So, Sarah, what about Finland?

In our meeting last Thursday (03/03) with Sarah Brown Wessling (the National Teacher of the Year), I got that Finland has national standards that guide the nation's education system "in a very healthy way," but there's no national curriculum. Sarah said she'd been in Finland studying their education system as part of her NTOY work and as a delegate from ASCD. The national standards, she says, "Give them a common vision," which empowers teachers, principals and other school district officials "to make decisions that make a difference for kids."

Finnish people are very open to change. Openness is a feature of their culture. Good to look at another culture to see what works for them and say, “That works for them, how can we make it work for us?” And within our own context, I think this does cut right to the question of 'What is the purpose of school?'

This is one thing that I’ve learned this year: When I see schools or teachers or states that are moving, it is because of their common vision. There has to be something really important about their 'common vision.' And in Finland, it works with national standards, yet there's no national curriculum.

That would be different from some schools in America, ones Sarah described, where teachers are required to follow a "script." What works in Finland, she told us, can't be easily or exactly (or maybe not at all) transported to America, because what works in one context (culture) may not work in another.


Does that mean there's no hope for the USA, I wondered?


Let's start with something really basic. In Finland, Sarah said, "The first national test a student takes is at age 18." 

That doesn’t mean that students haven’t been 'tested,' but they don’t 'test and blame.' There’s an incredible amount of 'trust,' which goes back to the culture. It goes back to a culture where people don’t have to 'compete' to survive. 

Sarah told us that in Finland, teachers don't "grade" homework. What if we didn't "grade" homework? Wouldn't parents and state legislators worry about "accountability"?

In Finland, teachers assign, but don’t grade homework. Student do (or don’t do) the homework, not to get a grade; they do what they need to do in order to learn. If they need to do “more” in math (let’s say) in order to succeed, then that’s what they focus on. I think this could turn education around here. In this country, we're so wrapped up in our 'competition' that to let go of it seems to be letting go of everything.

I know business leaders and politicians think "competition" is good. It's what made America strong, they say. [A letter-to-the-editor in Tuesday's DMR (02/08) says competition over the F136 engine for the Joint Strike Fighter saved taxpayers 21%, which is $20 billion.] Guess there's a big difference between racing to build the top airplane engine, and racing to top learning for ALL students. Learning isn't a marginally available commodity, limited to one prize winner.  Can see how businesspeople get that mixed up. But, back to Sarah:

What works in Finland is a “growth” mindset, a life-long learner mindset. 

Frankly, I didn’t see a lot of innovative teaching, nor a lot of technology. I saw kids who felt safe, cognitively safe, and emotionally safe. I saw kids who were happy to be in school. I saw kids who were 'present,' and, a certain 'presence' of everyone. So, it wasn’t perfect, and I’m sure, there are things they can take from us.

The thing about Finland is that there is this 'value' on learning. The people who provide the learning are seen as important members of the community. As actual hires, only the top 15% of teaching candidates in teacher preparation programs actually get hired, so there is a surplus and that elevates the professional standards. In Finland, you would never see a billboard saying, 'You too can be in the classroom tomorrow, call XXX.' You could see this in the USA.

Teachers get an undergraduate degree in their content areas, then all get an advanced degree, a Masters in pedagogy. Teachers get paid so much more because, by contrast, Finland's doctors and lawyers don’t get paid as much as USA, which goes back to their culture. And all belong to a strong teachers union. 

After a half hour hearing about Finland, I gave some thought to moving there. It's the homeland of one of my grandfathers. But, alas, I'm tied to Iowa by family, love and hope. But, if given the choice between Mississippi and Finland, I'd be looking for a heavier coat.


I do get the notion of "presence" and recall the last time I visited an Iowa high school classroom: Bodies were "present," but many minds were elsewhere (texting), some absent. Too bad, because the lesson was really interesting. Must be part of our culture, which (I guess) can change if given attention and provided time and leadership. Let's hope.