Just a couple of weeks ago, local teachers were chosen to be part of the inaugural class of the Rural Teachers Leaders Network.

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is the organization behind the RLN, “which is designed to bring together diverse groups of educators across North Carolina who seek to strengthen their practice, foster community with teacher leaders from across other rural districts, and develop their own leadership capacity in order to guide other teachers in their schools. The network aims to create a strong and lasting community of rural educators with a focus on equity, trauma-informed practice, global education, and teacher leadership.”

Emily Lahr, Thomas Loftin, and Kristen Taylor all of Greene County Schools were chosen to represent the county in this program. Also chosen from Jones County Schools were Mykkia Combs, Barbara Hayes, and Kimberly Kammerer. 

According to the press release from the Public School Forum, “The RTLN was made possible through a generous grant made by the Anonymous Trust, and will initially support this inaugural cohort that comprises educators from Clinton City, Duplin County, Greene County, Jones County, Onslow County, Sampson County, and Wayne County schools; this grant will provide support for another cohort beginning in the summer of 2022. The programming will be facilitated by the Public School Forum in partnership with Leading EDge Learning. The Forum hopes to expand the RTLN to other regions across the state in future years. Additional outreach and convening support was provided by the Southeast Education Alliance RESA, which includes several districts represented by educators in the Rural Teacher Leader Network. More than eighty educators applied for participation in RTLN; participants were admitted through a rigorous selection process.”

After speaking with local participants, I asked them a series of questions to better understand their personal expectations and goals as participants in the program. The was what they hoped to gain from participating in this program. Thomas Loftin, Instructional Technology Coach for Greene County shared that “by participating in the Rural Teacher Leader Network, I hope to gain the skills necessary to coach my fellow teachers to be more culturally responsive in their pedagogy and in their overall approach to interacting with the students that we serve.” Likewise Mykkia Combs, 3rd grade teacher at Comfort Elementary school shared “I am looking forward to this opportunity to learn from my fellow teachers. There are so many exciting and amazing things happening all around us.”.

When it comes to the greatest problem facing rural districts both shared that their biggest concern and what they believed to be the greatest problem was funding. Both shared that this issue of funding hampers the district's ability to adequately serve all students.

When asked what was the most memorable or favorite experience so far both shared a focus on self care and helping the whole child. The teachers will continue with RTLN throughout the rest of the 2021-22 school year.