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are prerequisites for students transitioning into coursework at the university level.
However, these courses require professional development for the teachers to remain
updated on content that rural districts often cannot provide (Hott, 2018.)

Rural Schools and Diverse Educators
In addition to the lack of courses available for rural students in the United States,
a lack of multicultural teachers is also evident. Research suggests that multicultural
teachers provide models of community citizens
who have different races, ethnicities, and cultures
and can inform students about biases and negative
stereotypes that other, unknowing people may In addition to the lack of
have. This exposure to a variety of people will
help students learn to live in a multicultural and courses available for rural
multilingual world. Diverse teachers can also share students in the United
the advantages of using culturally relevant pedagogy
in all curricular areas (Adams & Farnsworth, 2020; States, a lack of multicultural
Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 1995). It is essential teachers is also evident.
for rural school districts to pay attention to the
races and ethnicities presently represented in the
classrooms and schools. The NCES indicated that
the number of diverse teachers is minimal (2023). Nationwide, teachers from all
races and ethnicities are represented in the statistics, with many rural schoolteachers
being Native American and Alaska Native. These two ethnicities comprise 41.1% of
the rural public-school teachers; in addition, 23.2% are White, non-Hispanic, 11.0%
are Black or African American, and 10.2% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
(NCES, 2023).
In Texas, the TEA provides indicators of all races and ethnicities of regular
classroom teachers: American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Black/African
American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, White, two or more races/ethnicities,
and other/not specified. In rural schools, White teachers are in the majority, while
the number of classroom teachers representing other races and ethnicities has grown
minimally over the years.
Race and ethnicity data for principals in rural Texas schools are similar to statistics
for classroom teachers. White principals have consistently been in the majority, with
57.77% serving in the 2021–2022 school year. Hispanic/Latino principals made up
the next largest race/ethnicity at 25.44% for the 2021–2022 school year. Remaining
races/ethnicities of principals in that year included 14.64% Black/African American,
.79% Asian, and .31% American Indian/Alaska Native (TEA, 2023).
School administrators provide the leadership necessary to bring forth school
achievement and success. School administrators are charged with many tasks,
from managing students, faculty, and staff to ensuring building maintenance and
safety. Research studies have substantiated that the challenges faced by school
administrators in rural communities differ from those of school administrators in
urban school districts. One of the challenges is the need for more research on rural
school districts (Pendola & Fuller, 2022; Sutherland et al., 2022). Most recently, in
their research, Sutherland et al. (2022) found that rural Texas school administrators
are primarily trying to “level out the playing field” by identifying the systemic racism

Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 9