Regular direct advocacy from ARSA Advocacy Specialist, Sean Rickert, and Executive Board Members with the legislature, State Board of Education, Arizona Department of Education, and the governor.

ARSA celebrates superb teaching in our rural school through the annual ARSA Teacher of The Year program. We have had five ARSA state teachers of the year go on to become NREA National Teacher of The Year.

In honor of an aspiring teacher who unfortunately passed before achieving her dream of becoming a teacher, ARSA has established the Rosy Rubio Scholarship intended to support a rural school classified staff member as they complete their teacher education efforts.

Monthly Round Table format webinar hosted by ARSA Board Members, Sean Rickert, Pima USD, and Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Stanfield USD.

A joint Grand Canyon University/ARSA leadership program dedicated to building operational capacity for rural Arizona Principals.’

Produced and hosted by Dr. Melissa Sadorf, ARSA President Elect. The Scoop offers interviews and discussion of Arizona rural issues.

The guiding principle of the Arizona Rural Schools Association. One half of Arizona students are rural; ARSA represents 360 schools and 160,000 students. United, our members have a stronger voice at our legislature and with our policy makers.

ARSA is indeed fortunate to have an Executive Board made up of educators who have broad and deep understanding of educational theory and practice, but who also possess meaningful operational knowledge. They are an extraordinary “Brian Trust” for our members.

Links:

@AzRuralSchools

A group pushing for the utilization of unused television signals to increase rural connectivity has the support of 41 rural companies and organizations on comments sent to the Federal Communications Commission.

The letter was led by Connect Americans Now, which is leading the effort to use TV white space to carry broadband signals to underserved areas. The signers — which include national names like BASF and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, to name a few — say they endorse a pending FCC action to improve connectivity by “maximizing spectrum resources and clearing regulatory barriers to innovation.”