Rural Superintendents are some of the most creative and resourceful leaders. Conversation #60, with Dr. Beth Regulbuto, Superintendent of Southern Berkshire Regional School District, showcases her adaptive and community driven vision for improving educational opportunities via mindset shifts for teachers and students.

"In our small regional district, we face a unique challenge: we are comprised of generous communities, yet the state funding formula does not meet our needs. This requires an entrepreneurial spirit to build a sustainable model. Merging with larger districts is often proposed, but our remote location would mean 2-hour bus trips and no after-school activities – an unacceptable option for our students.

My primary mission has been to build a system that creates robust CTE pathways and career opportunities within our local industries. This is not just about jobs; it's about shifting mindsets. I once heard a 4th grader declare: "Nobody in my family goes to college." Our first major success is programming that ensures every child has an early college experience. In the last 3 years, our graduates earned 1,000+ transferable college credits, partnered with Bard College at Simon's Rock. At least 10 of our high school teachers are certified in college-level pedagogy, pushing students to own more of the cognitive load and elevate their writing. Our comprehensive internships and adjusted high school schedule accommodate both CTE and dual-enrollment, providing students with invaluable real-world technology experiences.

Despite this success, we realized we were not fully engaging our students. We partnered with Transcend to rethink the entire schooling experience through students’ eyes. We created BerkStudios, where students work to solve real-world problems with teachers as facilitators, demonstrate mastery of standards, and leverage community resources like architects and interior designers to achieve project goals. This allows students to apply their passions to problem-solving and integrate their science, math, or other academic needs. Our pilot proved incredibly effective, and we have extended this into the middle school, with plans to move into preK-2 to foster agency early on.

Our community engagement is a core differentiator. We lean heavily on 70 active community members, with four independent, community-led teams supporting our school. Teams are building a financial and HR foundation, conducting community mapping, developing mentorships and internships, and providing professional learning support for teachers. Our small central admin team (3 people + principals) relies on this collective effort. We write $1.5-2 million in grants annually; these partnerships are game-changers.

The small size of our staff, the need for everyone to be passionately rowing in the same direction, and the risk of burnout are ongoing challenges. Licensure and prep programs, along with union contracts, can also hinder innovation. Trusting our process and empowering students to experiment, even if it means stumbling, has been key."