Why Rural Matters: ECU faculty lead national conversation on rural education

Six East Carolina University College of Education faculty and staff spent an inspiring week of learning at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A conference setting with attendees seated at round tables facing a stage. On the stage, a speaker stands at a podium next to an American flag. Behind the speaker is a large screen displaying a presentation titled “The Why Rural Matters Report Series.” The slide includes bullet points about the report’s purpose, content, and structure, along with small images of report covers on the left side. The room has modern lighting and a blue accent wall behind the stage — Dr. Jerry Johnson presenting the “Why Rural Matters” report.

Drs. Shawnda Cherry, Kristen Gregory, Tanya Christ, Matthew Militello, Loni Crumb and Jerry Johnson connected with educators from across the country to explore innovative practices that will support rural students and communities. The highlight of this year’s conference was the release of the national Why Rural Matters report — a data-driven analysis of rural education across the United States. This report is co-authored by Johnson, the Phoebe Moore Dail Distinguished Professor in Rural Education and ECU Rural Education Institute (REI) director, and it provides valuable insights into similarities, unique strengths and areas for growth, ranking states across key indicators.

REI invites you to join the “Why Rural Matters: North Carolina” webinar on November 13 at 1 p.m. that will highlight findings from the report with a special focus on North Carolina. During the webinar, Johnson will discuss the data and emphasize the critical mission of engaging policymakers, educators and communities to address the challenges and opportunities facing rural education in North Carolina.