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Description

The Rural Educator Resilience Project is a statewide applied research project in partnership with school districts in Penobscot, Washington, Hancock, Aroostook and Oxford Counties that aims to intervene to support the resilience of rural educators so that they, in turn, can support the changing and diverse needs of rural students. One of the most pressing issues facing rural schools and communities is the rural teaching shortage as the education workforce adjusts to youth developmental and learning needs in the wake of remote and hybrid schooling that took place during COVID-19. Fewer young people are willing to be teachers, and fewer pre-service teachers want to teach in rural schools. Furthermore, teacher and school leader turnover prevents rural schools from realizing their potential as organizations that facilitate academic achievement and whole child well-being as well as inhibiting their ability to develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with external stakeholders in their communities such as businesses and social service agencies. This on-going project intervenes at key three moments in the rural educator career lifespan to provide evidence-based supports to rural educators and field-test new approaches to cultivating professional resilience. These three points include a) educators in their first three years on the job; b) mid-career teachers looking to take on new roles and responsibilities in their environments (ie. teacher leader development); and c) mid-career teachers interested in school administration. Our poster will showcase the work being done across each of these three strands to support long-term workforce development and retention for schools and districts in rural Maine.

Publication Date

10-28-2024

The Rural Educator Resilience Project: A Statewide Approach to Rural Educator Career Development

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