As we continue to sort out the impact Covid-19 has on every aspect of our work, the effect of the pandemic on the ongoing and persistent rural teacher shortage has the potential to greatly redefine the way in which we work. Determining the perceived influence of the pandemic in teacher retention will allow us to better serve rural schools and teachers.

This survey is designed to assess the perceptions school leaders, teacher educators, and rural school advocates have toward pandemic-related teacher retirements and retention issues. We want to garner an early sense of how the rural teacher shortage is being affected by Covid-19. Through the responses gathered from this survey, we will be able to shape our services and resources going forward in a way informed to the changing realities on the ground.

On behalf of the National Rural Education Association and the Rural Schools Collaborative, thank you for participating in an exploratory survey. The responses collected from this effort will be combined into a report detailing the perceptions of individuals in the education field about the direct impact of Covid-19 on rural teacher retirement and retention. All responses will be kept anonymous and presented in aggregate.

K–12 schools should be the last settings to close after all other mitigation measures in the community have been employed, and the first to reopen when they can do so safely. Many K-12 schools that have implemented mitigation strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open. This operational strategy presents a pathway to reopen schools and help them remain open through consistent use of mitigation strategies, especially universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing.

February marks Black History Month, and storytime is just one of the many occasions when you can teach your kids about the accomplishments of black pioneers and trailblazers.

Children’s books are famously bad at embracing diversity. In 2016, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that out of 3,400 kids’ books, fewer than one-quarter of them featured a main character who was black, Asian, Latino, or Native American. So it’s vital that parents share the books that are available with their kids.

Luckily, there are many helpful resources putting these titles within close reach. For Black History Month, Lee & Low Books, a multicultural children’s book publisher, offers helpful book recommendations. Every day in February, The Brown Bookshelf highlights a different black author or illustrator and their work. Helping Kids Rise also participates in a #ReadingBlackout (an initiative to read books by black authors) at the encouragement of YouTuber Denise Cooper.

With suggestions from the organizations above, plus some others, we put together a list of kids’ books by black authors, about black figures or focused on black culture.

In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) people across the country, calls were raised again to combat the persistent racist policies and behaviors that have plagued our communities for far too long. While major urban centers throughout the US drew the attention of media outlets and public officials, similar movements for justice and equality were also germinating in small towns across our rural landscape. These ongoing fights for justice in rural places often go unacknowledged in comparison to their larger and louder companion movements in cities. However, rural America is incredibly diverse, if not increasingly so, and a growing number of grassroots organizations are collaborating with local governments, and schools, to let that diversity shine and thrive.

Recently, while gardening together, my 5-year-old asked a lot of questions about the needs of different plants. She asked why we didn’t need to water the sunflowers as often as we needed to water the basil and was curious as to why our lettuce did better in the shade. As I explained the answers, I realized that we were talking about how to walk through the garden—and the world—with an awareness of identities and needs.

As an educator, the proverbial light bulb went off above my head: There were parallels between cultivating a garden and cultivating consciousness of the differences between equity and equality... and the traditional science activity of gardening would work as a catalyst for a discussion about similarities and differences among people.

San Vicente ISD is located exclusively in the heart of Big Bend National Park at Panther Junction. The park is comprised of 1,252 square miles of land, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. Within Big Bend National Park are numerous geographical contrasts. Having earned a Dark Skies designation, deep river gorges sparkle down below brilliant rock formations, canyons cut through the isolated Chisos Mountains and the Rio Grande tranquility passes through West Texas all while carrying the secrets of millennia in her waters are what make SVISD in BBNP a wonder.

Our small, rural school is home to a handful of children in grades Pk-8.

Primary Purpose:

Provide students with appropriate learning activities and experiences in the core academic subject area assigned to help them fulfill their potential for intellectual, physical, and social growth. Enable students to develop competencies and skills to function successfully in society.

Provide students with appropriate in-person and/or distance/virtual instruction in the academic subject area assigned to help students fulfill their potential for intellectual, physical, and social growth.

Responsibilities: (Not exhaustive)

1. Develop and implement lesson plans through curriculum programs for both in-person and/or distance/virtual instruction.

2. Plan and use appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, materials, equipment, technology, and/or resources for both in-person and/or distance/virtual instruction.

3. Work with other members of the staff to determine instructional goals, objectives, and methods according to district requirements.

4. Conduct ongoing assessment of student achievement through formal and informal testing.

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university

Valid Texas Teaching Certificate with required endorsements or training for subject and level assigned.

Demonstrated competency in the core academic subject area(s) assigned.

At least one year of student teaching or approved internship.

Above State minimum based on years of experience.

Master's Stipend $1000

Five State personal days per year.

Four local sick days per year.

TRS Active Care HD

$229 / mo contribution to an FSA for FT employees

District housing is available a brisk walk from the school

Send resume, letter of interest, current SBEC certification, and copies of transcripts to Jessi Milam, Superintendent at jmilam@svisd.com.