Do the Obama administrations competitions favor urban schools over rural populations?
No. One of the strengths of the plan is that it focuses on need, which we know exists in both rural and urban areas. For this reason, the Blueprint offers rural and other high-need communities a competitive priority in competitions. Furthermore, the Blueprint’s emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has the potential to improve the technology that rural schools can access, offering students a broader range of courses. What is there in the plan for rural schools? In addition to maintaining a dedicated funding stream for rural schools, much in the Blueprint addresses rural needs, including support for rural districts that use distance education to provide students with access to a more complete education. It also removes barriers that make it difficult for rural schools to recruit and keep the best teachers. And it increases funding, cuts the red tape necessary to get it, and allows local communities greater spending flexibility. Under this plan, what are families
