Public Schools Build Connections in Rural Communities. Vouchers Tear Them Down.
Rural communities depend on strong connections between neighbors, local businesses, nonprofits and local government. Public schools are the glue that holds these connections together. As president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, a statewide union representing K-12 teachers and staff as well as other education, library and social work professionals, I’m able to see what this looks like at a granular level in our rural school districts across the state.
For example, in Perry County, Ohio, educators and administrators in New Lexington Schools are investing in career education that gives middle and high school students firsthand experience with jobs in health care, child care and the building trades—career pathways are in high demand across the state. More importantly though, in a rural area like New Lexington where there is a shortage of child care workers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled workers, students learning these job skills have the option of staying in the community they call home and starting a business that not only provides for them, but contributes to the economic growth of the community.
Big things are happening in this small school district: a daycare program trains high school students in early childhood education by allowing them to provide free child care to New Lexington Schools staff; a pre-apprenticeship program for juniors and seniors with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers guarantees apprenticeship placement for successful participants; a working farm owned by the district gives agriculture students hands-on experiences with crops and animals; a phlebotomy career program has plans to expand into other health care pathways; a commercial kitchen that serves the community teaches culinary skills and life lessons to students with multiple disabilities. Such opportunities aren’t just for older students. In one part of the program, third grade students learn how to weld and use those skills to complete art projects.