Nov 00: Rural Communities Matter

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	Nov 00: Rural Communities Matter

National PTA President's Letter
November, 2000

On my recent bus tour for America Goes Back to School with U. S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, when the secretary addressed rural communities, he referenced a report released in late August by the Rural School and Community Trust. Following are some of the highlights of Rural Matters: The Need for Every State to Take Action on Rural Education:

	One-fourth of the nation’s 47 million public school students attend schools in rural areas or small towns with populations less than 25,000.
	Of our 250 poorest counties, 244 are rural. Poverty is especially prevalent among rural minorities, who number one if four of rural students.

Besides sharing similar needs with many schools, rural schools also have different problems:

	recruitment and retention of educators and administrators
	long bus rides that detract from children’s time for study, play, and family, and the high transportation costs that whittle away at education funds
	high per-pupil costs that contrast low levels of discretionary spending
	distance and scarcity that make these schools last to be connected to the digital world

These realities can create "roadblocks" to parent involvement for rural PTAs:

Roadblock #1: Not Feeling Valued--Some parents may feel they don’t have anything of value to contribute or they may feel intimidated by school educators and leaders.

Roadblock #2: Language Barriers--Parents who do not speak English may not understand newsletters, fliers, or speakers at meetings.

Roadblock #3: Lack of Transportation--Without transportation, or if parents live too far from a meeting place, they may not attend school or PTA activities.

REACHING OUT TO PARENTS IN RURAL, AND ALL, COMMUNITIES

National PTA’s book "Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs" offers many suggestions for removing roadblocks to parent involvement faced by rural communities. The solutions rely heavily upon personal contact with all parents in the school community in order to make each feel welcome, informed, and part of that community. Efforts may include extending a personal welcome to each parent at PTA meetings, making phone calls and home visits to update those who cannot attend school or PTA events, having all printed materials translated into all of the languages spoken by families in the school, and varying meeting locations to alleviate lengthy commutes.

I’d like to remind readers that among National PTA’s goals is to assure that federal dollars remain targeted to the specific needs that have been identified as national priorities. Needs such as school construction/modernization, technology, and professional development are particularly critical in rural communities. In addition, National PTA believes there must be accountability for how federal dollars are spent. Parent involvement is one of the best means to measure accountability.

Ginny Markell
President, National PTA

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