{"id":2124,"date":"2020-01-31T11:42:34","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T16:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/education\/?p=2124"},"modified":"2020-01-31T11:43:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T16:43:29","slug":"school-closures-can-hit-rural-communities-hard-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/education\/2020\/01\/31\/school-closures-can-hit-rural-communities-hard-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"School closures can hit rural communities hard \u2014 The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By\u00a0Emily McConville<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Published on\u00a0January 24, 2020 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a 2015 class, education professor Mara Tieken circulates among small groups of students as they discuss what makes good teaching. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Writing for\u00a0The Conversation,\u00a0<\/em>Associate Professor of Education Mara Tieken argued that the closure of rural schools can devastate students, families, and communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools often close for reasons of poor academic performance, budget constraints, or declining enrollments. When they do, students\u2019 relationships with peers and teachers are disrupted, absences go up, and involvement in extracurricular activities goes down, often because students have to commute longer distances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn many rural communities, schools are the largest employer,\u201d Tieken wrote. \u201cThey provide political power, and they tie people together. Once the schools are gone, the community loses all of these benefits.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the story: <\/p>\n\n\n\n