President Trump has announced a new initiative for rural America. It aims to bring prosperity to struggling communities by advancing innovation and technology. The Center for Education Reform (CER) welcomed the move. Even so, the group argues the plan can only work if education opportunity sits at its base.
The administration is focusing on five areas. According to CER, each one also ties back to education.
- E-connectivity for rural America, which should include incentives for new rural education programs.
- Better quality of life, which will not come unless schools improve.
- Support for the rural workforce, which will need new routes into education and training before it can grow.
- Technological innovation, since it is a must for learning in the 21st century.
- Economic development, which depends on a well-educated, well-trained workforce.
CER has pressed this point since the administration’s first 100 days. Since then, it has asked the White House to make bold use of current and expected federal money. The goal is more personalized learning built on 21st-century technology.
One proposal is to put new infrastructure dollars into public-private partnerships. Those deals would build new schools, linked by new roads and digital connections. As a result, learners of every age could get more education. According to CER, that would sharply raise school quality in rural America. At the same time, it would widen the choices open to students.
The group also sees a chain reaction from there. More learning options spur the growth the president wants. They also give people a reason to stay in these towns or move to them. Great education sits at the heart of thriving communities, CER says. So if every student gets better learning, a bigger economy will follow.
The statement comes from Jeanne Allen, the Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform. She is a well-known authority on education technology.
