The Rural Scoop Dr. Melissa Sadorf

In this episode, Melissa interviews Dr. Jaime Festa-Daigle, President Elect of the Arizona Rural Schools Association. They discuss the unique challenges facing rural districts like Jamie's district in Lake Havasu City, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty impacting youth, and teacher recruitment and retention difficulties. Jamie highlights initiatives her district has taken, including growing their own teachers, working closely with the community, and focusing on career and technical education pathways. They also talk about ARSA's goals of networking rural educators, advocating for rural issues like full-day kindergarten funding, and keeping a laser focus on quality teaching and learning. Jamie shares her vision for ARSA bringing rural voices together and preparing the next generation of rural leaders.

Join Melissa as she interviews, Andy Wannemacher, the superintendent of the Aguila Elementary School District, a small rural district in west-central Arizona. Andy shares his journey from a business background to becoming an educator and superintendent in a rural community. He discusses the challenges of rural education, including poverty, English language learners, teacher recruitment, school safety, and limited resources. Andy highlights the importance of building a positive school culture, character education, and using local community assets to enhance educational outcomes. He also emphasizes the advantages of rural education, such as close-knit communities, personalized connections with students and families, and the ability to problem-solve face-to-face. Despite the challenges, Andy's passion for rural education shines through as he reflects on the successes of his school and the joy of watching students grow and thrive.

Join Melissa as she interviews, Sean Rickert, incoming president of the Arizona Rural Schools Association, who discusses his goals and priorities for supporting and advocating for rural education in Arizona over the next few years. He emphasizes the importance of bringing rural education leaders together through conferences, roundtables, and other events to network, share resources and solutions, and amplify the voices and needs of rural schools. Rickert notes the persistent challenges of teacher recruitment and retention in rural areas and predicts an evolution in how education is delivered, with more personalized and technology-enabled approaches. His overarching aim is to listen to rural districts to understand their diverse needs and help them access the resources and relationships to provide quality education for rural students.

Melissa and Ty interview education professors Dr. Sara Hartman and Dr. Bob Klein about their book "The Middle of Somewhere," highlighting innovative rural partnerships improving access and opportunity. They share how their passion for rural spaces motivated the book to address challenges like teacher shortages and limited funding. Key to successful partnerships are champions, mutual benefits, and sustainability. The book's sections on access, advocacy and equity showcase major rural issues. Sara and Bob discuss policy decisions often overlooking rural contexts, as the book informs more equitable advocacy. Envisioning an exciting future for increasingly diverse rural schools, they stress valuing place when preparing students. Sarah and Bob urge nurturing committed cross-sector partnerships to utilize rural connectivity and enduring, essential rural spaces. Overall the book conveys rural youth and communities as "somewhere" despite prevailing negative stereotypes.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/ruralscoop for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

Our theme song is Quittin Time Rag by Lon Eldridge. Find his music at https://www.loneldridge.com/

In this episode of The Rural Scoop podcast, hosts Melissa and Ty interview Allison Mitkowski, the 2023 Arizona Rural Teacher of the Year who teaches English, economics, and government at Williams High School. Allison discusses the tight-knit rural community and deep connections with students and families. She highlights the logistical challenges of rural schools, like lack of housing and internet access. Allison wears many hats, teaching several subjects and sponsoring extracurriculars focused on inclusion. She shares rewarding experiences reaching students, from playing chess with a student she first bonded with while delivering homework during COVID, to establishing an engaging mock trial program with the courts. Allison advocates for rural teacher retention and recruitment. She encourages rural teaching for those who love deep community ties and making an impact through relationships. Though Allison didn't intend to become a teacher originally, she finds rural education profoundly meaningful.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/ruralscoop for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

Our theme song is Quittin Time Rag by Lon Eldridge. Find his music at https://www.loneldridge.com/

In this episode of The Rural Scoop podcast, host Melissa interviews Josie McClain, a 2nd-grade teacher at Paloma Elementary School District in Arizona. Josie discusses her journey from Michigan to teaching in a rural Arizona community. She highlights the tight-knit, family atmosphere and small class sizes as advantages of rural schools. Josie wears many hats as a teacher, including integrating art and music. She faces challenges like a lack of internet access for students. Josie values building relationships with students and focuses on social-emotional learning. She is working towards National Board Certification. Josie encourages teachers to consider rural settings for autonomy, support from administrators, and the ability to have an impact. She didn't initially plan on rural teaching but has found it rewarding.

Go to https://betterhelp.com/ruralscoop for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

Our theme song is Quittin Time Rag by Lon Eldridge. Find his music at https://www.loneldridge.com/