The College of Education Strengthens Partnerships with Rural School Districts

One of the most important priorities of the College of Education is to build strong partnerships with rural school districts in Idaho, and the college is making this a reality through the Office of Field Experience’s efforts to organize in-person meetings with district representatives. 

One of those visits was to Sugar-Salem School District #322, where Interim Dean Esther Ntuli and Director of Field Experiences Mona Heern led a partnership meeting with Superintendent Jared Jenks, his leadership team, and several members of ISU, including Vice Provost for Educational Outreach and Rural Engagement Kandi Turley-Ames, Ph.D. “Relationships and collaboration are at the crux of a healthy state-wide educational system,” Turley-Ames said. “It was an honor to see those two things at work in Sugar-Salem as we celebrated an exceptional teacher and amazing ISU student teacher.”

The purpose of these partnership meetings is to offer our school district partners college highlights, promote our graduate programs, answer questions, and seek their insights, feedback, and perspective on how to improve the preparation and training of future educators, including teachers and administrators. Additional important topics were discussed at the meeting, including teacher mental health, challenges unique to rural districts, dual enrollment, and what the teacher education program at ISU can do to help fill gaps and meet challenges. The district commented on the preparedness of ISU teacher candidates, noting how ISU graduates are effectively prepared for the teaching profession.

Part of this visit was also to honor a teacher, Rachel Guymon, in the Sugar-Salem School District. Guymon hosted one of ISU’s student teachers during the Spring 2026 semester. “Ms. Guymon was absolutely phenomenal,” said Kylie Clinger, the ISU student teacher assigned to Guymon’s classroom. “She gave me the reins, but was also there to support me every step of the way.”

Guymon, a fourth-grade teacher, was given the College of Education Spring 2026 Outstanding Cooperating Teacher award not only because of her exceptional mentorship to Clinger, but also because of her dedication to her students. “Rachel is so attentive to every single one of her students,” Clinger said. “Her motto in the classroom is Today’s a good day to have a good day! It shows deeply in the classroom.”

The hope is that through these continued visits and partnerships, ISU can make an impact on Idaho students, both through the university’s efforts and through the teachers and administrators that our programs are training.