Poverty, Privilege, and Political Dynamics Within Rural School Reform

Abstract

This case was written to help prepare teacher-leaders, principals, and central office administrators, particularly those in rural and economically marginalized settings, who are expected to lead teachers and stakeholders in their community through increasingly stressed economic conditions. The intent of the case study is for educators to examine the impact privilege has on the often White, middle-class mind-set of educators, particularly when supporting economically marginalized communities. Educators studying this case should examine the role that poverty, privilege, and politics play in school leadership, specifically when thinking about school reform and community improvement efforts.

Exploring the Phenomenon of Rural School Counselors’ Professional Identity Construction

“…Previous literature has identified several issues that impact rural communities and influence the work of school counselors in such communities. Some concerns include a shortage of mental health workers, poverty and homelessness, and long bus transportation routes (Bain et al, 2011;Mette et al, 2016). Each of these issues can impact the lives of children and the ways school counselors support them.…”

“…Supervision. As noted previously, rural communities face issues such as a shortage of mental health professionals, poverty, and homelessness (Bain et al, 2011;Bright, 2018;Mette et al, 2016). Working with students experiencing these issues requires school counselors to continue developing their clinical skills after completing their preservice training.…”

“Turning Their Back on Kids”: Inclusions, Exclusions, and the Contradictions of Schooling in Gentrifying Rural Communities

“…These resources included the important roles of parental aspirations, cultural orientations, and knowledge about how to achieve educational goals (Calarco 2014;Sherman and Harris 2012;Lareau 2003;Kohn 1959). But in Paradise Valley, as in many other rural school settings, other social class factors and community divides also played important roles in encouraging or limiting student achievement (Corbett 2020;Mette et al 2016;Petrin, Schafft, and Meece 2014;Sherman and Sage 2011;Cobb, McIntire, and Pratt 1989).…”