Contributor, U. E. (2017, October 10). New Study Sheds Light on Rural Teachers’ Professional Development Challenges.

Oklahoma, like many other states, has faced severe teacher shortages for years, and district administrators have been concerned not only about a lack of applicants, but about the expertise of applicants who were applying for the vacant positions. Many state education officials also were concerned that in-service training provided to teachers, particularly in rural areas, may not be adequate.