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Promoting Diversity Among School

Teachers and Leaders: A Literature Review

of Rural Schools in Texas

By Tami B. Morton and Sharonda Pruitt

This literature review provides a clear focus on the number of diverse administrators and
teachers in rural school districts of Texas. Research reveals the importance of multicultural
faculty in public schools, particularly in terms of making all students feel safe and respected.
The authors explore the demographics of rural schools relative to students. They then share
information specifically about the numbers of teachers and administrators in rural school
districts of Texas. After detailing the population of teachers and administrators, the authors
provide the impact on student outcomes. According to research, although students in rural
school districts are academically successful, the majority do not attend postsecondary school.
The authors then explore whether diverse principals and teachers provide a reason for rural
students to reconsider going to college. In conclusion, the authors provide possible research
questions for further queries of thought.

hroughout history, rural areas have been characterized by a rich diversity of
Tmultiethnic communities. Even before the expansion of the United States,
regions such as the West, which is comprised of 12 states (Alaska, Arizona, California,
Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and
Wyoming) were inhabited by a blend of Spanish and American Indian cultures
(“The West,” 2024). The rural Midwest of the United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin) witnessed the influx of immigrants from Poland, Germany,
Scandinavia, and Czechoslovakia, forming vibrant farming communities (Spears et
al., 1990). Following the abolition of slavery, Black families dispersed across the
rural South, spanning from the East Coast, a region that expands over 15 states
(Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) to central Texas and reaching as far north as southern
Missouri. Additionally, migrant workers have traditionally covered long distances,
following harvest seasons to states such as Washington and New York (Spears et al.,
1990).
However, when the term “rural America” is mentioned, the immediate association
often revolves around White farmers and working-class individuals perceived as
hard-working with deeply religious beliefs. Commonly, rural people are unfairly
characterized as economically disadvantaged. This perception fails to capture the
true diversity of rural America, which encompasses a rich tapestry of marginalized
races and cultures alongside the White population. Furthermore, regardless of such
longstanding misconceptions, rural communities face multifaceted challenges in
their daily lives, spanning issues such as socioeconomic status, education, language
barriers, and healthcare accessibility. Burton et al. (2013) wrote:
African Americans in the Mississippi Delta and southern Black Belt Cresent

6 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators