Equity and Expectations - Leading Rural Communities through Unprecedented Pressures

Oct 15, 2026

Equity and Expectations examines how rural school leaders function as visible, central community figures while facing pressures that complicate equity work. It explains how rural schools serve as social hubs and how leaders build collaborations with families, churches, nonprofits, and businesses to support student success. At the same time, it analyzes how community power structures, compliance frameworks, and resistance to change can constrain reforms. Through examples, it shows both advantages and challenges in implementing state equity policies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Rural schools as community anchors

Equity work shaped by leadership visibility

Partnerships and student success mechanisms

Collaboration across families and organizations

Power structures and compliance constraints

Resistance to change in rural settings

Case illustration: Spanish-speaking students and displacement

Meeting needs within minimum mandates

Study purpose and early findings

For a text version of this document please visit: [https://maec.org/resource/equity-and-expectations/](https://maec.org/resource/equity-and-expectations/) Rural Equity Series Equity and Expectations: Leading Rural Communities through Unprecedented Pressures Erin McHenry-Sorber and Daniella Hall Sutherland September 2020 Rural schools are often considered to be the heart of the community, serving as social centers and often, a major source of local employment (Schlafft, 2016). They provide spaces for local organizations, community fundraising events, community gardens or farms, family education centers, and other sources of civic engagement. Community members gather at rural schools for sporting events and student performances. Beyond their walls, rural schools are also integrated into the life of the community, partnering in formal and informal ways with parents, grandparents, churches, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses to promote community development while strengthening rural families and youth. These collaborations aid in promoting student success by focusing on the wellness of the whole child, family, and community as entities inextricably connected to student success. Rural educational leaders are central to their communities. They may attend local church services, shop at community businesses, or serve as members of local organizations (Lamkin, 2006) . Not all rural school leaders live close to school, but almost all are highly visible in the surrounding communities. Some scholars describe this phenomenon as operating in a fishbowl of attention (Burdge, 2006) . One rural school principal shared how the high visibility affected him and his family. He said,“Anytime I’m in public, my wife, she’ll say,‘You’re too serious when we go out,’ and I’ll say,‘Baby, I have to be. Somebody’s watching us.’ She thinks I’m paranoid, but every place we go somebody says,‘Hey Mr.[Knight]!’ So…when I’m out in public, I’m always a little guarded. When I go home I can be more myself than I can anywhere else. Home is inside my house. When I hit that driveway, I can breathe a little bit.” 5272 River Road, Suite 340, Bethesda, [MD 20816 | 301-657-7741 | maec.org](MD 20816 | 301-657-7741 | maec.org) 1 This additional scrutiny of rural educational leaders creates simultaneous advantagesand disadvantages for equity work. Rural leaders’ integration into community life can aid them in creating and sustaining collaborative relationships with community organizations to support equity practices. For example, some rural school leaders partner with local religious organizations for a range of volunteer activities, including “backpack programs”—feeding programs designed to ensure students have access to three meals each daywhen they are not in school. Rural school leaders can also facilitate essential connections between community members. One Vermont principal leveraged his role as a community leader; his regular informal conversations with local families provided him with significant understanding of the dynamics of the community. He used this information to connect unemployed residents with local businesses who were hiring, and families in need of emergency housing with local landlords. The visibility and centrality of rural leaders creates challenges for equity work, however. Rural administrators, like most educational leaders, are beholden to local, elected boards of education, who, theoretically, represent the most powerful interests of the local community. Rural school leaders are also influenced by those without formal positions, who have power due to their positions, such as local business owners, or members of prominent local families. Both official and unofficial community leaders can wield significant power in schools, influencing curriculum, resource allocation, and administrator tenure, and are unlikely to give up some of that power in the name of increased equity (Hall, 2016) . Further, rural leaders themselves c

FAQs

How do rural schools contribute to community life and equity efforts?

Rural schools act as social centers supporting local employment, civic engagement, and community events. They also strengthen rural families and youth through partnerships that connect student success with community well-being.

What advantages can rural leaders gain from being integrated into community life?

Their embedded role can help them build and sustain relationships with community organizations. Informal conversations and local standing can enable practical connections such as employment links and emergency housing referrals.

What challenges do rural leaders face when implementing equity work?

Equity efforts are influenced by local and unofficial power holders and can be constrained by compliance expectations from state and federal mandates. Leaders may also be resistant to change when they are selected to reflect dominant community interests.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West