Duncan Lays Out Rural Education Priorities At Virginia Summit

Diette Courrege writes in the Education Week (4/19) "Rural Education" blog that Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaking Tuesday in Arlington, Virginia, at the second Summit on the Role of Education in Economic Development in Rural America, said that his "rural education agenda centers on four priorities: teachers, capacity, technology and college access. ... 'As the rural community goes, so goes our nation,' said Duncan, according to the Governing View blog. The strengths of rural communities include hard work, commitment to community, and quick response to problems, and their top challenges include poverty, teacher recruitment and internet access, Duncan said." Duncan added that the "the teaching profession needs to be elevated through higher salaries and incentives for those taking jobs in hard-to-staff areas, such as rural schools," and touted the Administration's RESPECT grant program.