Why Hillbillies Matter in Social Studies

In 2016, J. D. Vance, a previously unknown author, surprisingly hit the bestseller’s list with his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. However, historically scholars have pushed back against the stereotypes that Vance portrays and have argued for a narrative that embraces the diversity of the Appalachian region. Using content analysis, this research study investigated the frequency and context of key terms related to Appalachia across the K-12 social studies standards of states labeled as being part of the region by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Results illustrate the lack of inclusion of these terms and that, when included, they do not represent the rich history or culture of the region. These results suggest that researchers, teacher educators, and teachers should consider the ways in which standards define curriculum on topics such as Appalachia and how these definitions interact with the powerful narratives being portrayed within our mainstream democracy. Guidance and suggestions for disrupting Appalachian stereotypes within social studies education are provided.

Whiteness Owns it, Blackness Defines it

Any examination of schools and schooling in the rural Southern Black Belt must interrogate the enduring logic of plantation politics and examine rural equity work through a racialized lens. We defined rural and identify a rural reality for life in the Black Belt South. Critical Race Theory (CRT) and antiblackness are offered as potential race-conscious theoretical frameworks to a plantation rurality, and we propose an alternative vision of rural education scholarship in the Southern Black Belt that invites space for anticolonial liberation.

Navigating Contentious Times in Rural Education

In this introductory article to the special issue, the guest editors situate the articles of the issue within the current contentious climate surrounding critical race theory (CRT). They first provide a background and summary of the major tenets of CRT then apply those tenets to current legislation aimed at banning CRT in schools. They then situate the current backlash against CRT within a history of resistance to racial justice efforts in schools. The editors explain their stance on the current issue of CRT and then substantiate their position with evidence from the articles within the special issue. The conclusions they draw are that CRT is a valuable and applicable theoretical tool in schools and education research.

Teacher Positioning in Rural Spaces

In this qualitative study, we ask how 40 rural educators of English learners (ELs) culturally position themselves and their students. We obtained data through a cultural autobiography assignment that prompted teachers to describe their interactions and relationships with others. Drawing on both rural and non-rural experiences, teachers established their ability to exercise agency, mediated by individual histories and beliefs and the context of their rural settings. Teachers developed their capacity to reflect on the ways they position themselves toward their ELs, a crucial first step in creating culturally sustaining pedagogy. Implications point to the potential of cultural autobiography as a means to heighten rural teachers’ awareness of how their experiences and interactions nuance their cultural identity. Such reflections can expand notions of culture beyond common social identifiers and enable teachers to forge links with their students that would otherwise not be apparent. We suggest this autobiographical process is particularly important for rural teachers who are new to teaching ELs in their classrooms.

Everybody Lives Near Appalachia

Hillbilly Elegy has had a profound impact on contemporary views and opinions of Appalachia. In this review, the authors discuss this impact and provide key critiques that help readers make sense of the generalizations made in the book by placing Hillbilly Elegy in conversation with other contemporary Appalachian scholarship. The authors conclude that J. D. Vance has a right to tell his story but telling the story of the Appalachian people is more complex and nuanced than Vance acknowledges, and the authors caution readers to consider this when reading Hillbilly Elegy.

Rural Teachers’ Cultural and Epistemic Shifts in STEM Teaching and Learning

This article focuses on the ways in which integrated curriculum can improve STEM teaching and learning within rural spaces. Using a design-based research approach, this study focuses on rural teachers' experiences of professional learning and development training as they learn to engage computing and maker technologies in their elementary classrooms as tools for teaching students about difficult histories of immigration, migration, and forced relocation across the United States.

“I feel the Responsibility”

Rural schools in the United States are facing an increase in the number of Emergent Bilinguals (EBs). Teachers in rural communities must facilitate learning for EB students whose linguistic and cultural backgrounds differ from the mainstream. However, rural teachers are less prepared to address EBs’ educational needs, and little is known about the actual teacher knowledge (TK) required to provide effective EB instruction in secondary rural settings. Grounded in teacher knowledge and place-based education frameworks, this qualitative study examined what teachers say they know related to the teaching and learning of EBs in a rural secondary school community. The study addressed two main questions: (1) What personal and professional knowledges do secondary teachers reveal about teaching EBs in rural settings? and (2) What place-based knowledges do secondary teachers reveal about their work with EBs? Primary data from four secondary teachers teaching EBs in a rural school in the southeastern United States consisted of video-recorded interviews and photo elicitation that illuminated teachers’ told narratives of their personal, professional, and place-based experiences via stories. Thematic data analysis followed an iterative approach. Findings from this study demonstrated that the teachers’ personal and place-based knowledges emerged as the most prominent influences in their work. Teachers’ bilingualism, hispanidad, and faith were leveraged to build relationships with their rural secondary EBs. Thus, relationship-building was central to teachers’ knowledge-base of working with EBs. A four-dimensional teacher knowledge model is proposed. Findings may inform teacher education programs and extend the research base on rural secondary EB education

Transition to Teaching

This article describes lessons learned from the first-year implementation of a Grow Your Own teacher preparation alternative route program, Transition to Teaching. Implemented in a rural area in Washington State facing significant teacher shortages, the Transition to Teaching program reaches potential teachers who may not have access to a four-year college and a high-quality, competency-based teacher preparation program. The Transition to Teaching program fulfills the priority assigned by the state to recruiting and retaining teachers from underrepresented groups. Beginning with describing the design of the program and the application process, we discuss students’ first-year experiences, lessons learned, and solutions developed. Content, strategies, access, and efficiencies are highlighted and advice for new programs is provided. In the end, we prove programs comparable to Transition to Teaching require clear collaboration and coordination as well as oversight to ensure teacher candidates are successful.

Defining Rural

Rural students have unique characteristics that necessitate further exploration when analyzing assessment and student success data. From assessment, programming, and policy standpoints, intentionality in selection of a definition of rural is critical to prevent making inappropriate or inaccurate decisions. In this study, we sought to compare three definitions of rurality to better help understand this issue and to select a definition that we believe is most appropriate for use at a large research institution in a largely rural state.