National shortages of qualified personnel in the field of early childhood special education are well documented, with shortages magnified in regions characterized by poverty and rural geography. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced and innovations implemented by an alternate-track, personnel preparation program in Appalachian Kentucky attempting to (a) address the chronic shortage of highly-qualified early childhood personnel and (b) meet the needs of nontraditional students dispersed across a rural region where accessibility to traditional programs limits participation and enrollment. Strategies implemented to overcome obstacles common to rural teacher preparation include flexibility in course delivery methods (on-line, face-to-face, hybrid, and weekend workshops) and practicum placement.

it is her first experience in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As she enters the NICU, she is excited to learn more about the new child on her caseload. Mary Anne observes the NICU nurse, Consuela, coaching the baby's mom, Shayla, in ways to comfort her infant. Consuela is showing Shayla how to swaddle and encourage sucking from her newborn, Jax. Jax was born fullterm and is experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), as diagnosed by the NICU team. Shayla practices the techniques that Consuela shows her, and Jax begins to settle. Mary Anne has not worked with an infant with NAS and is unfamiliar with these calming techniques. She is grateful to have Consuela's guidance and her own professional development resources as she learns how to support Shayla