Many of the people who live in Knott County today are direct descendants of the early settlers of the region. Today the people of Knott County share an identity that is grounded in the place they and their ancestors called home. Perhaps the public endeavor in which the influence of place is most evident is education. In Knott County education has always been strongly linked with the local geography, history, economics and culture. When the major education reform efforts of the 1990s came to Knott County, they were created and implemented by educators who were themselves products of this isolated region, and therefore the programs they developed were shaped by their sense of place. In particular, the stories of the women who led this reform--Jane, Frieda, Evelyn, and Brenda--echo the stories of the early pioneer women who first established schools in the region in the early 1900s. The institutions and ways of working which these early educational pioneers created have influenced and are closely interwoven with the lives and careers of the present group of educational leaders. A brief step back in time to look more closely at the region and how its geography and history have created a unique culture that defines the present, helps readers better understand the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) leaders and their recent efforts to improve math and science education in Knott County. (Contains 3 footnotes.)