When it comes to public school coverage by the mainstream media, rural schools get the short end of the stick. David Gutierrez recently wrote about the problemfor Harvard Political Review, explaining: “This disparity in media coverage is understandable. The crumbling infrastructure of cities, the poverty and segregation faced by inner-city students, and the presence of a school-to-prison pipeline are all serious problems that demand reforms. But . . . rural educational issues can be forgotten in the commotion. Rural school districts face concerns that stem from . . . the lack of technological infrastructure, and the difficulty of hiring and retaining teachers.”
Gutierrez concluded: “The current state of rural education is bleak . . . It is time to address all underperforming schools, regardless of their location. Solutions will require a concerted effort . . . to ensure that every child, urban or rural, receives an equal opportunity to succeed.”