Discover Finland’s Education System through the Teacher Leader Fellowship Program at ARAMFO Educational Foundation! Please read Dr. Betty Sternberg’s message below for more information on the program:

From April 13 – 20, 2024, we’re hosting an immersive travel experience in Finland tailored for preK-12 teachers, administrators, education board members, faculty from schools of education, and education specialists

The recent PISA and NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) results indicate that the education reforms initiated two decades ago, including No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top, haven’t yielded the anticipated outcomes. U.S. student scores on PISA remain concerning. Peggy G. Carr, Associate Commissioner of NAEP, highlighted the lack of national progress in both math and reading over the past decade, with the lowest-performing students showing a decline.

While some argue that these assessments do not encapsulate the entirety of the educational landscape, it’s imperative for us to ask ourselves why our past reforms haven’t significantly improved our students’ performance on these basic skills over the last 20 years.

These past five years we have been leading groups of teachers, teacher leaders, preK-12 administrators and professors of educational leadership to this country to get a sense of what they are doing – and it is starkly different from what we have instituted these past years.  

I cordially invite you to take part in this program to look at what Finland is doing and think through what elements of their approach you might adapt in your schools.   See how they train and treat their teachers as trusted professionals, see how they allow kids to be kids and give them the time and space to learn through play, see how they instill in their children a sense of responsibility and ownership of their work, see how they allow their teachers the time and space to thoughtfully and meaningfully develop curriculum and plan instruction — and see how they have NOT embraced tests, tests and more tests rendering school a place devoid of joy, creativity and a love of learning.  Yet see how well their students score on the most broadly accepted international assessment, PISA, while US students lag behind.    Below is an overview: 

WHERE:  Helsinki, Finland
WHEN:  April 13– April 20, 2024
WHAT: The itinerary The program entails visits to various educational landmarks in Finland and offers deep insights into their pedagogical methods. A detailed itinerary is available on the website for your perusal here https://aramfo.org/programs/finland-2024-the-teacher-leader-fellowship-program-abroad

Should you have any questions or need further details, please don’t hesitate to reach out at bettys@aramfo.org I am excited about the possibility of exploring Finland’s educational landscape together.