Originally founded as the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education, NREA has existed in the United States for over 100 years and is the oldest professional organization with a focus on rural education in the U.S. From its early years as a department in the National Education Association to our current position as membership organization representing thousands of rural educators and advocates, NREA has an enduring mission to promote education as the heart of strong rural communities.
The organization was founded in 1907 by 28 individuals who petitioned the National Education Association (NEA) Board of Directors for approval as a new department. For the next 10 years, the mission of the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education was to promote rural schools and recognize the unique needs of rural students and communities. In the early 20th century, rural schools faced challenges such as one-room schoolhouses, limited teacher training, and lack of resources compared to urban schools, and the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education aimed to address those challenges.
In 1918, three professional groups, the National Association of State Supervisors and Inspectors of Rural Schools, the County Superintendent Section of the NEA, and the National Association of Personnel Engaged in Preparation of Rural Educators, joined the Department of Rural Education. The word “agriculture” was dropped from the name, reflecting a broad focus on the concerns of rural schools and teachers. For several decades, NREA was led by a series of school administrators (and the occasional college or university faculty member). The organization provided a national forum to share best practices, research, and advocacy for rural education. Issues of the association’s magazine in the first half of the 20th century, The Country Teacher, reflect this focus.
For decades, the group remained part of the NEA structure, but in the 1970s members sought more autonomy to focus directly on rural issues. In 1978, the organization became an independent, non-profit organization, separating from the NEA. For the first time, the organization required dues to become a member, a move that was originally considered risky, but ultimately paved the way for growth and increased visibility of the organization. At the time, the membership of was largely administrators from rural schools and districts. The organization adopted headquarters at Colorado State University and assumed the name of the National Rural Education Association in 1986.
For the next 30 years, NREA grew as a leader in rural education with a two-part mission to serve as the national voice for rural education and to sponsor and promote research that would provide validity to that “voice.” During this era, NREA expanded its membership to include education leaders, policy makers, community members, and higher education faculty and researchers as well as teachers and administrators. A network of State Affiliates representing the concerns of rural schools joined the NREA the organization developed into a coalition and voice for rural schools nationwide, advocating on issues such as:
During this era, NREA published The Rural Educator, journal of the National Rural Education Association. Now hosted online by Mississippi State University, The Rural Educator is the premier journal for rural education research and reviews of literature, voices from the field sharing promising practices for rural education, and policy briefs outlining key issues in rural education policy.
Under the leadership of executive director Dr. Allen Pratt, NREA expanded its membership and became an increasingly stable and strong organization. As the rest of the nation placed an increased focus on rural America, NREA was in a position to capitalize on that interest to increase understanding of the important role of education institutions to the well-being of rural communities. During this era, NREA strengthened partnerships with universities, policy makers, and rural communities and added new state affiliates.
NREA released and updated a Rural Education Research Agenda, summarizing the state of the field and calling for increased research to understand the unique assets and needs of rural education, from career and workforce development to teacher and leader recruitment and preparation and spatial equity in policy and practice. The association’s journal, The Rural Educator, moved online, making rural education research even more accessible.
In 2021, NREA took over publication of the Why Rural Matters report, first published in 1999 by the Rural School and Community Trust. The report provides a state-by-state look at conditions in rural education and remains a key reference for policymakers. Now housed at NREA, recent versions of the report address key issues of rural education, from career and technical Education and access to early childhood education to rural indigenous education and the needs of multilingual learners in rural communities.
NREA continues to serve as a national voice and network for rural educators, offering annual conventions, policy advocacy, professional development, and partnerships with universities and state affiliates. The annual conference, the National Forum to Advance Rural Education, brings together hundreds of rural education leaders, researchers, and advocates to share research and information in the fall of each year. On a biennial basis, NREA publishes the Why Rural Matters Report, sharing key data about the state of rural education across the US.
As we move into the second quarter of the 21st century, NREA remains the oldest national organization specifically focused on rural education and a central hub for rural education leaders, practitioners, researchers, and advocates. Under the leadership of our newest Executive Director, Dr. Melissa Sadorf and with corporate offices in Tucson, AZ, NREA is poised to play an even bigger role as a voice for rural education.
