MSU, WCU partnership leads to Mississippiās entrance into national Rural Schools Collaborative
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.āAn alliance between Mississippi State and William Carey universities is bringing the Magnolia State into a national collaborative focused on building rural communities through education.
The Rural Schools Collaborative, which works to sustain rural communities by addressing teacher shortages through philanthropy and promoting place-based learning, is welcoming Mississippi educators and advocates through an MSU-WCU partnershipāthe Mississippi Rural Education Association.
Amanda Tullos, rural education project manager for MSUās Social Science Research Center, said she has long been an admirer of the work RSC is doing to change the narrative about rural teaching and schools.
āWith Mississippi joining this group of advocates, we hope to build a community that crosses sectorsāfrom early childhood through post-secondary education,ā she said.
The Rural Schools Collaborative operates 17 regional hubs across the U.S. which not only share information, but work side by side on authentic projects and pursue funding opportunities, all in support of nonurban schools and communities.
Teresa Poole, WCUās dean of the School of Education, said, āOur goal is clearāequip educators with the tools to ensure every child in rural communities receives a quality education.ā
The MSREA, a chapter of the National Rural Education Association, is co-chaired by MSUās Tullos and Patti Permenter, associate director of WCUās Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools.
While Ā鶹“«Ć½AVcontributes insight to the RSC through such initiatives as the Mississippi Education Policy Fellowship program, which trains professionals with a direct interest in education policy, WCU provides impact with such projects as the āGrow Your Ownā partnership, a fast-track education option for high school students wanting to pursue teaching.
For more on the RSC, visit .
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