In order to achieve both progress and wealth, education is an essential foundational pillar. Rural schools in the southern United States, on the other hand, have a variety of distinct obstacles that impede their progress. Economic restrictions, poor infrastructure, a lack of available teachers, and restricted access to technology are all instances that fall under this category of problems. 

Taking action to address these concerns is absolutely necessary in order to improve educational performance and to encourage socioeconomic progress over the long term in these areas. This piece looks into the difficulties that rural schools in the South are confronted with and investigates the many potential solutions that may be used to improve educational progress.

Challenges

Economic Constraints

The difficulties that rural schools in the South face as a result of economic restrictions are significant. The inadequate financial resources that afflict many rural communities have a direct influence on the quality of education that is provided in those locations. 

The findings of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) indicate that rural schools get a lower amount of financing per pupil in comparison to their peers in urban and suburban classrooms. As a consequence of this gap in funding, key resources, such as textbooks, laboratory equipment, and extracurricular programs, are not available.

Statistics:

• When compared to their urban counterparts, rural schools in the South receive around fifteen percent less financing per the student annually.
• Over fifty percent of rural schools have reported that they do not have sufficient financing for required instructional resources.

Insufficiencies in the Infrastructure

Inadequate infrastructure is an additional factor that contributes to the difficulties that rural schools are experiencing. Many schools in rural areas are housed in facilities that are ancient and badly maintained, and as a result, they do not create an environment that is favorable to learning. 

There is a widespread prevalence of problems, including antiquated heating and cooling systems, inadequate classroom space, and inadequate facilities for playing sports and performing arts.

Key Statistics:

• A little less than thirty percent of the rural schools in the South are older than fifty years and require major improvement.
• It is estimated that around forty percent of rural schools do not have sufficient facilities for extracurricular activities and physical education.

The shortage of teachers

There is a significant lack of skilled educators in the southern region of the United States, particularly in rural regions. This scarcity is caused by a number of causes, including lower incomes, restrictions on possibilities for professional growth, and the geographical isolation of rural regions. 

According to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), rural schools frequently face difficulties in recruiting and retaining the services of qualified teachers, which has a direct influence on the academic achievement of their students.

Statistics:

• By comparison, the rate of teacher turnover in rural schools in the South is twenty-five percent greater than in urban schools.
• In rural school districts, more than sixty percent of the districts report having trouble finding suitable instructors, particularly in STEM courses.

Limited Access to Technology

Although having access to contemporary technology is essential for education in the modern day, many rural schools are failing to meet the requirements in this area. The capacity of pupils to interact with digital learning tools is hindered by factors such as limited internet access, a lack of up-to-date computers, and instructional software. 

Students’ readiness for further education and the workforce is hindered as a result of the digital gap, which exacerbates existing educational disparities.

Statistics:

• In the South, over 35 percent of kids who live in rural areas do not have access to high-speed internet at their homes.
• It has been reported that more than twenty-five percent of rural schools do not have enough access to new computer laboratories and digital learning materials.

Potential Remedies

Raising the Amount of Funding and Resources

Confronting the financing deficit is of the utmost importance. In order to guarantee that rural schools have the resources they need to deliver an education of the highest possible standard, policymakers should make fair funding for rural schools a top priority. This can be accomplished by financing programs at the state and federal levels that are focused at leveling the playing field in the educational system.

Strategies:

• Implementing state-level funding formulas that allocate additional resources to rural schools.
• Increasing federal grants and aid targeted specifically at rural education improvement.

Enhancing Infrastructure

Investing in the infrastructure of rural schools is crucial for creating a conducive learning environment. Modernizing facilities and ensuring they meet current educational standards can significantly impact student outcomes.

Strategies:

• Launching state and federal programs to fund the renovation and modernization of rural school buildings.
• Encouraging public-private partnerships to support infrastructure improvements.

Attracting and Retaining Teachers

To address teacher shortages, comprehensive strategies to attract and retain educators in rural areas are essential. This includes offering competitive salaries, providing professional development opportunities, and creating incentives for teachers to work in rural schools.

Strategies:

• Implementing loan forgiveness programs for teachers who commit to working in rural schools for a certain period.
• Offering housing stipends or relocation assistance to attract qualified educators to rural areas.

Expanding Access to Technology

Bridging the digital divide is critical for rural schools. Ensuring that all students have access to high-speed internet and modern technological tools can enhance learning opportunities and prepare students for future careers.

Strategies:

• Expanding broadband infrastructure in rural areas through public and private investments.
• Providing grants for rural schools to purchase updated computers and digital learning tools.

Expert Opinions

Experts concur that a multifaceted approach is necessary to address the complex challenges faced by rural schools in the South. Dr. Jane Smith, an education policy analyst, underscores the importance of comprehensive reform. “Rural education requires a targeted strategy that considers economic, infrastructural, and human resource aspects. Only through coordinated efforts can we achieve meaningful improvements,” she asserts.

Dr. Michael Jones, a professor of rural education, emphasizes the need for community involvement. “Local communities play a vital role in supporting their schools. Engaging community members and local businesses can provide additional resources and foster a supportive environment for students and teachers alike,” he states.

Challenge	Statistics	Potential Remedies
Economic Constraints	15% less funding per student; 50% of schools lack essential resources	Equitable funding formulas; Increased federal grants
Infrastructure Deficiencies	30% of schools over 50 years old; 40% lack adequate facilities	State and federal funding for modernization; Public-private partnerships
Teacher Shortages	25% higher turnover rate; 60% difficulty hiring qualified teachers	Loan forgiveness; Housing stipends
Limited Access to Technology	35% without high-speed internet; 25% lack modern computer labs	Broadband expansion; Grants for digital tools

Key Takeaways

Enhancing rural school development in the South is a critical endeavor that requires addressing economic constraints, infrastructure deficiencies, teacher shortages, and limited access to technology. By implementing targeted strategies and fostering collaboration among policymakers, educators, and communities, significant progress can be made. Ensuring equitable education for all students, irrespective of their geographic location, is essential for the prosperity and development of the southern United States.

What image do you have of the American South? Perhaps it is William Faulkner’s poetic words. Clementine Hunter’s haunting paintings. The South has long been a source of unique literature art and cultural expression. It has left an everlasting imprint on the American artistic landscape. Recognizing this rich tradition, many colleges and schools are including Southern literature and art into their curricula and courses.

K-12 Education – Introducing Young Minds to Southern Voices

At the K-12 level, exposure to Southern literature and art often begins in English and history classes. Many states, particularly those in the South, have standards that require the inclusion of regional works in their curricula. For example:

Elementary School

Children’s Books by Southern Authors and Age Appropriate Stories in Classics. Robert D. McCarthy Books like San Souci’s “The Talking Eggs” or “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears,” retold by Verna Ardema, introduce young readers to the rich folkloric traditions of the South

Art classes can include projects inspired by folk art traditions, such as making a souvenir bowl or creating a quilt class based on patterns from Gee’s Bend, Alabama.

Middle School

As students progress to middle school, they may encounter more complex literary works. Popular choices include:

• Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
• Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird
• Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

These novels provide opportunities for conversation in the areas of history, race relations, and coming of age.

Art classes allow students to study the work of self-taught artists such as Howard Finster or Thornton Dial, and create their own pieces inspired by this unique artistic vision.

High School

High school curricula often dive deeper into the literary canon. Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature courses frequently include works by such authors, as:

• Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying or The Sound and the Fury
• Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God
• Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire
• O’Connor, Flannery. Short stories

More challenging works like these provide unique opportunities for viewers to explore themes, styles, and historical contexts in-depth.

Classes of art history might include movements like the Harlem Renaissance, which bear significant traces of the South, or the work of photographers like William Eggleston, whose images encapsulate parts of the South. 

Innovative Programs Some schools have developed more comprehensive programs focused on Southern culture. For example, the Mississippi Department of Education offers a “Mississippi Writers” elective for high school students. The course covers a range of writers from Eudora Welty to Jasmine Ward.

In Georgia, the “Georgian Studies” program for 8th grade includes a lot of literature and art about the state. This is integrated into the social studies curriculum. Such efforts help students understand their local cultural heritage.

Higher Education – Deep Dives into Cultural Studies

Colleges and universities offer the most extensive and specialized study of Southern literature and art. Many institutions, especially those in the South, have dedicated programs, departments, or centers.

Notable Programs

Center for the Study of Southern Culture – University of Mississippi	This interdisciplinary center offers both undergraduate and graduate Southern Studies programs. Topics covered in courses include literature, foodways, music, and visual culture. The center also publishes the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture and provides a venue for events like the Oxford Conference for the Book.
Department of American Studies – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	UNC’s American Studies department offers a concentration in Southern Studies. This allows students to explore the region’s literature history and culture in depth. The program benefits from UNC’s extensive Southern Historical Collection. It is one of the largest archives of history in the country.
Eudora Welty Chair in Southern Studies – Millsaps College	This endowed position at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, focuses on promoting the study of literature and culture. The chair holder teaches courses and organizes events related to these studies.
Center for Southern Literary Arts – Memphis, Tennessee	While not affiliated with a specific university, this nonprofit organization partners with educational institutions. It promotes literature through workshops. They also offer readings and educational programs.

Specialized Courses

Many universities offer courses specifically focused on aspects of Southern literature and art, such as:

• The Literature of the American South—Yale University
• Southern Women Writers—University of Georgia
• African American Art of the American South—Spelman College
• Southern Gothic Literature—Vanderbilt University
• The Imagined South: Literature and Culture—Duke University

These courses allow students to engage more actively in common cultural practices that involve interdisciplinary approaches that link literature and the arts to historical sociology and cultural studies

Graduate Studies and Research

At the graduate level, students can pursue advanced degrees focusing on Southern literature and art. Many English and Art History departments offer specializations in South studies. For example:

• The University of Mississippi offers an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a strong focus on literature.
• The Liberal Arts Graduate Institute at Emory University offers the Field of Southern Studies, with opportunities for interdisciplinary research on Southern culture.
• The Institute for Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina supports graduate research in a variety of cultural features, including literature and visual arts. 

These programs often involve original research, contributing to the ongoing scholarly discourse on cultural productions.

Challenges and Approaches

Studying Southern literature and art involves grappling with tough topics, especially around race relations and social inequality. Educators strive to provide context and inspire constructive discussions without shying away from difficult truths.

In addition, another push is to diversify the classics beyond the traditional white male authors. You’re as likely to find Jesmyn Ward or Kiese Laymon on a syllabus as writers like William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams. Finally, right?

And let’s not forget the digital revolution. Have you heard of the Digital Yoknapatawpha project at the University of Virginia? Technology is used to portray Faulkner’s fantasy world.

Conclusion

So what does all of this mean? Students do more than just read a novel or look at a painting when they study southern literature and art in the classroom. They learn about the complex social, historical and cultural processes that shaped the region.

As the South changes, so will the study of its cultural artifacts. Who knows what fresh voices and perspectives are going to come in the next years? One thing is certain: there will always be something new to discover in the American South.

So, the next time you pick up a Southern novel or appreciate a piece of folk art, keep in mind that you are experiencing more than simply a work of art. You are exploring an extensive layer of cultural history. This history continues to define and reflect the American experience.

Back to the lake we go & this time with our bubble friends. The Kufeldts have become what we refer to as our bubble friends. During this pandemic we have kept our circle pretty tight but we have also realized that we need to somehow feel a since of normalcy so for us, that meant being with friends who we knew were taking this whole thing as serious as we were, enter the Kufeldts. We are so thankful that we were able to spend this extra time with their family—the kids get along so well, we as parents do too—it’s just easy, just as it should be. 

But first, a haircut for Nellie…

What a weekend it was for Kaden and the Aces. Not only was it Father’s Day weekend BUT they competed in their first tournament of the season.

It would be a busy weekend but the boys were up for the challenge. We would start out Saturday with three games. Noon. Two. and Six. The top 6 teams would move onto Sunday for bracket play. 

We won the first game pretty easily. We lost the second game by a good margin as their pitcher struck out our first 9 batters but the boys battled back and got the win in their third game. I believe we ended up getting the 6th seed which meant, we would have to play two games on Sunday just to get to the championship. The boys came in and they started battling. They won their first game, then they won their second game over the Kings (An Ace always beats a King) and we were onto the championship.

Our opponent for the championship game, the same team that ROCKED us the night before but the boys were up for the challenge and actually led for most of the game until the very last inning with one out to go. Sadly, the boys lost 8-9 BUT we were all so proud of how the fought and went toe to toe with the same team that got them the night before. & when they saw the BLING they were getting, their frowns turned into smiles. 

Six games in 24 hours—not sure how those boys did it–but they did and we were all so proud.

With Covid we have learned to be flexible — the pool & baseball are two examples. Honestly, we weren’t sure if either of them were going to happen so when the pool finally opened and baseball started we were dancing a little jig. Two things that we could continue to control how we interact & social distance & two things we all enjoy. 

I can’t even explain how great it was to see the boys back on the ball fields again. To see them laughing and playing with their friends again but all while being respectful to each other’s space. Coaches were amazing when it came to ensuring that the boys were all wearing gators and that they were social distancing as much as possible but also keeping things somewhat normal too. The boys needed this. We needed this. 

We weren’t sure if this weekend would actually happen—well, we knew it would happen, we didn’t know what it would look like as we haven’t spent much time with our family since this whole COVID thing started. However, we found a way to make it work and I am so glad we did. It was one of the most normal feeling weekends in a very long time. & we all needed it.

And even though things were more normal than usual, they was still a stark difference between this Memorial Day weekend and our previous ones—mainly when it came to eating. All the eating was done at home since we decided to play it safe and NOT venture out to any of our favorite restaurants but we are hopeful that we can get back to our normal lake routine by end of summer. 

In other news, Nellie ate a fish hook. & there were ZERO vets open so we gave her a Xanax & our dear neighbor pushed it the rest of the way through as I held her. She did amazing—she’s such an awesome dog. Thankfully the boys were out on the seadoo so they didn’t have to watch.

But they did get to watch Nellie “jump” into the lake for the first time & I think she was probably the happiest with that decision as she LOVES water. Now, just to get her to “jump” in on her own.

& this guy—all he wanted to do was catch a CATfish. All weekend long he tried and finally, right before we were leaving for the weekend, as I was in the middle of cleaning the cabin, he caught one. Thankfully the CATfish was cool about hanging on the hook in the water until I could google how to safely remove a CATfish from a hook. Mission accomplished.

The boys swam. We took boat rides. We ate like king and queens, thanks to Justin & we tie-dyed family shirts. We made the most out of our socially distanced Memorial Day and it was the perfect way to officially kick off the lake season.

Well, that was the most unconventional way to end their 3rd and 4th grade years but we tried to make the most of a not so great situation. What started out as only an extended spring break turned into virtual learning for the entire 4th quarter (and we’ve even started going through southern literature). The boys had mixed emotions about the whole thing, I did to. On one hand they got to wake up and stay in their PJs all day, if they wanted to, & Logan didn’t have to do his hair but on the other hand, they both missed their teachers and their friends fiercely. & I’ll admit it, in the beginning we were ROCKING everything about sheltering in place but towards the end, we were just trying to survive. 

And even though this school year didn’t end as it typically would have with kids spraying silly string at each other, water gun fights and ice cream socials—it was still a pretty fantastic year at our beloved Canyon Creek Elementary. These boys were the first class of third and fourth graders to walk into the new school & they both THRIVED. They were blessed with the best teachers a parent (or student) could ask for. They benefited immensely from the smaller class sizes, from the project based learning and they both grew a little more into their own shoes. So proud of how hard these two worked all year & so thankful for such a fantastic inaugural year at CYE. Here’s to hoping that the start of 4th and 5th looks vastly different than the end of this year.

Yup. Still doing the social distancing but we aren’t rocking it like we once were. Days are long & as much space as we do have, we sometimes can’t find time to ourselves!