WASHINGTON — As part of her continuing charge to state and local education leaders to rethink school, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today a challenge to advance high-quality technology instruction in rural communities. The Rural Tech Project, with a total cash prize pool of $600,000, invites high schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop competency-based distance learning programs that enable students to master skills at their own pace with the goal of preparing them for the well-paying, in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.