Finlands #1, Finlands #1

All Hail Finland!

IF AMERICANS harbored any doubts about their eroded global edge, the recent release of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development’s fourth international comparison of educational performance should rattle the nation from its “We’re No. 1’’ complacency. The latest Program for International Student Assessment study revealed that, although the United States made some modest gains, it is lagging behind many other developed nations in the ability of its 15-year-olds. The country isn’t flunking: like France, England, and Sweden, learning here has stagnated at below-average levels. That “gentleman’s C’’ should be a call to change course. 

Take heart. Finland, one of the world’s top educational performers according to the last PISA study and a recent McKinsey report, was once in a similar slump and can offer lessons for the United States and others seeking a cure for poor public schools.

The article goes on to discuss what Finland did to turn around their educational program:

• No Standardized Testing (!!!!!!!!!)



AWWWWWESOME

• All parties involved in education are apart of the evaluation process (Teachers, Students, Parents, etc).
• Teachers are treated as autonomous professionals who are required to have advanced degrees.
• All Educational Leaders are... shockingly... FORMER TEACHERS! 

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Wow! This is a breath of fresh air. I whole heartedly agree with and support the entire premise of the article. More needs to be done by our government to make teaching a respectable profession again. It needs to require higher standards for people to become teachers (the average teacher in the USA was a "C" student in  high school) and expect a greater degree of intellectual prowess. In return, they need to give teachers back their classrooms. Teachers are no longer trusted to do what is the best academic interests of their students, and are viewed almost as villains by many in the greater community. Teachers are the most powerful commodity in the educational system. They need to step being treated as cogs in a machine. Period.

I would also like to address one other point the article made: School Leadership = Former Teachers. In America there is an interesting phenomena that has occurred. The macrolevel leadership of education is willingly placed into the hands of people who have no experience in education and no educational training. Answer these questions for me:

• What type of degree do you need to have to sit in a government position to oversee medical professionals? A medical degree.
• What type of degree do you need to have to sit in a government position to oversee financial professionals? A finance degree.

Yet, in America there is a feeling that because a person has spent 13 years as a student in public education, they are an expert in running public education!  The Republican who ran for the top educational office in North Carolina in 2008 had a finance degree. His experience that qualified him to do this job was that he raised two girls and sent them through public school. Seriously? If I commit a bunch of crimes and stand trail on numerous occasions, does that make me qualified to be a lawyer or sit on the board? No way. [/rant]

In closing, way to go Finland! May we take the bold steps necessary to turn from our faulty ways.

Belated Kudos, Obama: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

On December 13, 2010, President Obama signed a bill that hopes to change the face, and the waist line, of public education. It is called the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Championed by Michelle Obama, this act looks to increase funding for school lunch programs, require them to make healthier choices for meals served during lunch time, increase student activity levels, amongst other things. President Obama said,

"We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams, because in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children.  Nothing.  And our hopes for their future should drive every single decision that we make."

Here is a short list of things this act will do:

Gives USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools during the school day, including vending machines, the “a la carte” lunch lines, and school stores.

Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally-subsidized lunches. This is an historic investment, the first real reimbursement rate increase in over 30 years.

Helps communities establish local farm to school networks, create school gardens, and ensures that more local foods are used in the school setting. [ed - Super important. Anyone seen the movie Food, INC?]

Builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA and use in their breakfast and lunch programs.

Expands access to drinking water in schools, particularly during meal times.

Sets basic standards for school wellness policies including goals for nutrition promotion and education and physical activity, while still permitting local flexibility to tailor the policies to their particular needs.

Promotes nutrition and wellness in child care settings through the federally-subsidized Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Expands support for breastfeeding through the WIC program

For your perusing pleasure there is a fact sheet along with a sample school menu.

Finally, from the First Lady herself,

These are the basic values that we all share, regardless of race, party, religion.  This is what we share.  These are the values that this bill embodies.  And that’s why we’ve seen such a groundswell of support for these efforts –- not just from members of Congress here in Washington, but from folks in every corner of the country.  It’s been beautiful to see.

From educators working to provide healthier school meals, because they know the connection between proper nutrition and academic performance.

From doctors and nurses who know that unhealthy kids grow into unhealthy adults –- at risk for obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer.

From business and labor leaders who know that we spend nearly $150 billion a year to treat these diseases and who worry about the impact on our economy.

From advocates and faith leaders who know that school meals are vital for combating hunger, feeding more than 31 million children a day.

And from military leaders who tell us that when more than one in four young people are unqualified for military service because of their weight, they tell us that childhood obesity isn’t just a public health issue; they tell us that it is not just an economic threat -- it is a national security threat as well.

Now, these folks come at this issue from all different angles.  But they’ve come together to support this bill because they know it’s the right thing to do for our kids.  And they know that in the long run, it won’t just save money, but it’s going to save lives.

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I think this is a great piece of bipartisan legislation. Is it a miracle law that will fix everything? No, but it does lay a platform upon which to make further changes for the good of everyone. Two things that I will be curious to see:

1. Vending Machines. The lunches at our school are not "bad" nutritionally. The problem the unhealthy option that is readily available. The days that there are no chips in the vending machines, some kids choose not to eat even though they can get as many veggies & fruit as their heart desires for free. You could put the healthiest meal plan together, complete with egg whites and wheat germ, but if there are chips & cookies available at the vending machine it it will all be in vain. 
2. Recess/Physical Activity. Our kids need to move more during the school day. I teach 6th grade, and the poor kids do not have recess. I have half contemplated having students spend half of the class period running around screaming their heads off to release some energy so that they can focus. Our younger kids need more avenues where they are up and moving.

Overall, well done Congress & Obama.