The Policies and Politics of Rural Education

This chapter explores the relationship between rural education and education policy. Using the frameworks of spatial injustice and community cultural wealth, it examines how the demographics, geographies, politics, cultures, and economies of rural places influence education policy and its implementation and how, in turn, rural places are influenced by policy. The chapter focuses on six policy issues that present particular challenges for rural communities, examining their evolution, their particular manifestations in rural schools, and their impacts. Three of these issues—school closure, school segregation, and school funding—have faced rural educators, administrators, and residents for generations; the other three—school choice, school accountability, and access to higher education—are more recent policy issues. All are critical for the important, often unintended consequences they have for rural schools, children, and communities. The chapter concludes with a look at the costs of a-contextual policymaking and a call for more place-conscious approaches.

Keywords: rural education; education policy; educational inequality