The federal government is rewarding schools for innovations that don't work particularly well in rural areas. And the problem is likely to continue.

The Obama Administration's Blueprint for Reform mentions "rural" 18 times. But the Education Department still doesn't have a feel for what it means to operate a rural school.

President Obama used the rural school district in Dillon, South Carolina, as an example of a place that could benefit from federal stimulus. He's right, but under current guidelines, rural school districts like Dillon are at a disadvantage.