John chats with Garris Stroud, a seventh-grade science teacher in Greenville, Kentucky, which is clearly on the rural spectrum (“where any day you can see deer, turkey and other wildlife right outside your window”). Stroud is a 2017-2018 Kentucky State Teacher Fellow who writes a blog, called Kentuckyschooltalk.org, and also writes for Education Post, the sponsor of this episode of Rural Matters. Stroud notes that, in general, there’s more poverty in rural areas, and that the “equity” issue is very important in Kentucky. For example, recruiting and retaining teachers is much more difficult in rural areas, and there’s more “brain drain,” he notes. Community colleges and 2 + 2 programs offer real advancement opportunities in rural areas, Stroud says. The deterioration of coal mining jobs in Kentucky means that it is more important than ever to teach students about new technology. Kentucky is looking at several education reforms, including accounting systems, graduation requirements, and what ESSA really means for students. This episode also includes an extremely lively discussion of charter schools.