Tennessee Department of Education awards grant to Belmont University’s College of Education for Tennessee Rural Principals Network

Belmont University has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Education in order to facilitate the Tennessee Rural Principals Network for three years. The initiative is meant to help give principals in schools throughout rural areas of Tennessee professional development opportunities and opportunities to strengthen leadership skills.

According to an article on Belmont University’s website, Dr. Jim McIntyre, who serves as both the Dean of the College of Education and the Assistant Provost for Academic Excellence, was quoted as saying of the grant funding that will allow for the facilitation of the Tennessee Rural Principals Network, "We are excited about this impactful and mission-aligned initiative. The Tennessee Rural Principals Network has enormous potential as a growth and capacity-building mechanism for rural school leaders, positively impacting the students, families and communities they serve. The Tennessee Department of Education has increased their investment in this important effort, enabling us to serve and support even more rural school leaders across the state."

The Tennessee Department of Education’s website states that the purpose of the Tennessee Rural Principals Network is “to address the unique needs of rural schools and the challenges that rural leaders often face in accessing high quality professional learning” and that there are more than 900 schools in rural Tennessee. The Tennessee Rural Principals Network was established in 2018.

The Tennessee Department of Education said of Belmont University’s grant award, “With Tennessee hosting the fifth-largest number of rural students nationwide, this initiative is crucial in fostering educational leadership where it's needed most. Belmont's proposal stood out in our rigorous selection process, promising a comprehensive and research-based approach to enhance the instructional leadership, retention, and effectiveness of rural principals.”

Among the programming Belmont University will implement as part of the facilitation of the Tennessee Rural Principals Network is a rural health and leader wellness module and professional development training via partnerships with WestEd and Education Resource Strategies.

For more information about Belmont University, visit the school’s website.