National Rural Education Association Official Podcast

National Rural Education Association Official Podcast

By Dr. Bill Chapman, Dr Melissa SadorfEducationSelf-ImprovementHow ToCourses
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National Rural Education Association Official Podcast episodes

  • S0515 - Building an Inclusive Educator Mindset: An Interview with Dr. Chris Closson

    Guest Biography

    Dr. Closson brings over two decades of experience in special education and educational leadership.  He began his career as a high school special education teacher in New York State, before continuing his work as a teacher in Tennessee.  His dedication to inclusive education led him to a district-level administrative role, where he championed equity and inclusion across schools.  Throughout his career, Dr. Closson has been a driving force behind the implementation of the co-teaching model and inclusive practices to foster collaborative environments that support diverse learners.  He strives to prepare preservice teachers to create inclusive, student-centered classrooms.  His work continues to shape the next generation of educators with a strong foundation in inclusive pedagogy.

     

    Article Featured in the Episode

    Closson, C. T., & Silver, C. F. (2026). Investigating the mindset of educators regarding students with disabilities. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 10(1), 1–31.

     

    Article: https://go.southernct.edu/jelps/files/2026-spring/8p_Investigating_the_Mindset_of_Educators.pdf

    Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: https://go.southernct.edu/jelps/

    Empire State University: https://www.sunyempire.edu/

    IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University: https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/ 

    National Center on Intensive Intervention: https://intensiveintervention.org/

    CEEDAR Center: https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/

     

    36 min
  • S05E14 - Rethinking Health Benefits for Rural Schools: An Interview with Brett Jennrich and Mark Gilmore of Apollo Health Insurance

    We'd like to thank the Tourette Association of America for sponsoring this episode.

     

    Guest information

    Brett Jennrich is the Director of Affinity Partnerships at Apollo Health Insurance. His work focuses on building partnerships with organizations such as NREA and connecting school districts with insurance education, resources, and customized benefits strategies.

     

    Mark Gilmore is the Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Health Insurance. A former trial attorney, he joined his family’s business after more than two decades in legal practice. He helps lead Apollo’s operations and works with districts to develop sustainable insurance and employee-benefit strategies.

     

    Relevant links

    Apollo’s NREA resource page:

    https://apollo-insurance.com/nrea/

     

    National Rural Education Association:

    https://nrea.net/

     

    NREA and Apollo partnership announcement:

    https://nrea.net/nrea-apollo-health-insurance-2026/

     

    National Forum to Advance Rural Education:

    https://nrea.net/nfare/

     

    Apollo’s school district contact:

     

    44 min
  • S05E13 Why Context Matters: Global Lessons from Rural and Remote Education, An Interview with Jerry Johnson and Hobart Harmon

    We'd like to thank the Tourette Association of America for sponsoring this episode. 

    The Handbook on Rural and Remote Education brings together nearly 60 contributors in 32 chapters that examine teaching, leadership, innovation, equity, rural development, and future research. Learn more about the book through ElgarOnline.

    Guests

    Dr. Jerry D. Johnson is the Phoebe Moore Dail Distinguished Professor in Rural Education, Professor of Educational Leadership, and Director of the Rural Education Institute at East Carolina University. A native of eastern Kentucky, he previously worked as a high school English teacher, principal, and research director for the Rural School and Community Trust. His work examines rural education policy, leadership, place, and the relationship between schools and communities. East Carolina University

    Dr. Hobart L. Harmon is the Leader of Strategic Advancement at Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 in Pennsylvania and a Senior Research Associate in Educational Leadership at Kansas State University. His extensive career has included work in agricultural education, career and technical education, state education leadership, rural education research, and educational innovation. His work focuses on rural school leadership, collaborative partnerships, educational service agencies, and the role of schools in rural development. Kansas State University

    37 min
  • S05E12 - Building Rural Schools That Last: A Conversation with NFARE Keynote Dr. PJ Caposey
    In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Dr. Bill Chapman, and Dr. Christopher F. Silver speak with Dr. PJ Caposey, superintendent of Oregon Community Unit School District 220, best-selling author, and upcoming keynote speaker at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education. A nationally recognized public education leader and the most published sitting superintendent in the country, Dr. Caposey reflects on the experiences that transformed his understanding of effective school leadership. Dr. Caposey discusses becoming a rural principal at age 28 and the difficult early leadership experience that forced him to reconsider an approach driven primarily by ambition, authority, and work ethic. He explains how he came to understand that leadership is fundamentally human work centered on relationships, accountability, influence, and the development of others. The conversation explores the difference between school culture and climate, the importance of building systems that can operate independently of one charismatic leader, and why rural districts should prioritize retaining and developing the educators they already have. Dr. Caposey also discusses instructional rigor, the need to measure whether programs and processes actually improve student outcomes, and the value of returning to proven educational fundamentals rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake. Drawing from his experiences, Dr. Caposey offers a candid perspective on work, purpose, self-awareness, and personal growth. The episode concludes with a compelling argument that effective rural school leaders can change not only the trajectory of their schools, but also the educational and economic future of their communities.
    37 min
  • S05E11 - Innovation, Leadership, and Hope in Rural Education: An Interview with Thomas C. Murray, NFARE 2026 Keynote

    Official website:
    https://www.thomascmurray.com/

    Free resources for educators and school leaders:
    https://www.thomascmurray.com/resources

    Books and publications:
    https://www.thomascmurray.com/books

    Personal & Authentic resources:
    https://www.thomascmurray.com/authenticedu

    Articles, interviews, and podcast appearances:
    https://www.thomascmurray.com/news

    Future Ready Schools:
    https://futureready.org/

    Future Ready Schools podcast and leadership resources:
    https://futureready.org/podcasts/leading/

    Thomas C. Murray’s All4Ed profile:
    https://all4ed.org/our-team/thomas-murray/

     
    36 min
  • S05E10 - Telling the NREA Story: Annual Report, Strategic Vision, and the Future of Rural Education

    NREA 2026 Annual Report — this is the main link for the episode; NREA describes it as the organization’s first annual report.

    NREA Homepage — general organizational landing page, mission, updates, and member information.

    NREA Membership Information — useful since the episode discusses membership value, lifetime membership, institutional membership, and affiliate options.

    National Forum to Advance Rural Education / NFAIR — registration and information for the October 19–21, 2026 conference in San Antonio.

    Why Rural Matters 2025 — relevant because the episode discusses NREA’s research and national rural education data work.

    The Rural Educator — NREA’s peer-reviewed research journal.

    NREA State Affiliates — useful for listeners who want to connect at the state level.

    NREA Foundation — connects to the episode’s discussion of awards, scholarships, and philanthropic support.

     

    38 min
  • S05E09 - Teaching Social Studies in a Multilingual Rural Community: An Interview with Rebecca Burnfin
    In this episode of *The Rural Voice*, Chris, Melissa, and Bill talk with Rebecca “Becca” Burnfin, a 9th–12th grade social studies teacher and PLC lead at Garden City High School in rural western Kansas. Becca shares what it means to teach in a community where students speak more than 40 languages and bring rich lived experiences shaped by immigration, rural life, global conflict, and family history. The conversation explores how high-quality instructional materials have helped her reduce planning time, keep social studies relevant beyond stale textbooks, support new and veteran teachers through PLC collaboration, and create more engaging, experiential lessons for students. Becca also speaks candidly about rural teacher recruitment and retention, post-COVID pressures on educators, and the importance of honoring student dignity while helping young people connect history to the world unfolding around them.
    30 min
  • S05E07 - Rural Schools at the Front Edge of AI, an interview with Dr. Beth Rabbitt
    Artificial intelligence is no longer a future issue for schools. It is already shaping how educators plan, teach, lead, and prepare students for the workforce. In this episode of The Rural Voice, Dr. Christopher Silver and Dr. Bill Chapman are joined by Dr. Beth Rabbitt, Co-Chief Executive Officer of FullScale, for a timely conversation about AI, rural education, and the future of learning.
    Dr. Rabbitt explains why rural schools may be positioned not as late adopters, but as potential leaders in thoughtful AI implementation. Drawing from FullScale’s national work with rural districts, she discusses how AI can expand access, build operational capacity, support teachers, and help students develop the adaptability needed for a rapidly changing economy. She also addresses the practical concerns educators are facing, including student data privacy, FERPA, AI misuse, teacher readiness, and the limits of generative AI.
    The conversation offers concrete guidance for school leaders, including the use of red-light, yellow-light, and green-light protocols for classroom AI use, the importance of district-level policy, and the value of allowing teachers to safely tinker with new tools before using them with students. Dr. Rabbitt also encourages educators to approach AI not as an expert replacement, but as a “helpful, coachable, smart, but young intern” that still requires human judgment, oversight, and ethical decision-making.
    This episode is especially relevant for rural educators, school administrators, district leaders, and anyone thinking about how schools can prepare students for an uncertain future while protecting the human relationships, creativity, and local wisdom that remain central to education.
    43 min
  • S05E06 - Building Strong Readers in Rural Schools: An Interview with Ms. Tracy Kingsley and Ms. Ashley Wood
    This episode of The Rural Voice podcast features a conversation with Superintendent Tracy Kingsley and teacher Ashley Wood from the Newburgh R2 School District in rural Missouri, highlighting how a structured literacy coaching initiative transformed early reading outcomes in their schools. In response to post-COVID learning loss, teacher inexperience, and inconsistent literacy instruction, the district partnered with TNTP to implement a coaching model grounded in the science of reading. The approach emphasized collaboration over evaluation, with coaches working directly alongside teachers through classroom visits, modeling, and ongoing feedback. This support led to curriculum changes, stronger alignment between grade levels, and significant gains in foundational literacy skills, including a dramatic increase in first-grade reading proficiency. District leadership played a key role by prioritizing professional development, protecting instructional time, and fostering teacher buy-in through trust and shared decision-making. The discussion also underscores the importance of family engagement, data-driven assessment, and long-term sustainability planning in small rural districts. More broadly, the episode frames literacy coaching as a scalable, high-impact strategy while raising concerns about funding, policy pressures, and the future of rural education.
    Bios
    Tracy Kingsley is the Superintendent of the Newburg R-II School District and is currently in her third year in that role. She brings 30 years of experience in public education, including 18 years as an elementary teacher, one year as a reading coach, and 11 years in administration. Her background reflects a sustained focus on literacy, instruction, and school leadership in rural education settings.
    Ashley Wood is a kindergarten teacher at Newburg R-II School District, currently in her second year of teaching and her second year in the kindergarten classroom. Prior to becoming a teacher, she spent two years working as an Early Childhood Special Education paraprofessional in Rolla immediately after high school. She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and is set to graduate in May.
    38 min

About National Rural Education Association Official Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the official podcast of the National Rural Education Association, called the Rural Voice. Co-Hosted by Drs. Melissa Sadorf, Bill Chapman, and Christopher F. Silver discuss the common themes…