Over the past year, Rural Schools Collaborative and the National Rural Education Association have launched an incredible campaign, sharing the perspectives and stories of rural teachers across the nation. Some of this work has been compiled in our I Am a Rural Teacher Campaign Annual Report, which we invite you to read.

We’d like to thank our partners at the National Rural Education Association, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Ozarks Teacher Corps, and The University of West Alabama’s Black Belt Teacher Corps. The “I Am a Rural Teacher” campaign is made possible by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The theme is "COVID-19: A Closer Look at EdCat Involvement," and Mercer addressed the sentiments educators experienced due to the pandemic.

"There was discomfort in all of this, but it also fueled teachers' legendary creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork," Mercer wrote in her column. "The same occurred in the College of Education. Through the laughter, the uncertainty and frustration, we taught."

The magazine includes a mix of feature articles and columns.

"Drs. Christy Craft, Todd Goodson, Judy Hughey, Jerry Johnson, and Roger Schieferecke offer tremendous insights in their columns," Mercer said. "This magazine is a collection of stories and voices that were united by editor Patrice Scott and brought to life by our ever-talented graphic designer Mary Hammel."

Feature articles in this issue include:

As technology and computers have become a ubiquitous presence in our daily lives, so too have computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS) becomes an increasingly important part of more and more career paths across a variety of industries. As such, the need for educators to be qualified to teach these skills to future members of the workforce has also risen in recent years.

When Wyoming’s legislature voted in 2018 to require CS and CT standards to be taught in all schools, grades K–12, by the 2022/23 school year, only eight out of 48 school districts in the state had an educator on staff qualified to teach the material. While by the fall of 2020, the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) and partners have made significant progress toward CS being taught in all schools, a lack of certified teachers is still a lingering concern.

Still a work in progress, but many sessions are loaded. The entire site should be completed by this weekend.

Our partners at FightChildAbuse.org are launching the first of a four-part virtual event series with Aly Raisman on December 17! The first episode will be tailored for children Grades 4-6 and uses tools from the Protect Yourself Rules video series and learning materials. They’re inviting students, parents, and educators to join these interactive programs to raise awareness of child abuse and give all children the tools needed to stay safe. Register now at FightChildAbuse.org/virtualseries

Virtual Event series page: https://fightchildabuse.org/virtualseries/

Direct registration link: http://eepurl.com/hiIJz1