Back in the day, when I was teaching HS English, I didn’t think much at all about school funding. I had, for the most part, as far as I knew, what I needed to do my job. I certainly did not think about the bigger picture or how financial decisions made at the state level, might impact public education. I don’t think my experience is unusual. As the years have passed, I’ve grown to understand that funding public education is certainly a challenge that’s deeply impacting our rural schools. So in this episode, I’m honestly just asking questions about funding for public schools in Wisconsin. To kick off National Public Schools week, I’m introducing you to the executive director of the Wisconsin Public Education Network, Heather DuBois Bourenane. The interview itself is actually in two parts. Part 1 was just days before the Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, released his proposed budget, and Part 2 was just days after. Heather will explain how funding in Wisconsin impacts public schools and how the Wisconsin Public Education Network is a strong advocate for public schools. If you’re new to learning about how public schools in Wisconsin are funded, this conversation will, hopefully, stir your mind to learn more. Be sure to check out the show notes for relevant links. Do you want to learn more about how public schools are funded in Wisconsin? Visit: https://www.wisconsinnetwork.org/

    38 min

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About

The Proud Rural Teacher podcast will focus on relevant topics in education with a specific focus on education in rural America. It is our goal to facilitate discussion, provide resources, and offer inspiration for both pre-service and current educators teaching in rural areas.