“Educators saw things in me [and] I was able to achieve great things as a child. That was how I was able to get myself out of that cycle of poverty and they really did so much for me that I decided at a young age, probably in 6th grade, I remember actually deciding I that was going to give back and do the same thing for other children. That’s really what made the decision for me that I was going to be an educator.” – Daisy Dyer Duerr
Fast Facts about Daisy
- Full name: Daisy Dyer Duerr
- Years teaching: 17 years in public education that include:
- 8 years as a social studies teacher & basketball coach
- 9 years as a principal/assistant principal
- Current city: Ozark, Arkansas
- Current position: CEO of Redesigning Rural Education, LLC
- Favorite books:
- Professional: Anything by John Maxwell and Digital Leadership by Eric Sheninger
- Personal: Gone with the Wind by
- Why teach: All students, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status deserve learning experiences allowing them to exceed any expectations others have for them; as an educator, mother, and HUMAN…I am passionate about making this a reality in my lifetime.
Noteworthy Outtakes from Daisy’s Chat
Often times when discussing undeserved and underprivileged communities and schools, one thinks of inner city urban schools, however, Daisy Dyer Duerr wakes many of us up to the realities of the poverty and dire needs that exists in rural communities as well.
Daisy is a born and raised Arkansas girl and a self-described “New Age” Southern Belle who talks passionately about the need for rural communities to engage local businesses into the landscape of education. Employment trends in these areas show that the number of people employed in agriculture is decreasing – leading towards insecure, low paid, often part time work with limited potential for progression. Daisy describes how this often leads to students not having access to resources, or even the awareness of the potential they could reach with a quality education.
Along with being a dedicated educator, Daisy is also an entrepreneur who understands and appreciates the community she lives in and is looking to find ways to engage local businesses in local schools. She feels that this partnership could lead to more jobs in the community and the kinds of deeper understanding students need to make meaning of their learning and how it can lead to success for them outside of school.
To learn more about Daisy’s commitment to rural education, check out Totally Rural, a podcast where she talks about Rural Business and Education with guests from allover the country. Totally Rural is about increasing awareness and expanding the dialogue on the most important rural issues we all deal with everyday.
You can subscribe to Totally Rural:
iTunes / iPhone: https://lnkd.in/erg2R5A
Google Play: https://lnkd.in/ebHAK5G
Android: https://lnkd.in/e6D5mcc
Stitcher: https://lnkd.in/eDmWA8r
