Relevant personnel such as secretaries, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and others should receive appropriate inservice training and, when reasonable, be involved in planning the staff development approach. Develop Partnerships to Secure Additional Resources Fiscal resources for staff development within rural school systems are typically inadequate. One cost-efficient alternative is partnerships between rural schools, businesses, and agencies. For example, businesses can gain tax deductions when donating computer time or equipment for inservice use. Many community agencies are willing to share computer time, make cooperative purchases to help schools secure reduced prices, and offer similar contributions.
Partnerships also promote long-term support for rural school programs.
A data bank of staff development needs and resources can be established. A basic assessment instrument may ask staff members what they could offer others and what resources they are seeking. Local citizens, such as retired or unemployed teachers, are queried about resources they might contribute to inservice sessions or classroom activities. These resources are linked to individual teacher development needs. These linkages may mean that teachers temporarily exchange roles or that community volunteers manage the classroom while the regular classroom teacher can observe another teacher or attend an inservice session.