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A Quick Note to Listeners:
Before each week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:
If we know best practices for strong student outcomes, why are so many schools not implementing them?
Listen in to hear their response!
Meet Mara Tieken:
Mara Casey Tieken is a professor of education at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Her research focuses on educational equity for rural students and communities, including rural college access, rural school closure, and rural racial justice. She is the author of Educated Out: How Rural Students Navigate Elite Colleges—and What it Costs Them (University of Chicago Press, 2025), which was a 2025 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book Award winner, and Why Rural Schools Matter (University of North Carolina Press, 2014). She is currently working on two projects: one focused on school closures in rural Black communities, and another studying rural-serving college access organizations. An award-winning teacher, Mara also designed and maintains a web-based toolkit for rural communities fighting school closure. She began her career in education as a third-grade teacher in rural Tennessee.
“We give rural students an awful choice: college or community. We need to help them think about it as navigating different worlds rather than choosing one or the other.”
Mara Tieken
In this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke leads the conversation with author and researcher Dr. Mara Tieken to explore the unique challenges and strengths of rural education. Drawing from her experience teaching in rural Tennessee, Mara discusses the invisible barriers that rural students face when navigating higher education and the cultural cost of leaving home.
The “College vs. Community” Paradox:
Rural students often feel they must choose between pursuing a degree and maintaining their community identity. Educators must help students see college not as a replacement for their roots, but as a path to navigate multiple worlds.
Recognizing Rural Assets:
Rural students bring immense practical skills—like problem-solving, development of systems, and establishing routines—that are often undervalued in traditional academic settings. High school leaders can help students frame these life experiences as professional and intellectual strengths.
The Myth of “Schooling” vs. “Schools”:
There is a critical distinction between the business of education (test scores, mandates, data) and the sanctuary of a school (relationships, safety, and community). Successful principals “clear the clutter” so that the human element of the school remains intact.
The True Cost of School Closures:
Research shows that closing rural schools rarely saves the money promised by policymakers, yet it can flatten a community’s social and economic hub. Listening to student voices during these transitions is vital for mitigating trauma and preserving community hope.
Normalizing Help-Seeking:
Many first-generation rural students feel isolated in elite environments because they aren’t aware that certain resources (like emergency funds or tutoring) are meant for everyone. Administrators can bridge this gap by coaching students on how to advocate for themselves before they leave high school.
Staying Connected:
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Mara Tieken, you can visit her Linked In profile.
