School & District Management

Rural Education

By Alan Richard — September 12, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Financial Aid: If you’re a leader in a rural school district, or a state policymaker or journalist looking for guidance on court decisions about school finance, you’ve now got someplace else to turn.

The Rural Education Finance Center, based in Raleigh, N.C., is open for business. Founded by the nonprofit Rural School and Community Trust in Washington, the center plans to fight for more resources in rural schools. More than 20 states have active school finance lawsuits, many of which involve rural districts.

“The forces of inequity never rest, " said Marty Strange, the Randolph, Vt.-based director of policy for the Rural School and Community Trust. “Rural people aren’t always at the table.”

Gregory C. Malhoit, the former executive director of the North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center, is the director of the new finance center. He sees his job as a chance to move his previous work—at a policy-research and advocacy group focused on rural and poor communities—to a national stage.

Mr. Malhoit’s goals include: helping rural areas push for what they believe is more equitable funding; support research on school finance that can be used in court if needed; promote sound practices in managing local school dollars; provide legal support; and monitor and report on school finance policy nationwide.

To find out more about the Rural Education Finance Center, check www.ruraledu.org; send an e-mail to greg.malhoit@ruraledu.org; write Mr. Malhoit by regular mail at 3344 Hillsborough St., Suite 302, Raleigh, NC 27607; or call (919) 833-4541.

Granting Assistance: Rural organizations have a new source where they can seek grant money: the National Rural Funders Collaborative.

The Dallas-based group represents seven private foundations seeking to collectively provide $100 million over the next decade to stimulate revitalization and reinvestment in rural America. They are the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Fannie Mae Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the F.B. Heron Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Their goal is to “attract and sustain long-term investments, not short-term contributions, in rural America,” said Jim Richardson, the executive director. The collaborative is seeking proposals through September. For details, see www.nrfc.org. Or call (214) 946-2456.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion For Principals, Emotional Intelligence Is More Than Just Being ‘Nice’
Emotions are contagious. When leaders struggle, the school environment does, too.
Marc Brackett, James Floman & Robin Stern
5 min read
Juggling emotions control concept, businessman juggling emotions icons and mood control, mindfulness and psychology, techniques and techniques for managing anger
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How Can Principals Grow the Next Generation of Teachers? Listen to My Student
Here’s what made this high schooler want to become a public school teacher.
S. Kambar Khoshaba & Mina Etemadi
4 min read
Conceptual image of growing the next generation of teachers from students.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management How Los Angeles Schools Are Responding to the ICE Raids and Protests
The school year in Los Angeles is ending amid immigration raids, protests, and the activation of National Guard troops and Marines.
4 min read
Los Angeles police officers with batons and riot gear attempt to move back protesters in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025.
Los Angeles police officers with batons and riot gear attempt to move back protesters in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district's police force planned to set up "perimeters of safety" around graduation ceremonies this week amid immigration raids in the city, protests, and the activation of National Guard troops and Marines.
Eric Thayer/AP
School & District Management Download How to Boost Teacher Morale: A Guide for District Leaders (DOWNLOADABLE)
Our discussion guide for district leaders has three takeaways about teachers' attitudes toward their job. Use it to jump start PD with your team.
1 min read
A leader meets with their team. Superintendents, principals, schools leaders, district maps.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva