Sharing Leadership Stories in Rural Education: Leading Rurally across Australia and the United States

This book brings together the two fields of ’educational leadership’ and ’rurality’ and builds on the growing field of inquiry into the significance of ’adding the rural’ to all aspects of education. It explores the vibrancy and variety of opportunities and challenges that are met by rural education leaders and researchers from two particular countries, Australia and the United States. It illuminates and explores the concept of rural leadership and take an educational stance, shedding light into what it means to lead rurally for educational policy, research, schools, communities and for the next generation of rural leaders themselves. It presents stories from the field with insights into capabilities, approaches, models and strategies for improving practice and outcomes.

In addition to adding to the international bodies of knowledge, this volume contributes to advancements in educational leadership theories, as well as expands understanding of requisite knowledge and skills as informed by the distinct circumstances and affordances of rural contexts. This book also explores the construct of service, and explores ways in which it has been infused in various rural education leadership contexts.

Professor Simone White is Professor and Dean of the School of Education at RMIT, Australia. She is a leading expert in teacher education and professional learning, focusing on the best ways to prepare teachers for diverse contexts. Her research explores the fields of teacher education policy, teacher learning, professional experience and building university-school/community partnerships. Through her collective work, Simone aims to connect research, policy and practice in ways that bring together and break down traditional borders between academics, policy makers, communities and practitioners.

Professor Jayne Downey, Montana State University, United States, serves as the Director of the Center for Research on Rural Education. Professor Downey has been an active leader and researcher in rural education for over 25 years. Her scholarship is focused on preparing teachers and counselors for rural schools and communities and improving outcomes rural students. Professor Downey is committed to engaging in research, scholarship and service which are intentionally attuned to the complex and unique realities and relationships of rural schools and communities―past, present, and future. She is a co-editor of ‘Rural Education Across the World’ and co-author of ‘Teaching in Rural Places: Thriving in Classrooms, Schools, and Communities’. She received the 2022 Career Achievement Award from the American Educational Research Association’s Rural Education SIG.

Dr Melyssa Fuqua is a Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne in the Faculty of Education. Her research explores how sporting clubs influence aspiration and participation of rural youth in tertiary education and work, and the club’s role in their wider community. Her research interests include rural youth pathways and careers education, community, and ruraling education research. Originally from Massachusetts, Melyssa was a F-12 teacher in rural Victoria for a decade before returning to higher education and research. Melyssa is the manager of the international Rural Education Research Student Network and is on the editorial team of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education.