Emergent Educators Advisory Council

The Emergent Educators Advisory Council provides a platform for new rural educators to learn, share knowledge, connect, and lend their voice to critical national conversations around rural education.

The Emergent Educators Advisory Council is a working group of educators in their first three years of teaching from rural classrooms around the country. Members advise RSC on how to support the recruitment, preparation, and retention of rural teacher-leaders, and receive professional development in implementing Place-Based Education and grant-writing into their teaching practice. Council members are recent graduates of Rural Teacher Corps programs participating in the Rural Educator Ecosystem: Community of Learners.

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Abbie Johnson

2025-26 EEAC Member

Carthage, IL

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BJ Cross

2025-26 EEAC Member

Cascade, MT

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Jacob Jelesiewicz

2025-26 EEAC Member

Evanston, WY

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Kaylee Whitaker

2025-26 EEAC Member

Letcher, KY

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Kelly Pemrick

2025-26 EEAC Member

Estes Park, CO

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Killian Sump

2025-26 EEAC Member

Camp Sherman, OR

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Marquita Holmes

2025-26 EEAC Member

Forrest City, AR

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Molly Brasher

2025-26 EEAC Member

Baldwin County, AL

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Nicole Cooper

2025-26 EEAC Member

Waynesville, MO

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Bethany Schnetzler

2024-26 EEAC Leader

Monmouth, IL

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Betty Jones

2024-26 EEAC Leader

Stanton, KY

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Logan Nedrow

2024-26 EEAC Leader

North Powder, OR

Spotlight

Emergent Educators Advisory Council 2nd Year Reflections

What's the key to making it through the first few years as a rural teacher? Check out advice from teachers in the field.

As part of their year on the council, each member writes and receives a $500 grant from Rural Schools Collaborative to create and implement a Place-Based Education project. This gives councillors an opportunity to apply their learning and engage their students in a meaningful, unique project that explores local assets endemic to their respective rural communities. Each member created a poster that summarizes their project, which can be viewed below.

Emergent Educators Advisory Council 2nd Year Reflections

2nd Year Leaders of the Emergent Educators Advisory Council reflect on two years collaborating with their rural peers.

Read Bethany's Reflection Read Betty's Reflection Read Logan's Reflection

The latest Emergent Educators' Advisory Council

News and Stories

Emergent Educators Advisory Council 2nd Year Reflections: Logan Mackenzie

Emergent Educators Advisory Council 2nd Year Reflections: Bethany Schnetzler

2nd Year Leaders of the Emergent Educators Advisory Council reflect on two years collaborating with their rural peers.

Emergent Educators Advisory Council 2nd Year Reflections: Betty Jones

2nd Year Leaders of the Emergent Educators Advisory Council reflect on two years collaborating with their rural peers.

Rural Teacher Corps member assisting a student with a project.

Preparing Teachers for Rural Wyoming: Voices from the Field

In this blog, hear from 3 WY Rural Teacher Corps (RTC) members who completed their student teaching in the fall of 2025 and graduated in December 2025 about their experiences in the Corps and with rural teaching.

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