Turning Around Ruralville & Smalltown, USA � The Quick and the Ed

Turning Around Ruralville & Smalltown, USA � The Quick and the Ed

Turning Around Ruralville & Smalltown, USA

by Forrest Hinton

Perhaps no single school district is totally representative of the rich diversity of sleepy, poverty-stricken enclaves scattered across Rural America . But if a district comes close, North Carolina’sHalifax County Schools is a front-runner. Located near the Virginia state line in the northeastern quadrant of NC, sometimes thought of as a no man’s land, this county is home to 54,582 citizens—nearly a quarter of them living below the poverty line. A first-time visitor driving through this desolate expanse might be in awe of the endless stretches of tobacco and cotton fields, the friendliness of waving strangers, or the fact that less than 12% of the residents own a college degree. In fact, more than a third of them don’t own a degree of any kind, unless you count a middle school certificate.
Halifax County is typical of the dusty, rural South in a few other ways. The population is pretty evenly split between blacks and whites (54% and 41%, respectively), with small,

QUICK Hits

by Forrest Hinton

Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day. The content of these Hits is not necessarily endorsed by the organization or any particular team member.

Could PE boost academic achievement? (Curriculum Matters)
When a Duke professor turns over grading to her students, what happens? (Inside Higher Ed)
Are your toddlers watching too much TV? (Joanne Jacobs)
Should education reform be passed on to 6th graders? (The Baltimore Sun)