Podcasts about nrea

The CBE's MPC is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 21 November. The IMF mission that is in Cairo is set to complete the fourth review of Egypt's USD8 billion loan program this week.Egypt's unemployment rate rose to 6.7% of the total workforce in the third quarter of 2024, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.The Madbouly government on Thursday inked two MoUs with local and international energy players (Taqa Arabia and Voltalia consortium and UAE Alcazar) that could see them develop projects producing some 5.2 GW of renewable energy under a build-own-operate (BOO) system.Suez Canal revenues have reportedly dropped by 61% YoY in 9M24.The Cabinet approved amendments to the Unified Budget Act, setting an annual debt ceiling for the government and all 59 of its economic bodies. The Cabinet approved a new mechanism to ensure all entities responsible for customs clearance work seven days a week, including bank branches at ports. Egypt is now a member of the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment, and Trade unveiled at COP29. The National Industrial Strategy aims to boost the industrial sector's contribution to the country's GDP from to 20% by 2030 from 14% currently.The net foreign assets of the CBE increased by about USD168.5 million in October, reaching c.USD10.625 billion.Dana Gas is waiting for the Egyptian government to pay USD24 million of its dues.The cost of the export burden rebate program implemented during March 2024 through June 2025 is estimated at EGP23 billion, We raised our FV of LCSW from EGP30.08/share to EGP37.00/share and maintain our Overweight recommendation for the stock.SWDY reported 3Q24 consolidated results. Attributable earnings surged to EGP4.8 billion (+92%, +8% QoQ). MCQE reported enhanced financial performance in 3Q24. Attributable bottom line came in at EGP21.7 million in 3Q24 bouncing back from a recorded loss of EGP1.1 million in the previous quarter and a loss of EGP29.6 million in 3Q24.SWDY's Board approved guaranteeing and warranting Elsewedy Electric Power Systems Projects a facility contract of USD329.3 million.FWRY reported record 3Q24 results. Net profit came in at EGP478 million (+135% YoY, +48.5% QoQ). NTRA has issued licenses for seven firms to establish and operate call centers using voice over internet protocol and other tools. GBCO released 3Q24 results. Net profit recorded EGP746 million in 3Q24 (+12.6% YoY, +76.8% QoQ). State-owned El Nasr Automotive has officially restarted operations after a 15-year hiatus.JUFO reported 3Q24 financial results. Net profit recorded EGP958 million in 3Q24 (+197.2% YoY, -4.3% QoQ).POUL reported 3Q24 financial results. Bottom line recorded EGP681.8 million in 3Q24 (+88.2% YoY, +18.9% QoQ).HDBK 3Q24 standalone bottom line came in strong at EGP3,113 million (+14% q/q, +122% y/y). HDBK is currently trading at 2025 P/E of 2.8x and P/B of 0.8x. EXPA  3Q24 bottom line post minority interest recorded EGP1,564 million (+21% q/q, +53% y/y). CANA 3Q24 bottom line recorded a strong EGP1,314 million (+10% q/q, +80% y/y), BINV's bottom line in 3Q24 recorded a solid EGP342 million (+6.2% q/q, +423% y/y), bringing 9M24 net profit to EGP1.6 billion (+160 % y/y). United Bank is studying the acquisition of a bank in the local market.TAQA and Italian renewable energy developer Voltalia signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EETC and NREA to study a 3.2 gigawatt (GW) capacity wind/solar power plant in Suez.RMDA reported positive 3Q24 results. Net profit amounted to EGP120 million, up 89.7% QoQ and 54.5% YoY.

The Madbouly government is in the process of drafting an investment plan to offer the Red Sea's Ras Banas to private sector players in a transaction similar to ADQ's Ras El Hekma USD35 billion agreement.Egypt has bought 20 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the first tender issued to cover its winter demand since 2018, securing full volumes it was seeking at smaller-than-expected premiums.UAE's AMEA Power will invest USD800 million to develop two renewable energy projects in Upper Egypt after inking new purchase power agreements (PPAs) with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) on Thursday.Prime Minister touched down in Riyadh yesterday alongside Finance Minister and Investment Minister for talks with their Saudi counterparts aimed at strengthening trade and investment between the two countries. The Transport Ministry has tasked the Finance Ministry's PPP unit to prepare feasibility studies for three PPP projects at the Dekheila Port. The projects include a multi-purpose container terminal with an estimated cost of USD300 million, a dry port, and an industrial-purpose pipeline extension whose cost has not yet been determined, a source said.Chinese state-owned construction firm and China Energy subsidiary Gezhouba Group proposed establishing a “logistics cargo city” at Cairo International Airport during a meeting with the Aviation Ministry.Norway's Scatec inked a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company EETC for its planned 1 GW solar and 100-200 MWh battery storage hybrid project in Egypt, it said on Thursday.The Egyptian Tax Authority will unveil the implementation mechanisms of the recently-announced package of tax incentives this week, advisor to the Head of the Tax Authority said.State grains buyer GASC purchased 430k tons of Russian wheat last week at USD235 per ton, according to a Supply Ministry statement. The Ministry of Electricity plans to add capacity to the electrical grid of up to 3 gigawatts from solar energy projects and wind farms by 2025 summer.The government is working to launch 4 projects through PPP system at an investment cost of about EGP16 billion, according to a government report.Egypt is seeking a loan from the New Development Bank worth USD300 million, with the aim of expanding the comprehensive health insurance system. The CBE's net foreign assets declined to EGP499.26 billion (c.USD10.3 billion) at the end of August, compared to EGP508.58 billion (USD10.5 billion) at the end of last July.Ukrainian President said that Russia had attacked a cargo ship in international waters carrying around 5-20k tonnes of wheat from Ukraine to Egypt on Thursday. EGAS finalized a study to increase the price of natural gas supplied to factories by 10-30%. The study excludes factories with a preset variable pricing formula.The government targets issuing projects to develop three fertilizers companies, which are owned by the Ministry of the Public Enterprises, through partnership with the private sector, during 1Q25.A consortium of Scatec, Fertiglobe, and ORAS has inked two land usufruct agreements with EETC and NREA to set up a wind and a solar power plant that will feed their USD500 million green hydrogen plant. A consortium of ORAS, Toyota Tsusho, and Engie inked a land usufruct agreement and a PPA with the EETC and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) for a project that will see the consortium add 150 MW of wind energy capacity to its 500 MW wind farm in the Gulf of Suez, according to a Cabinet statement. SWDY appointed Ahmed Mohamed Shokry as the Group CFO.

Jerry Johnson, the Phoebe Moore Dale Distinguished Professor in Rural Education at East Carolina University, discussed the upcoming release of the 2023 "Why Rural Matters" report. This tenth edition marks the first published under the National Rural Education Association. Johnson notes how NREA has strengthened connections between researchers and practitioners to serve rural schools better. The report uses public data to highlight the top issues facing rural education in each state, informing policymakers' priorities. If he could instantly resolve one problem, Johnson would want universal recognition that rural people and places matter. He expects future data to quantify COVID-19's impacts on rural communities. Michael Crosa helps people across the US to create, distribute, and monetize their podcasts. Learn more at Chattanooga Podcast Studios dot com. He is also the head of the PodNooga Network which can be found on Instagram and Facebook at PodNooga.

Supporting place-based learning in rural communities is core to the missions of RSC and the NREA, as evidenced by our shared grant work, the National Signature Project Award. Kim McCully-Mobley is a high school teacher in Aurora, Missouri, who won the 2023-2024 award to support her work creating murals with her students representing the history of her hometown. Thank you for listening to this episode of the I Am A Rural Teacher Podcast. We'd like to thank our partners at Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Missouri State University for jointly leading the Rural Schools Collaborative Missouri Ozarks Regional Hub, where Kim is based. Special thanks to Kim for telling her story about place-based education in Aurora, and to Brian for sharing his perspective, as well. I Am A Rural Teacher is a collaborative project between Rural Schools Collaborative and the National Rural Education Association.

The National Rural Education Association is a strong and respected organization of rural school administrators, teachers, board members, regional service agency personnel, researchers, business and industry representatives, and others who are interested in maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country. In this episode, NREA's executive director, Dr. Allen Pratt, joins the podcast to talk about the NREA's current work, the present challenges facing rural education in America, and the innovative and collaborative efforts being made to address them. We also chat about the myriad of ways in which NREA helps keep rural educators connected and informed. To learn more about NREA (and to register for their annual conference), visit https://www.nrea.net/

Guest: Laurie Smith, 2021 National Rural Teacher of the Year, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller School District (NE) Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieSmith1995 Host: Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools, Washington, DC Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thomascmurray​​ Future Ready Schools Website: http://www.FutureReady.org​ Free Virtual Events: http://www.FutureReady.org/Virtual​​​ Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/FutureReady​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FutureReadySchools Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/FutureReadySchools Future Ready Schools is a registered trademark of All4Ed, located in Washington, DC. #FutureReady​​​​​​​​​​ Audio Credit: MB01GN29HGUXKKK

In this episode, we interview Jaime Green, Superintendent of the Trinity Alps Unified School District in rural Northern California. The county is mostly federal lands. He has served as the superintendent for the past five years. Trinity Alps sends buses an hour to an hour and a half one way. The school traveled with the LA Times to Washington DC and was impressed by how caring legislators are to issues of education and kids. Superintendent Green then shifts the interview to discuss history. He discusses the Secure Schools Act, which provides funding gained from federal lands to help fund education under the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt. Rosevelt, in partnership with the NREA (that's right, the NREA) worked to provide 25% of the wealth gained from public lands to support schools. Currently, there is a huge disparity in funding between urban and rural funding. Following later policy changes regarding the use of federal lands, the government shifted to providing an allotment of funds to support rural education about ten years ago. Then ten years ago, the government suggested that education be weaned off federal lands and allotments. Further, for school districts with large amounts with large federal land, property taxes are not sustainable to fund education. Superintendent Green approached legislators about how to find solutions to these funding issues. One proposal was for strategic resource allocation, like selective resource use to fund schools (e.g., selective cut timber). Legislators shared with Superintendent Green that they were unaware of the history of the program. If the issue is not addressed, school districts will have limited resources, if any at all. Trinity Alps Unified School District is only receiving 1/4 of the funds allocated over 15 years ago. Therefore, there is an equity gap between rural and urban areas. Many rural schools need broadband and other resources. Further, loss of further funding could result in staff and teacher cuts. Superintendent Green suggests that investing in education is investing in our future by creating taxpayers, not tax consumers, by providing quality education and rural resource to build rural communities. If you are interested in reaching out to Superintendent Jaime Green at jgreen@tausd.org https://www.tausd.org/index.html

Recorded on November 18, 2022, we debriefed following the 2022 NREA conference and all the interesting activities during the conference. We discussed attendees' experiences, including cross-political discussion on how to address challenges in rural education. We also reminded the listeners that the 2023 conference will be in Chattanooga. This episode interviewed Tim Nikolai Senior Rural Health Director for American Heart Association. We discussed how a typical vaping device pod is equivalent to 20 cigarettes. Tim discusses the various health concerns facing rural schools. For example, we discussed the connection between mental and physical health. We discussed the role of obesity and other comorbidities and how tobacco may further contribute to healthcare outcomes. We discussed how the American Heart Association partners with school districts to address health concerns, including learning opportunities for students, teachers, and staff. We also discussed school health emergencies and the current statistics related to rural communities. Further, we discussed the socio-emotional issues in rural education, including the limited resources to help for students and school districts. We explored the role of making science accessible to rural communities in a consumable way. As Tim notes, making the healthy choice the easy choice not only in our own kitchens but also for school district policy as well. Tim Nikolai is the Sr. Rural Health Director for the American Heart Association in the 13-state Midwest Region. After growing up as an “Army Brat,” he graduated from Ripon College - in rural Wisconsin - with a degree in political science and secondary education. He has been with the Association for 14+ years in a variety of roles, many of which involved collaboration with school districts. In his current role, he works with organizations that are based in – or focused on – rural communities. This includes school districts, libraries, hospitals, community health centers, local health departments, and more. His work focuses on changing policies and systems from a barrier to health into a health asset. He lives north of Milwaukee with his wife and two kids. https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothynikolai Sponsors for today's episode My credential https://www.mycredential.com/ WinLearning https://www.winlearning.com/

THE NEW "NATIONAL RURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION" AGENDA The title sums it up with NREA Executive Director Allen Pratt , Professor Sara Hartmann of Ohio U and Dr. Pamela  Buffington of The Education Development Center.Learn more at https://www.nrea.net/NREA_research_agenda ******************************************** Everything we do is linked at the home website of The American Consortium for Equity in Education  at ace-ed.org: 1.Teacher-Retention.com and Teaching Reset Professional Development 2. SELtoday.org 3The Excellence in Equity Awards Program 4.Our online journal 'Equity& Access PreK12

THE NEW "NATIONAL RURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION" AGENDA The title sums it up with NREA Executive Director Allen Pratt , Professor Sara Hartmann of Ohio U and Dr. Pamela  Buffington of The Education Development Center.Learn more at https://www.nrea.net/NREA_research_agenda ******************************************** Everything we do is linked at the home website of The American Consortium for Equity in Education  at ace-ed.org: 1.Teacher-Retention.com and Teaching Reset Professional Development 2. SELtoday.org 3The Excellence in Equity Awards Program 4.Our online journal 'Equity& Access PreK12

In this episode, we discuss what it means to be a rural teacher with the 2022 NREA National Teacher of the Year Ty White from Willcox High School in Willcox Arizona. Ty shares his experiences growing up outside of a rural copper mining town, and his experiences teaching in the farming and ranching community of Willcox, Az. Like so many people in small-town schools, Ty plays various roles – serving as the knowledge bowl coach, the mentor for the science club, the sponsor of the solar go-kart team, advisor for student research projects, the Cabinet coordinator for the Chief Science Officer program, organizes an astronomy group, and is working with another teacher to start a VEX robotics team. Join us for this discussion, and come meet Ty at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education in Green Bay! Finally, we announce the location of the 2023 NREA Conference location. Register for the convention here: https://www.nrea.net/2022-Convention-Registration Congrats to Ty White, 2022 NREA National Teacher of the Year.

We continue our series of podcasts at SRC Live! This episode features Dr. Allen Pratt, Director of the NREA. The focus of Dr Pratt's work is providing a unified voice for rural schools and communities not only in broadband but in all aspects of rural education. Click now to learn his story. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Broadband Bunch podcast on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. To learn more: https://www.nrea.net Allan also has his own podcast - To see a directory of episodes, https://nrea.simplecast.com

In this episode of the Rural Voice, the cohosts interview Eric Sheninger, Author, thought leader, and educator, regarding technological innovation in pedagogy and the classroom. Mr. Sheninger is one of our keynote addresses at the upcoming NREA conference. Mr. Sheninger discusses the importance of capitalizing on technology through the framework of meeting kids where they are. For example, he discusses how virtual learning may work best for some children while face-to-face classroom education may be better for others. While many kids are technology savvy, others may struggle to acclimate to new technologies without the appropriate direction. The discussion further discusses social media's role in informing, educating, and sharing information. They discuss how school administrators might use such approaches to share information while being mindful of public opinion. As Eric shares, use common sense and only share what would be appropriate for your grandmother. Avoid political topics and socially sensitive issues. However, capitalizing on social media can provide a medium to share various methods of learning and teaching to help others. Therefore, using social media is important in sharing one's story. Further, they discuss the appropriateness of branding and the method for building relationships while keeping the message consistent. Sharing successes is so important, and it helps facilitate important conversations. https://ericsheninger.com/ This episode is sponsored by WinLearning.

This episode of the Rural Voice begins our series of interviews with upcoming National Rural Education Conference speakers to be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in October of 2022. We Interviewed Mr. Ben Winchester, a former guest on the podcast, regarding the changing trends in housing from urban to rural areas of the United States. They discuss the changing housing landscape and need in communities, the influx of people moving to rural America, and the potential impact on education. While the data can help track these trends, Mr. Winchester suggests that each community may have unique needs. He further indicates that housing should meet the needs of the population's specific subsegments, yet much housing development does not consider those needs. https://extension.umn.edu/contacts-community-development/ben-winchester This episode is sponsored by Win Learning

In this episode, we interview Mike Lowers, Director of School Implementation at Presence Learning, discussing issues within special education, pedagogy, and IEP and speech in addressing support services. We discuss that many rural schools have limited to no resources where students might find special education programs. One issue with this is that some students may have conditions that may not impact them in the classroom but need services such as therapy. Mike suggests that teletherapy solves such problems where school districts can combine resources to help students in need. We explore the application of teletherapy to help students overcome learning and behavioral challenges. Mike suggests that there are creative and alternative solutions to help students. Capitalizing on the resources available such as remote solutions, students can access the resources needed to overcome developmental challenges. Mike will be present at the 2021 NREA conference, and we welcome questions and discussion on the topic. https://www.presencelearning.com/

In Part V of our landmark series on rural higher education and workforce development, produced in collaboration with and supported by the Asscendium Education Group, Michelle chats with Danielle Vetter, Senior Program Officer and Kirstin Yeado, Program Officer, at Ascendium Education Group, both supporting partnerships focused on rural education and workforce training; Emily Cole, a higher education researcher and a Project Director with Sova; and Dr. Allen Pratt, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association (NREA). The riveting discussion focuses on Ascendium's research initiatives, including its rural postsecondary education agenda and partnerships; themes and stories that informed the agenda; what rural leaders and communities can take away from the agenda; and NREA's rural research projects. This episode and the entire series is sponsored  by the Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit organization committed to helping learners from low-income backgrounds reach their educational and career goals.  For more information, visit ascendiumphilanthropy.org.

In this episode of the Rural Voice, we interview Ms. Laurie Smith, a 4th-grade teacher in Sumner, Nebraska, and the National Rural Education Association's teacher of the year for 2021. In this interview, we meet Ms. Smith and discuss her vision for rural education. We explore her approach to creating and maintaining relationships in the community and creating safe learning spaces for students. As noted by Ms. Smith, every child should come to school with empty backpacks meaning kids should come ready to learn without the challenges of stress and anxiety that come with being a child in the 21st century. She discusses the challenges of being a rural teacher, including curriculum development, instructor, counselor, and educational liaison. She discusses how the loss of a student changed her worldview on teaching. Ms. Smith will be a speaker during the 2021 annual meeting and will discuss her experiences, including how losing a student changed her worldview in the classroom. For more information on Ms. Smith and her important work, go to the following link https://www.semmustangs.org/vnews/display.v/TP/55b659b82db04 Check out our Podcast sponsor WinLearning at https://www.winlearning.com/nrea

In this special episode of the Rural Voice, the cohosts Drs. Pratt, Bigham, and Silver invite NREA friend and contributor Dr. Brad Mitchell, Senior Strategist, Battelle for Kids, to respond to a recent article from the New York Times titled The Tragedy of America's Rural Schools by Casey Parks, Published Sept. 7, 2021. As noted in this article, the discussants discuss some of the challenges of making overarching claims in a single case study example. We discuss contextual challenges and benefits of education in rural America, including strategic partnerships, identifying problems at the local level, avoid stereotyping of rural education and learning as one problem and solution fits all, and the need for coordinated efforts to address these problems beyond the political sphere of influence to pragmatic accountability. This accountability is top-down and bottom-up, where we all need to work together to address these issues, including race and demographics, socio-economic challenges, and meeting the job market needs within each locale. We collectively call on the New York Times to consider addressing the policy and practices at the local level to address these issues, avoid overgeneralizations based on a single case study to include more narratives of students, teachers, and families to meet our educational goals, and recognize that justice is about precise regional understanding and implementation within schools and community. Dr. Mitchell suggests examples might include the Good Jobs Challenge, and each state should have a rural policy of practice to address these growing challenges. The article link is below. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/magazine/rural-public-education.html

In this week's episode, we interview Ms. Haley Danielle Richardson, Second-Grade Teacher, University Charter School, Livingston, Alabama. She discusses her experience with rural charter schools and connecting a new charter school and the community. She discusses the role that modeling plays in teaching children to achieve their dreams. Moreover, Ms. Richardson explores her own experience as a teacher and her students' role in enriching her life. She discussed the importance of being a rural teacher and how teachers' experiences shape students from diverse rural backgrounds and find their voice. See Ms. Richardson present her experience at the upcoming NREA conference.

In this episode of the National Rural Education Association, the hosts speak to Will McIntee, the Midwest Political Director for the Biden Campaign. We discuss Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and how rural education and resources would be addressed should he be elected. We discuss the challenges of COVID-19 for rural teachers and administrators as well as how resources should be deployed for supporting the educational aspirations of students given the current social and political challenges that face the United States in this uncertain time. We have also reached out to the Trump campaign but have yet to hear back regarding scheduling an interview for a podcast episode. Will McIntee served as in the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he served as the Lead Advance Representative for Secretary Sally Jewell. In that role, Will coordinated the Secretary’s significant events, speaking engagements, and meetings with key stakeholders both domestically and abroad. Before this position, Will served as the Deputy District Director for U.S. Representative Bruce Braley of Iowa, managing the Congressman’s district outreach, constituent services, and significant events. He worked in a political outreach role on Congressman Braley’s successful 2012 reelection campaign, and he served as the Deputy Political Director for his 2014 U.S. Senate race. Will also has previous experience as an Account Executive at Cambridge Global Advisors, assisting clients with strategic communications and stakeholder outreach. A proud native of Waterloo, Iowa, Will is a graduate of Loras College, where he received his B.A. in politics and international studies. This episode is sponsored by WIN Learning. For more information on the partnership between NREA and WIN learning go to https://www.winlearning.com/nrea

Melanie Pandura, a third year applied mathematics major with an emphasis in computational biology, shares a bit of her experience on leadership, student activism and informing the community.

Dr. Allen Pratt, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, discusses four steps local school districts and broadband providers can take together to ensure every child has the internet access they need to succeed.

Michelle chats with Mara Tieken, associate professor of education at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, whose research focuses on racial and educational equity in rural schools and communities. Her landmark book, Why Rural Schools Matters, examines how rural schools define and sustain their surrounding communities. Tieken, a former host of Rural Matters, is working on two studies, one supported by the Spencer Foundation, which explores the college experiences of rural, first-generation students, and the other, supported by the Reed Foundation, studies the effects of school closures on rural, black communities in the Arkansas Delta. Tieken discuss key aspects of her research on college access for rural students, noting that as student spent more time on campuses, they became more aware of wealthier students, and how that led to them feeling more isolated and believing that their college was elitist and out of touch with their home communities; and they began to doubt that our education system was a meritocracy. There are several inequities in this area, Tieken notes, including less familiarity with four-year colleges, financial barriers, and access to social mobility. Since schools are closed during the pandemic, Tieken notes, face-to-face contact with high school counselors on college access and campus visitations are often not an option for students. Tieken hopes the COVD-19 pandemic will provide the impetus to narrow these inequities, but she and Michelle agree that this requires a real commitment from stakeholders. This episode is sponsored by NREA, www.NREA.org

Michelle chats with Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, about the impact of COVID-19 on rural health. The pandemic has been cited as the reason that several hospitals have closed recently. The common denominator in hospital closures prior to the pandemic is the fact that they are attempting to treat patients that are uninsured or underinsured, Morgan explains. One-third of the nation’s 2,000 rural hospitals are community hospitals, and count on local support to be able to recruitment and retain staff, often just to survive with razor thin margins, Morgan notes. COVID-19 has added a scary dimension to this mix. The CARES Act did not create a rural setaside, although rural hospitals could take advantage of a Medicare-based payment under the legislation. But each hospital receives a different amount of money, and that amount might be needed just to deal with cash flow issues that existed prior to the pandemic. That payment was facilitated under the direction of HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, who is scheduled to be a guest on Rural Mattes in May. NRHA has been extremely involved in dealing with the pandemic on several fronts, notes Morgan. NRHA is providing direct assistance to its members to link them up with PPE, for example. In addition. It has been sharing stories about rural hospitals with the public to give them a better idea about what hospitals in this space are going through.  Finally, NRHA officials have been advocating directly with lawmakers for rural health assistance. This episode was sponsored by NREA, www.NREA.org; and Partners in Education at Berea College. To learn more, visit berea.edu/e or email J. Morgan at morganjoh@berea.edu

Michelle chats with Dr. Allen Pratt, executive director of the National Rural Education Association, about how rural schools are responding to the pandemic on a variety of fronts, including the establishment of food programs for students in rural areas through delivery and pickup locations where contact is limited.as much as possible.  As far as remote learning is concerned, both NREA and school districts have established e-learning programs, utilizing Zoom and other technology, and have coordinated delivery of educational packets to students. Regarding legislation to help students, Dr. Pratt notes the CARES Act include $13.9 billion for released to states and onto schools. That’s not really enough to support students in areas without broadband or cell connections, according to Dr. Pratt. The biggest gap involves this connectivity issue, where everyone should have access to Internet service. Hopefully we will use time to establish equitable opportunity in this area, both Michelle and Dr. Pratt agree. This episode is sponsored by Partners in Education at Berea College. To learn more, visit berea.edu/pfe or email J. Morgan at morganjoh@berea.edu, and by the National Rural Education Association, www.nrea.org.    

Dr. Allen Pratt has served as a high school science teacher and coach, a high school principal, assistant superintendent/curriculum director, executive director of the Tennessee Rural Education Association, executive director of the East Tennessee Center of Regional Excellence for the Tennessee Department of Education, and rural outreach liaison for Lincoln Memorial University. His primary interests are those issues that impact rural schools and the role of instructional leaders at the district and building levels. He is also involved at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Education and Educational Leadership.He is entering his fourth year as Executive Director of the NREA.  He has visited and presented in over 40 states during this time. Dr. Jared Bigham currently serves as the Senior Advisor on Workforce & Rural Initiatives for the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.  Before this, he served as the Executive Director of Chattanooga 2.0.Dr. Bigham has worked as the Director of College & Career Readiness with TN SCORE, and before this, Dr. Bigham served as a K-12 supervising principal, a high school principal, and an elementary principal. Dr. Bigham has served on multiple state and national committees, in addition to serving as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Rural Education Association, of which he is still an executive board member.  He is a contributor to national education blogs like Edweek.org and the author of three books. Dr. Bigham is also an adjunct instructor at Liberty University, teaching classes in leadership, philosophy of education, and school/community relations. Dr. Christopher F. Silver is a full-time lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has served in many roles both in higher education as well as corporate America. Dr. Silver’s research focuses on issues of diversity and the psychology of religion. He is trained in the areas of psychometrics, measurement, evaluation, and interviewing. His research has focused on topics of authoritarianism, personality, religiosity and belief (including atheism), and leadership theory. He consults on a variety of grant-funded projects as the methodologist or co-PI. Further, Dr. Silver worked in the fields of Information Technology as well as Human Resources in adult training and assessment in various levels of management. His professional website is available at http://www.christophersilver.com

Michelle chats with Tim Griffin, Lt. Gov. of Arkansas; Jeff Weld, Iowa State Director of STEM, STEM Education Policy Consultant for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and author of the just released Federal STEM Strategic Plan; and Sheila Boyington, CEO of Learning Blade and national states chair for Million Women Mentors, about STEM education for girls. Only 24 percent of STEM jobs are currently held by women, Michelle notes. Boyington talks about being a token woman engineer and how to make girls and women more aware of STEM career opportunities and the importance of mentoring, including virtual mentoring in rural areas. Weld notes that, in Iowa, there are a variety of programs, including Scale Up, promoting diversity that are data-driven and whose impact is continually being assessed. These programs include teacher externships and initiatives that connect STEM students with professionals in hospitals and other businesses in rural and other communities. Lt. Gov. Griffin points out that coding is taught in every high school in Arkansas, producing a cultural and educational change in the lower grades as well. We’re underperforming in involving girls in STEM, according to Lt. Gov. Griffin, and there’s where the opportunities to meet national shortages in this area lie. Schools should take students on field trips to local businesses, concludes Boyington..and we need to use multiple resources to promote STEM education in general, and to girls specifically. This episode was sponsored by NREA, www.nrea.net and Learning Blade, www.learningblade.com.

Michelle chats with Wade Owlett, the National Rural Education Association’s 2018’s Rural Teacher of the Year, about several important issues in rural education, including teaching students who are living in poverty, Ginny Mead’s hope theory, skills training, and teacher recruitment, and innovation. Owlett, who grew up on a dairy farm and now teaches at Clark Elementary School in Elkland, PA, notes that, in the educational setting, poverty can be traumatic, affecting everything from student achievement to health care, nutrition, and the opioid crisis. It’s important for teachers to offer hope and be facilitators in guiding students in their lives, Owlett asserts. How? By developing positive relationships with kids. In Pennsylvania, he points out, there’s an increased emphasis on job skills. Owlett is working on an interesting initiative to enable students to gain certification in different areas, such as babysitting. On the issue of teacher recruitment, rural schools tend to spend less on teacher salaries compared to urban schools, which is a key element, along with professional development, in recruiting teacher in rural communities. Owlett asserts proudly that he loves teaching at a rural school because he knows every student’s name and that adjacent communities are very supportive of each other. Bottom line: “Everything is connected in rural areas…which we should all embrace.” This episode was sponsored by the National Rural Education Association, www.nrea.net

En-VisionAmerica: I.D. Mate, Talking Bar code Reader, and ScriptAbility, A Christine Ha Moment and NReach – BlueTooth Beacon Technology Once again, Pete Lane of the Blind Abilities Team, captures some interviews from the exhibit floor at the 2018 NFB convention. This coverage is sponsored by Aira – The Virtual navigator for the Blind – Instant Access to Information – When You Want It. You can find out more about Aira on the web at www.Aira.io Image of the Aira Logo Your Life, Your Schedule, Right Now. If you want to know more about Aira and the services they provide, check them out on the web and become an Aira Explorer today! www.Aira.io Using augmented reality, Aira connects people who are blind or low vision to a trained professional agent who is dedicated to further enhancing their everyday experience – completely hands-free assistance at the touch of a button. In this cast Pete talks to En-Vision America. En-Vision America is a company providing high-tech products aimed at solving problems for individuals with visual impairment. The company has spearheaded many innovations relating to labeling including voice-enabled products like i.d. mate, the talking bar code reader, and ScriptAbility, which includes Braille, large print and talking prescription labels. Originally founded by Philip C. and David B. Raistrick in 1996, the cornerstone of the company is based on one single premise: to provide those with vision impairment equal access and greater independence through technology. Check out the web site for Christine Ha – The Blind Cook NReach:  NReach offers businesses the opportunity to be a part of the new era of social awareness. This will allow people with a visual disability to explore and discover the world around them. How do we accomplish this? It is a complex question with a simple answer. Our service allows businesses to identify themselves to the millions of visually impaired people in the U.S. who otherwise could not see or read their signs. NReach uses an App and Beacon available on both Android and iOS platforms. Find out more on the web at www.NRea.ch Thanks for listening! You can follow Blind Abilities on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

John has a lively discussion with two representatives from the Ohio Small and Rural Collaborative — Ryan Rismiller, at-large representative for OSRC and a high school principal at the Graham Local Schools, and Kirk Koennecke. executive director of OSRC and superintendent of the Graham Local Schools. More than two-thirds of the schools in Ohio are considered “rural,” with a host of challenges, including broadband, hunger, and generational poverty. The collaborative started as a small, nonpartisan group and developed into an organization that strives to harness digital education, high-quality professional development, STEM education, and other opportunities, including its partnership with Learning Blade, and is an Ohio affiliate of NREA. OSRC is continuing to look at ways for its members, including teachers and administrators, to network online regarding leadership, assessment, and instruction, and curriculum planning. OSRC will be putting on a literacy summit, which it hopes will place a spotlight on this important issue. You can follow OSRC on Twitter and dialogue with others in the rural community on a Twitter chat, #OSRCchat. This episode was sponsored by A Pass Education, www.apasseducation.com      

RURAL EDUCATION.... NREA's CENTENNIAL RURAL FORUM AND RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM...Listen to Dr Allen Pratt Executive Director  on this important segment of education

RURAL EDUCATION.... NREA's CENTENNIAL RURAL FORUM AND RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM...Listen to Dr Allen Pratt Executive Director  on this important segment of education

In this inaugural episode. John discuss several major cutting-edge rural education issues, including teacher shortages, innovative recruitment practices, and Internet connectivity, with Allen Pratt, the executive director of the National Rural Education Association.  Pratt has recently taken over the helm of NREA, the voice of rural schools and communities, and the oldest established organization of its kind in the U.S., representing rural teachers, administers and school board members. You’ll hear how states are implementing “grow your own” programs to deal with the teacher shortage in rural communities; how universities, such as Texas Tech and the University of Northern Colorado, are developing innovative strategies to fast track certification; how rural schools and communities are making mobile hot spots available to students after school; and how a school district in Wyoming saved money and time by connecting classrooms to teach an anatomy class to a wider student population.   

THE NATIONAL RURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Rural Ed matters in all 50 states and it is too often overlooked. Allen Pratt Exec Director of NREA and Dr Jason Bell, Chair of the National Rural Teacher of the Year Award

THE NATIONAL RURAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Rural Ed matters in all 50 states and it is too often overlooked. Allen Pratt Exec Director of NREA and Dr Jason Bell, Chair of the National Rural Teacher of the Year Award