The Rural Scoop

The Rural Scoop has the opportunity to speak to two staunch supporters of rural education about their organizations and the work they are doing, including their upcoming participation at the Rural College Access and Success Summit! Sara White is the Director of Programs for Partners for Education. She has worked the last 25 years in the field of public education as a teacher, counselor and federal grant administrator.  Currently she leads four GEAR UP grants and a staff of over 250-strong toward the goal of ensuring all Appalachian students succeed! Through PfE, she works nationally to raise awareness and discuss best practices for rural students’ success.   Her current role as a Director of Programs is to ensure college and career success for students in 41 southeastern-Kentucky counties.Dr Richard Daniel is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Education Forward Arizona. His responsibilities include identifying partnership and fundraising opportunities for organization growth and impact; developing and executing strategic operational planning and program work planning; and ensuring that programmatic and operational/administrative budgets align with organizational priorities. He is the former executive vice president and chief operating officer at College Success Arizona, where he worked to bring the transformative opportunities of higher education to students from underserved and underrepresented communities in Arizona. Born in the rural mining community of Superior, Dr. Daniel experienced firsthand the transformative power of higher education, earning his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as his master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, and his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Arizona State University. Join us as we talk about an asset-based lens to use when viewing rural communities and schools, the current needs they are seeing in their work around how the pandemic has impacted college going students, their hopes and goals for the future of rural education, and the upcoming Rural College Access and Success Summit happening April 24-27, 2022 in Arizona. Come get the Scoop!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

The Cultivating Rural Education series of the Rural Scoop features the authors of the book by the same name! Join me and my guest co-host Julie Duffield of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center for West Ed in this special collaboration as we talk to author Dr. Sheneka Williams about Strong Rural Students. We dive into the importance of community partnerships in rural schools, look at how land grant universities can support rural education, and explore how tapping into community assets can create strong foundations for rural students.  Sheneka Williams is professor and chair of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University. Her research broadly examines educational opportunity for African American students across rural and urban contexts, and she has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. She also co-edited a book, Educational Opportunity in Rural Contexts: The Politics of Place. Dr. Williams sits on numerous boards, including Books For Keeps and Give.Build.Share. Don't miss out on getting theScoop on Cultivating Rural Education - A People-Centered Approach for States!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

The Cultivating Rural Education series of the Rural Scoop features the authors of the book by the same name! Join me and my guest co-host Julie Duffield of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center for West Ed in this special collaboration as we talk to author Dr. Karen Eppley. We take a look at challenges that rural communities face in recruiting and retaining rural teachers, the importance of ensuring rural educators understand rurality in order to be successful, and the role that higher education can play in protecting the pipeline. We also investigate how state departments of education can support the creation of strong rural educators in the rural schools within their states! Karen Eppley is an associate professor of education at Penn State University and a former 5th Grade teacher. Her research interest is at the intersection of literacy education and rural education. She writes about rurality as a contested social space within economic globalization, rural literacies textual representations of rurality, rural education as a matter of social justice and policy analysis. At Penn State, she prepares K-12 reading specialists for certification and leads multi-model arts-based reading camps each summer for readers in grades two through six. Look for future episodes where we dive into the different parts of the book with the various authors. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop on Cultivating Rural Education - A People-Centered Approach for States!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

The Cultivating Rural Education series of the Rural Scoop features the authors of the book by the same name! Join me and my guest co-host Julie Duffield of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center for West Ed in this special collaboration as we talk to author Dr. Jennifer Seelig. We take a look at what rurality means, as well as how asset mapping can be a powerful tool for rural leaders and initiatives. We also talk with Dr. Seelig about teacher recruitment and retention strategies as well as how state departments of education can connect with the rural schools within their states! Jennifer Seelig (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is a K-12 research scientist in Education and Child Development at NORC at the University of Chicago. She applies critical theory and qualitative methods to study the political economy of rural America, including the rural teacher pipeline, the role of schools in community development, and civic capacity in rural communities. Prior to graduate school, Jennifer was a high school Spanish teacher for six years in rural and urban schools. She is replenished by hikes in the forest, baking breads and cakes, and escaping to friends’ homesteads in the country. Look for future episodes where we dive into the different parts of the book with the various authors. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop on Cultivating Rural Education - A People-Centered Approach for States!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

The Cultivating Rural Education series of the Rural Scoop features the authors of the book by the same name! Join me and my guest co-host Julie Duffield of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center for West Ed in this special collaboration as we talk to author Erin McHenry-Sorber. We dive into the importance of community partnerships in rural schools, look at the way rural leaders can tap into community assets, and explore at how states and entities can come together in a meaningful way to support rural education. Erin McHenry-Sorber is an associate professor of higher education at West Virginia University and co-editor of The Rural Educator. Her research focuses on rural schools, communities, and leaders, with attention to the inequitable structures that influence place experiences and spaces of marginalization within rural places. Look for future episodes where we dive into the different parts of the book with the various authors. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop on Cultivating Rural Education - A People-Centered Approach for States!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

The Cultivating Rural Education series of the Rural Scoop features the editors and authors of the book by the same name! Join me and my guest co-host Julie Duffield of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center for West Ed in this special collaboration as we talk to editors Sam Redding and Caitlin Howley. We dive into how the book came to be, look at what rural is and isn't, and explore at how states and entities can come together in a meaningful way to support rural education. Look for future episodes where we dive into the different parts of the book with the various authors. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop on Cultivating Rural Education - A People-Centered Approach for States!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

We continue to investigate the STEM opportunities that are out there for rural students with my guest, Manny Leon, the Assistant Director of the Office of Early Academic Outreach at the University of Arizona! Join is as we talk about the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program, and how the programming can engage your rural students and staff. Now with the opportunity to take the components of MESA virtual, rural students can get involved with the design challenges from anywhere! Don’t miss out on getting the information on the opportunity to get more STEM curriculum to your rural students! Come get the Scoop!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

Got STEM? In this edition of the Scoop, we explore all things STEM for rural schools with Cori Araza of Grand Canyon University! She walks me and my first co-host, Jaime Festa-Daigle, through what STEM is, what opportunities exist for our rural teachers and students, and discusses ways for rural leaders to support STEM in their classrooms. As promised in the interview, the show notes can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jnMaGkTg4toANxlvKyrbkt-ohzXkl9N055ixqBBAxKY/edit?usp=sharing Be sure to get the Scoop on what's on tap to get STEM integrated into your rural school curriculum!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

Join the Scoop as we listen to a few "Stories From the Rural Schoolhouse" - another episode in our special series this season! Our guest is Amy Barker, Assistant Superintendent of the Mountain Valley Education Consortium located in Shasta County, California! Amy talks about different distance learning models used by her districts in the last year, how parent engagement changed, and ways the school community at large came together to support each other. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop from a Rural Schoolhouse!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081

Join the Scoop as we listen to a few "Stories From the Rural Schoolhouse" - another episode in our special series this season! Our guest is Dr. Helio Brasil, Superintendent of the Keyes Union School District located in Keyes, California! Helio talks about the unique challenges his district faced in the last year with social emotional learning, teacher resiliency, new ways of doing things that they will take into next school year, and some leadership celebrations. Don't miss out on getting the Scoop from a Rural Schoolhouse!

𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:

© 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved.

The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles.

For permission requests, please contact:

Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (520) 266-0081