Education Policy and Activism


Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant

View the latest Rural Trust i3 resources here, including archived webinars, presentations, and grant competition news. The Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant was established under section 14007 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and provides funding to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and nonprofit organizations in partnership with one or more LEAs or a consortium of schools.


Rural School Innovations Webinar: The STAR School

Register now for the next Rural School Innovations Webinar, featuring Northern Arizona's STAR School and its 3-to-3rd  Math Project, set for February 13, 2013.


The Experiences of Rural LGBT Youth

Strengths and Silences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in Rural and Small Town SchoolsStrengths and Silences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in Rural and Small Town Schools underscores the need for educators and policymakers to do more to address the safety risks for LGBT students in rural and small town schools.


The Rules We Play By, Part 3: Citizen Action and Research

Local public schools are governed by a variety of rules. But who makes the rules? This segment of “The Rules We Play By” is the third in a series of RPM articles that explore some of the ways public policy affects what’s possible in local schools — and why you should care.


Some Ballot Initiatives Could Have Far-Reaching Outcomes

Voters decided education-related ballot initiatives in many states this month, some with potentially far-reaching results.


Ohio School Levies Meet Mixed Success; School Funding Fight Likely

Voters in the Buckeye State approved many local district requests for funding, but calls are growing louder for a school finance system overall. 


Georgia Charter Law Faces Legal Fight

Voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that would expand charter operations in Georgia. But some opponents are challenging it in court, arguing that the language of the initiative was misleading.


Voters Consider Ballot Initiatives on Education

Next month's elections will steer a course in many states with education initiatives on the statewide ballot.


The Rules We Play By, Part 2: Who Makes the Rules?

Local public schools are governed by a variety of rules. But who makes those rules? The "Who Makes the Rule?" is the second in a series of RPM stories that explores some of the ways public policy affects what's possible in local schools — and why you should care.
Date: October 29, 2012
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Education Policy and Activism


Alabama State Department of Education Sued Over Student Records

Advocacy organization says harsh immigration law forced students to flee schools for fear of deportation.


Proposed Pennsylvania Legislation to Revise Charter School Funding Dies

Keystone state legislators struggle with reforming charter school regulations in the wake of lawsuits over funding.


Louisiana Judge Questions Whether Vouchers Impacting Desegregation Orders

The state superintendent of education must respond to allegations from a rural district that it cannot afford to comply with a new state voucher law and desegregation orders.


California Law Requiring Charters to Serve Free and Reduced Price Meals Vetoed

Governor Brown's veto revives questions about how well loose oversight serves poor students in charter schools.


"Utilizing the Village" Rural Dropout Prevention Webinar Set for October 12

Utilizing the Village: Using Early Warning Indicators and Interventions to Help Rural Students Succeed in School is the second of a three-session webinar series on rural dropout prevention and recovery.


The Rules We Play By

The official rules — at whatever level — set the tone, shape expectations, and govern the ways humans interact.
Date: August 28, 2012
Related Categories: Rural Policy Matters
Related Tags: Community Organizing, Education Policy and Activism