CDE Field Trips -- 6/2/25: How Rural Schools are Building the Next Generation of Teacher - Campo and Vilas school districts

Mallory Johnson, a senior at Campo School District, hopes to someday return as a college graduate and teach in the small rural district in southeastern Colorado.

 

Mallory Johnson is the only graduate in her high school class—and she already knows exactly where she’s headed: back to tiny Campo, Colorado, to teach future generations in the town she calls home.

Small rural school districts across Colorado continue to face a critical challenge: attracting and retaining teachers. Small rural districts have some of the highest teacher shortage numbers, according to Colorado's Educator Shortage Survey. With limited candidate pools and geographic isolation, many districts are turning to a powerful solution: growing their own.

Campo School District RE-6 in Baca County, located in the far southeastern corner of the state, enrolls just 47 students. Mallory, who is 16, will be the only student in the Class of 2026. Inspired by her third-grade teacher and supported by her school leaders, she dreams of returning to teach reading, writing, and math.

“I want my classroom to be full of fun and laughter,” she says, “where kids love to learn, just like I did.”

Her dream began in second grade, when she found herself pretending to teach invisible students. By third grade, a joyful classroom experience with her teacher, Mrs. Shana, confirmed her calling.

With plans to attend West Texas A&M and a job already promised by her superintendent and principal, Mallory is on track to become exactly what rural schools need: a homegrown teacher who understands the community and is eager to give back.

A similar story is unfolding nearby in the Vilas RE-5 School District, also in Baca County, where 23-year-old Katie Babb just completed her first year teaching. A 2020 graduate of Vilas, Katie teaches English and theater to students in grades 6–12, leads music sessions for elementary students, and even runs the yearbook. She returned after earning her degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University.

“I always knew I wanted to teach English,” Katie says. “In small schools, you end up helping your classmates a lot—and I loved watching things click for them. That felt just as exciting as learning it myself.”

Teaching in a school of just 54 students, Katie says the strong relationships are what make it special. “You really get to know the students and their families. Parents are involved, and the whole community supports the school because they know how vital it is.”

With future educators like Mallory preparing to follow in Katie’s footsteps, rural communities like Campo and Vilas are proving that local investment in students pays off, and that growing your own teachers isn’t just a strategy, it’s a necessity.