Understanding Assets and Challenges of Rural Communities
Texas has the largest rural student population in the United States, with more than 1,000 districts designated as rural. In this recent conversation, participants explored how rural communities leverage entrepreneurial approaches, deep relationships, and continuous improvement strategies to advance education and workforce goals.
Kate sat down with Charlie Glover, CEO & President of T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and Dreama Gentry, CEO & President of Partners for Rural Impact, who offered both a Texas and national perspective on capacity building, chronic absenteeism, teacher retention, rural school finance, and aligning community voice with external support.
The conversation underscored the importance of locally defined success measures, sustained investment, and cross-sector partnerships to help rural communities thrive.
Subscribe to the LONESTARP3 YouTube Channel
Dreama Gentry founded Partners for Rural Impact to ensure rural students have the opportunity to fulfill their educational aspirations, and the national dialogue around educational success includes rural voices. A first-generation college graduate from Appalachia, Gentry is an Annie E. Casey Children and Family Fellow and a Prichard Committee Equity Coalition member, among other honors.
Charlie Glover leads the foundation’s strategic direction, community partnerships, and investments throughout East Texas to fulfill the foundation’s mission of building thriving communities and reducing poverty across the region. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as Vice President of Grants at The Meadows Foundation, one of Texas’s largest statewide philanthropies, where he led strategic initiatives, grant processes, and evaluation efforts. Charlie’s career also includes roles as a senior fellow at Bellwether Education Partners, a cabinet member in Dallas ISD, and the founding executive director of Teach for America in Dallas-Fort Worth. He began his career as a middle school teacher in Durham, North Carolina.