(Red Oak, IA) – The future of rural education is the topic of discussion this coming Thursday, April 9th, in Montgomery County. The program, “Food 4 Thought,” will be presented by: Green Valley AEA Chief Administrator, Dr. Larry Plourde; Chad Bartlett, Director of Growth and Strategic Partnerships, and Community Resource Supervisor Kathy Hanafan. It will be held from Noon until 1-p.m. in the Carter Education Room at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak.
Spokesperson Larry Brandstetter says the session is intended to spark discussion about what life in rural Iowa could be like in 15-to-20-years. Food 4 Thought is held the second Thursday of each month, and has covered a variety of topics, to-date
The sessions have dealt with what County government will look like in 15-to 20-years, especially with recent talks in the legislature, about possible mergers, and what type of rural healthcare residents can expect from their local hospital in the years to come.
Brandstatter said they try to bring in people who are knowledgeable in specific areas, to address their areas of expertise, such as education, government and medicine. That’s why they invited Jason Plourdes to speak about education during this Thursday’s session.
How and where students learn will an interesting discussion, he says, especially as the legislature moves forward. Along with that discussion, will be why are they learning about some subjects and not others. Curriculum is the first topic Plourdes will talk about.
Plourdes will also tackle the subject of declining enrollment and the effect it has on learning. Another topic is the future of sharing among school districts. For example, will it be regionalized, or specialized? The final topic on the subject of education, is local control versus State direction.
There is no registration fee to attend the April 9th Food 4 Thought program. Lunch is available for purchase from the MCMCH Cafeteria, or you may bring your own lunch. The series is sponsored by the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association, the Montgomery County Development Corporation, and The Way Forward (Executive Coaching).
