Building Up the Teacher Workforce in Small-Town Iowa

Education Week: In rural southern Iowa, the town of Leon is home to 2,000 people, a popular annual rodeo, and a school system that has emerged as a beacon of teacher leadership.

Under Superintendent Chris Coffelt, Leon’s public schools—known as the Central Decatur Community School District—set out in 2012 with a multi-faceted plan to recruit and retain teachers and improve student achievement under some especially challenging circumstances.

In a small, economically vulnerable area, such a plan requires vision and determined leadership.

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