Your focus has always been on what matters most — educating students. But while you’ve worked tirelessly to support learning, facility needs may have slipped down the priority list. Many rural and small PreK–12 districts are in the same position, managing older buildings that are expensive to run and difficult to support. OPTERRA helps districts […]
Rural PreK-12 Partnership Spotlights from OPTERRA Read More »
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has strong potential in rural schools to serve as a student empowerment and community revitalization powerhouse. Because of their embeddedness, rural schools have long been the foundation of their local economy and society, and CTE offers a direct tie that links school to community through student professional development. Despite this
By Joe Brewer When Thomas bolted out of my history class to respond to an accident on a remote road in our rural community, his training as a student EMT helped him turn fear into action. At just 17 years old, Thomas was the first to arrive on the scene—a heavy responsibility for someone his
Why Rural America Should Lead the CTE Charge to Reimagine Schools Read More »
Contact: Dr. Jason E. Leahy, Executive Director, Illinois Principals Association Phone: 217-525-1383 Email: jason@ilprincipals.org Horace Mann and the Illinois Principals Association are pleased to announce that Natalie Page, principal of Sesser-Valier High School in Sesser, has been named the 2024 Illinois High School Principal of the Year. The award recognizes high school principals who have demonstrated
by Dr. Allen Pratt The National Rural Education Association (NREA) advocates for equitable educational opportunities for the nearly 9 million students attending rural public schools across America. Tennessee has over 600,000 students in rural districts that are the backbone of our communities. But now our rural schools face an existential threat from school vouchers. Public rural schools
The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools is proud to join the United States Department of Education in celebrating outstanding schools.
Several Rural and Small Illinois Schools Receive 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award Read More »
It is with great sadness that I share that Dr. Jim Beddow, a friend and former Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) Board Member, passed away on Sunday, June 25 after a brief and unexpected illness. I had the privilege to serve with Jim on the RSC board and watched him support rural and small schools with
Honoring Jim Beddow Read More »
AIRSS joined an advisory group to review and redesign the EBF Spending Plan with ISBE.
Evidence Based Funding Spending Plan Read More »
The teacher shortage has become a hard reality in 2023.
The Teacher Shortage from the Rural Perspective Read More »
AIRSS looks forward to working with Dr. Sanders to support his vision for education in Illinois and sharing with him the perspective and realities of our rural and small schools.
ISBE names Dr. Tony Sanders new State Superintendent of Education Read More »
