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Rural ... cont’d.

Community, a unique public-private partnership with Jarden Farms and a final stop at Bunker Hill High School comprised an eventful day. “The tour was intended to show the rural leaders that the barriers facing their communities are similar, if not the same, and collegial networking will help leaders move their schools forward,” Dugan said. Last year, Dugan brought forward the idea of a rural cohort, which includes a mix of in person and virtual sessions, to IASA. The idea was based on the AASA Advancing Rural Education cohort. IASA’s cohort will include 10 sessions over the course of eight months—eight of which will be virtual. The other in person session is May 9, 2024 in Olympia. The sessions will feature leaders from national education organizations, superintendents from other states and tours of innovative schools. A discussion on education trends/research and opportunities to share successes and challenges with peers will be prioritized each session. Like any cohort model, networking, sharing ideas and building relationships will be a pillar of Reimagining Rural Leadership. The overall goal is to help rural educators advance 21st Century learning practices while maintaining community support. “I think everyone’s going to walk away and gain great relationships,” Dr. Orzel said. “They’re going to be able to elevate their game when it comes to reimagining rural because they’ll be equipped with so many more resources.” CTE, SEL and Facilities Highlight Reasons for Participation Participants in the cohort come from as far north as the Wisconsin border, west to the Mississippi River, east to the Indiana border and south to Kentucky. Josh Temple, superintendent of Riverdale CUSD #100 in the Blackhawk Region, said he signed up for Reimagining Rural

Leadership to network with other school leaders and learn how his peers have strengthened Career and Technical Education programs in their respective districts. “I think one of my goals is to learn how other superintendents are creating meaningful connections with those students who are not traditionally college bound and creating a pathway for them to be successful after high school,” Temple said. Jakie Walker, superintendent of Red Hill CUSD #10 in Wabash Valley Region, noted one of his goals was to learn how other districts have partnered with local businesses to create new learning environments for high school students. He was also excited for the opportunity to connect with peers from rural districts from all parts of the state. “I think you can never learn too much and this is a great opportunity to see how superintendents in other districts prepare their students and staff,” Walker said. Stacey Day at West Central CUSD #235 in the Western Region added learning more about innovative social emotional supports for students and gaining insights into how other districts developed their Master Facilities Plan were among topics she hoped to learn more about. Brandi Bruley, superintendent of Waverly CUSD #6, added that she enrolled because she wanted to discover new strategies to operate with limited finances, how to develop an Innovation Center and learn more from other districts that built a solar farm on campus. “What’s great about being here with so many rural educators is that we all share common experiences and can help each other navigate difficult situations,” Bruley said. The next session for Reimagining Rural Leadership is Oct.16.

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