The need is widely known and consistently documented: Rural school districts in Iowa need more educators. The Daily Iowan recently published an article that describes how the University of Iowa College of Education is doing its part to help fill that void.
The following excerpt is from the DI article:
“In recent years, the College of Education has produced many notable educators who have gone on to work in rural parts of Iowa. Three notable individuals are working to help teach the next generation in these high-need areas.
According to IowaWORKS, the statewide teacher recruitment site, there are currently 52,835 open educator positions across Iowa. In rural areas, that need is much higher. The Iowa Department of Education suggests that special education, math, science, and the arts are the highest need departments for educators. In Belle Plaine, Iowa, there are 196 students in the Junior/Senior High School, with only 22 teachers to compensate for the demand.
Lindsey Maston, a science teacher at Belle Plaine High School, graduated from the UI in 2021 with a master’s degree in education. Growing up in Solon, Iowa, she knew that moving to a small town would be a large but welcomed change.
“I always had an interest in smaller schools after student-teaching at Belle Plaine,” Maston said. “I really like this school district because of the smallness of it. I get to know all my coworkers and all the students, even if I don’t teach them in a class. You get to know their personalities and who they are as people.”