This essay is based on a federal analyst's 26-year career in government, particularly the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement. It addresses rural living and quality of life as well as changes that have occurred over the past two decades and planning for the future. The special training needs of rural educators are discussed, and distance learning options are recommended as a means for enriching rural curricula. It suggests that the federal role in reducing inequities in rural schools requires a complete overhaul rather than tinkering at the edges. Because few national leaders in education spring from rural settings, more collaboration among the National Rural Education Association and educational laboratories is needed as one means to focus attention on rural education issues. Other recommendations are that collaborative research efforts among concerned agencies and associations should increase, and that the poorest of the poor counties should receive special government intervention involving integrated services rather than just education. In a discussion of rural education research and research needs, it is noted that only fairly recently has National Assessment of Educational Progress data been analyzed by metropolitan-nonmetropolitan county type and that this revealed essentially no difference in scores. The essay concludes with a delineation of major policy improvements over the period and hope for an even better climate for understanding and assisting rural schools in the years ahead. (RAH)