Rural Leaders, Rural Places: Problem, Privilege, and Possibility.

I present a case study of the influence of rurality and a sense of place on leaders ’ beliefs about purposes of local schooling and their concomitant theories of action in one rural school district. Interview data show that despite their portrayal of life in the valley as a privilege, most leaders viewed their place as presenting more problems than possibilities in the lives of most students. I conclude with the suggestion that a critical leadership of place may best address the strengths and chal-lenges found in much of rural America. Part of the Columbia River watershed, the Cascade River1 winds through several small communities in south-west Washington State. The river, as well as the surrounding forest and agricultural land, are inextricably linked to the culture, history, economics, and ecology of the rural school district and its neighboring communities that are the focus of the present study. Mount Rainier School District (MRSD) is located in this scenic area in the Cascade Mountains, nestled at the base of three volcanoes and encompassing three unin-corporated communities: Lewis, Adams, and Wanpaash. The