Why Finland's Schools Are Top-Notch (Opinion) - CNN.Com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

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Why Finland's schools are top-notch SHARE THIS By Pasi Sahlberg Print updated 11:10 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Email More sharing Recommend 10k

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Education in the United States is too much defined by testing and data, says Pasi Sahlberg.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS Editor's note: Pasi Sahlberg is visiting professor at Harvard

Many American parents worry University's Graduate School of Education and former director about their kids getting good general in the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Follow him 10 works of art that 12 laundry mistakes grades and doing well in school on Twitter: @pasi_sahlberg. The opinions expressed in this shocked the world you're probably Pasi Sahlberg: Finland has one commentary are solely those of the writer. making of the leading education systems in the world (CNN) -- Millions of American parents spend countless hours trying He says U.S. can learn from to figure out how to help their children get better grades, better Finland in building an education system that enhances equity teachers or better schools.

Sahlberg: U.S. education focuses on testing and data, They may want to take a page from Finland, which is considered to Musk teases Mila Kunis and which skews teaching priorities have one of the leading education systems in the world. Finnish something new from Ashton Kutcher's Tesla: The D baby's name is... students consistently score near the top in the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, for reading, mathematics and science. The 2012 PISA results tell us that in these three subjects combined Finland ranks third after Korea and Japan. In comparison, American students' combined performance in reading, mathematics and science places the United States at 21st among 34 The trouble with y'all Why so many Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. moving to Texas children aren't ready http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 1 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

For some, education in Finland is utopia: a dreamland where for school teaching is the most desired profession, authorities trust schools and political parties agree on the direction of educational reforms. CNN Money:

For others, they are surprised to hear that in Finland children don't start school until they are 7 years old. They have less homework than their peers in other countries. A child's socioeconomic background is less of an impediment to academic performance. And there is only 2015 Mustang: Ford's Branson: Take as one standardized test, which is administered in the final pony has new tricks much vacation as you year of high school. want! Pasi Sahlberg What are the main factors that prevent American students Promoted Stories: from achieving the kind of success that Finnish students attain?

There are three things that have positively affected the quality of Finnish schools that are absent in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that has over time strengthened educational equity. This means early childhood education for all Don’t Touch that School Lunches Kids children, funding all schools so they can better serve those with Ketchup: Keep Will Love special educational needs, access to health and well-being services Healthy by Avoiding Snip.ly: Social Media for all children in all schools, and a national curriculum that insists these 8 Germ Havens Conversion | Home AARP that schools focus on the whole child rather than narrow academic achievement.

Opinion: Should schools ban homework?

Second, teachers in Finland have time to work together What's Your Color What Your Feet Say with their colleagues during the school day. According to Personality? Find Out About Your Health the most recent data provided by the OECD the average Here! Health Central teaching load of junior high school teachers in Finland is BHG about half what it is in the United States. That enables teachers to build professional networks, share ideas and Spurlock visits Finnish classroom best practices. This is an important condition to enhancing

teaching quality. Part of complete coverage on Opinion on the news Finally, play constitutes a significant part of individual growth and learning in Finnish schools. Every class must be followed by a 15- minute recess break so children can spend time outside on their own Pentagon spending getting out of hand activities. Schooldays are also shorter in Finland than in the United updated 3:13 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 States, and primary schools keep the homework load to a minimum As it considers next year's budget request, Congress has so students have time for their own hobbies and friends when school a responsibility to make the is over. Pentagon justify every dollar of spending it is asking for, writes William Hartung The difference is pronounced in America, where a national poll of elementary school principals found that up to 40% of U.S. school districts have reduced or eliminated recess in order to free more time Protecting against Ebola trumps for core academics, and one in four elementary schools no longer personal liberty updated 9:42 PM EDT, Sun October 5, 2014 provides recess to all grades. Danny Cevallos says Voices quarantining people, depriving by CNN I hear people often arguing that because the United States is much them of liberty, is justified to protect the interests of society bigger, more diverse, and more unequal, it's harder to reach higher quality education. But even if this were true, it would not explain why Read Magazine in Finland students learn better in their schools than in most other places in the world. This is Elizabeth Warren's moment updated 1:41 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Julian Zelizer says the Opinion: Let kids sleep late Massachusetts senator has just been handed a giant Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in political opportunity -- secret tapes on U.S. regulation of improving education quality and equity. First, education in the United Goldman Sachs States is too much defined by testing and data. If getting the data using frequent standardized tests occupies up to one-third of all Get proactive about screening for http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 2 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

available time to teach, that will alone prevent students from making Ebola the marks they should. updated 9:03 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Sen. Rob Portman says it's time to move from passive to Second, American education places too much faith in marketplace active screening for the choice, which parents have because of expanded access to charter disease at U.S. airports schools. This weakens the public school structure that is fundamental to many successful education systems elsewhere. 'Sexy' clothes don't excuse sexual Finally, more students in America have novice or nonprofessional violence teachers in their classrooms today than ever. Frequent turnover of updated 3:12 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 teachers in thousands of American schools undermines the entire Carol Costello says the notion education system. that men are provoked to assault by revealing clothes is a convenient, troubling myth What would be the way forward then? The United States can't become Finland, but there is a lot it can learn about what works and what doesn't. Ebola quarantine is perfectly legal updated 2:38 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 One affordable and smart step would be to terminate policies and Paul Callan says government practices that prevent American teachers from teaching what matters has sweeping power to suspend individual rights to most to their students. Redesigning current punitive accountability for protect the larger society schools and abolishing unnecessary standardized tests would remove a big burden from schools and leave teachers with more time to focus on real learning. How Supreme Court's non-decision Opinion: Get schools out of the 1890s helps gay marriage updated 5:07 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Jeffrey Toobin says that by not The ultimate test for the American education system will be whether hearing five states' same-sex it can bring equity to the forefront of education policies. When poverty marriage challenges, the Supreme Court allows explains up to half of student achievement, schools must have marriage equality to continue measures to better cope with the harmful consequences that its march toward being law of disadvantaged family backgrounds have on teaching and learning in the land many schools. Enhancing equity has been one key to success in Finland. Would Jesus OK same-sex marriage? updated 8:45 PM EDT, Fri October 3, 2014 Read CNNOpinion's new Flipboard magazine That depends on how you understand the context of Scripture, says Jay Parini. But Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion. there's good reason to think Jesus would have preached acceptance Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Why strong defense is critical to America updated 8:36 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Promoted Stories Recommended by Sen. Jim Talent say that by preferring to lead from behind, President Obama has allowed global threats to fester

Why Finland's schools are top-notch updated 11:10 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Pasi Sahlberg says America A Ridiculously Simple What Your Feet Say Dogs That Will 10 Worst College can learn from Finland, which Way to Pay Off About Your Health Destroy Your Life Majors for Today’s has one of the leading Mortgage Health Central Puppy Toob Job Market education systems in the world Bills.com Business Cheat Sheet

More Promoted Stories More from CNN Stop the hysteria over Apple encryption What Your Feet Say About Your Health Health Occupy Central is bigger than Hong Kong updated 12:41 PM EDT, Sat October 4, 2014 Central Woman sees baby in hot car, breaks window Law enforcement overreacted What You Won’t Learn about Your Kid from in saying Apple's encryption is a major form of protection for Her Teacher Reader's Digest New Jersey boy went to bed fine, didn't wake criminals, says Bruce Schneier how to budget your money: the 50/20/30 rule up -- due to enterovirus D68 LearnVest http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 3 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

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Buy a link here How to make President safe again updated 1:20 PM EDT, Fri October 3, 2014 4172 Comments CNN  Login Jeffrey Robinson says the Secret Service needs to return to stricter Reagan-era Sort by Best Share ⤤ Favorite ★ protocols that prioritized intense protection for the President Join the discussion… Why U.S. can stop Ebola in its tracks updated 5:43 PM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 CDC Director Tom Frieden is Al Gore • 9 hours ago confident that Ebola will not Notice there is absolutely no mention of a culture in the U.S. among certain take hold in the U.S., but cautions we must keep up demographics where parents and students don't value learning. if this author isn't efforts to eliminate the disease going to even mention that giant pink elephant in the room, then that takes away all in west Africa. his credibility. You can't add funding and solve that problem. 794 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › Judd: Ebola, and health care's 'Achilles heel' updated 10:18 AM EDT, Fri October 3, 2014 Tommy48235 > Al Gore • 9 hours ago Ashley Judd and Karl Hofmann Or another certain demographic that doesn't believe in science. say the U.S. is more capable of thwarting Ebola epidemic • Reply • Share › 625 △ ▽ than much of the world, which urgently needs help building health care systems Heka > Tommy48235 • 9 hours ago Hear, hear. We must throw all of our funding into one pot as well. We can't expect The upside of Ebola in Dallas updated 6:56 PM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 to cannibalize the horrendously low funds for public education through The Ebola case in Texas might charter education and still expect results. One or the other, not both. catalyze the U.S. and the rest of the world to help stop this 72 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › crisis, says John Sutter.

Cooramoor > Heka • 9 hours ago Charter schools take no funding from public schools. Funding is China's Hong Kong dilemma provided on a per capita student basis. Heck, the public schools updated 11:53 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 even get to keep the $$ when a child leaves to go to a charter Former U.S. ambassador Jon Huntsman says China has school. They create this thing called competition. Perhaps the closed off all political options public schools should take a page out of the book? and made it increasingly clear that it intends to call the shots. 120 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

wjshelton > Cooramoor • 9 hours ago How to treat threats of Ebola and ISIS updated 7:15 PM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 That is disingenuous. The moneys allotted for charter Stanley McChrystal and schools on a per capita student basis are moneys that Kristina Talbert-Slagle: Ebola and ISIS are global challenges are taken out of the pool for public schools, thus, that mask deeper problems. effectively reducing the amount of money available for public schools. That is true no matter how you spend it. And that is just for openers. There are many issues with Can America handle the truth? charter schools, which include not being subject to the updated 11:16 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 same standard that public schools are subjected to http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 4 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

same standard that public schools are subjected to Eric Liu says patriotism isn't (teacher certification, curriculum, etc.) about denying a country's faults, but about pointing to how it could get better. I am not making this claim as a layman. I have some knowledge and understanding of how education works in the US. I am, after all, a retired public school teacher who The trouble with y'all moving to Texas has watched my profession and my fellow teachers updated 10:57 AM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 become the targets of relentless attacks over the past James Moore says everybody's moving to Texas. several decades. Certain sectors of the political right love But they might not be ready for to spend their time undermining public education and drought and 10-lane traffic demoralizing its professionals as a way of promoting their jams. agenda of privatizing another public responsibility so someone can make money on it. What Jimmy Carter did right updated 3:47 PM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 223 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › Julian Zelizer says Jimmy Carter's message about the TomFromVa > wjshelton • 8 hours ago need to restore trust in public officials is a vital one, decades I respect teachers. However, the problem is that the after the now 90-year-old he public schools did not exactly distinguish themselves first voiced it prior to the charter school boom. Test scores have not budged in response to massive funding increases, and Ebola reaches U.S.: A tragedy of errors the NEA appears far more concerned with enforcing updated 9:09 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 Ford Vox says mistakes and seniority and tenure (and electing Democrats) than with missed opportunities along the educating students. line to a diagnosis of Ebola in a Liberian man have put Dallas 53 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › residents at risk of fatal infection

mattwend > TomFromVa • 6 hours ago Did you miss the point that test scores are not a valuable Can the law requiring 'yes' for sex way to determine quality education? Also, states (and work? updated 9:11 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014 schools) with strong NEA organizations tend to perform Pepper Schwartz says better, not worse, than schools with little union California is trying, but its law requiring step-by-step consent involvement. is just not the way hot and 29 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › heavy sex proceeds on college campuses

phearis > mattwend • 6 hours ago @TomFromVA - Massive Funding Increases?!?!? Are Steve Israel: The legacy GOP wants you to forget these "Mythical Massive Funding Increases" why my updated 5:39 PM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 friend had to spend $700, out of her own pocket, for Steve Israel saysJohn school supplies for her students?? Are you high or just Boehner's Congress and the tea party will be remembered really REALLY stupid? for shutting down government one year ago Also, you bash Democrats but it was Republicans that tried to block a school funding bill last year and are trying Why Kansas City is making noise again this year, right now. And they have reduced funding updated 10:17 PM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 for schools by 15% in the last 10 years. So much for your Mike Downey says long- suffering fans, waiting for good "Massive Funding Increases" rant. playoff news since 1985, finally get something to cheer about 15 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

TomFromVa > phearis • 5 hours ago The funding increases are real - they just dont get applied An Afghan miracle updated 8:37 AM EDT, Sat October 4, 2014 very well. In my area we have spent damnear a billion Yep. You read the headline dollars tearing down and then rebuilding new school right, says Peter Bergen, buildings in the last 10 years, and not a wiggle in test writing on the new government that stresses national unity score improvement. 14 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › Another freedom group abandoned by > LeRoy_Was_Here TomFromVa • 4 hours ago U.S. A high school in my area spent more than a million dollars updated 7:12 PM EDT, Wed October 1, 2014 not too many years ago installing an Olympic-size http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 5 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

swimming pool, although they have some of the lowest Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrators are but the test scores and lowest teacher salaries in the state. latest freedom group to be abandoned by the Obama administration, says Mike Priorities?? Gonzalez 11 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › One other person is typing…

Common Cents > LeRoy_Was_Here • 4 hours ago Sounds like administration should be swapped out and teachers left alone to do their jobs. 3 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

mattwend > LeRoy_Was_Here • 4 hours ago Different sources of funding. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

bguest > LeRoy_Was_Here • 2 hours ago One near me (Asbury Park) put in a new 10 Million dollar stadium. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

goltan > TomFromVa • 4 hours ago Americans put too much damn effort in the appearance of schools and colleges. Ideally there would be Sponsored Links The #1 Worst Carb Ever? standardization of school construction and funding like Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood most countries. Some are literally palaces! Sugar (Don’t Eat This!) FixYourBloodSugar.com 4 △ ▽ • Reply • Share › Anti-Aging Remedy for $5? mattwend > goltan • 4 hours ago 74 Year Old Mom Outsmarts Botox Doctors. Good luck with developing that standardization Saves On Facelift www.regionalhealthresearch.com considering construction standards would vary greatly depending on location. For example, in Florida, you Top 10 Dividend ETFs would need to build to withstand hurricanes and in Investors Guide: The Top 10 High Dividend Paying ETFs for 2014. California to withstand earthquakes. In North Dakota, www.InvestmentU.com/ETFs they would need to be built to handle extreme cold and snow. My school district had architects develop plans for an elementary 20 plus years ago and they've been working with the same plan, with updated standards, from then on. It still costs big bucks every time a new one is built. Standardizing the construction would be impossible if only because available building materials and need for heating and air conditioning. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Fallen Kell > TomFromVa • 2 hours ago I think that simply shows that a building doesn't make a school. You can have the best building and equipment in the world, but if you don't have an instructor who knows how to use those tools and don't have students who want to learn, well, you can't fix the problem by creating that new building. There is an old saying "when the pupil is ready, the master will appear". Without a student who wants to learn, a teacher can not really do anything. 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Paul the Fossil > phearis • an hour ago In reality the U.S. now leads every other large nation in public education operational (not capital) spending per http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 6 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

pupil, and by large margins. In fact proportionately the distance between the U.S. per-pupil funding and the OECD average is greater on public education than it is on health care spending.

The U.S. also spends much more per pupil than do most small nations, for example according to the OECD we spend about 150% of what Finland does per pupil. Even the lowest-spending U.S. states now spend more per pupil than the OECD (rich-nation) average.

(This wasn't always the case, it reflects a couple generations of steady increases on the U.S.'s part: public school spending nationwide is today more than quadruple, after inflation and per pupil, what it was in 1964. Average per-pupil expenditure at U.S. public schools has increased in 47 of the last 50 individual years.)

How that level of spending somehow still leads to teachers buying school supplies out of their own pockets, which I know of firsthand too, is a damned interesting question. It again reminds of the situation regarding health care. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

antonio > mattwend • 5 hours ago Test scores are not a valuable way to determine quality education? Why is quality so high at places where test scores are so high? Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc., etc. This is the problem with education in America - we're trying to convince ourselves that tests don't matter, and I'd bet it's b/c we performing poorly on math and science tests. If we had the highest scores, we'd be screaming and crying about why tests are so important... 17 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jim > antonio • 4 hours ago Test scores only tell you how a student performed ON THAT DAY. Give the test again in a week and you'll get a different result. Did the child sleep well? Did the child's parents argue the night before? Did the child get a good breakfast? All of these external factor effect testing outcomes. A single high stakes test is the worst way to evaluate a student. 15 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

antonio > Jim • 4 hours ago Scores will vary, but not by much, thus the information we get from scores is still very informative. What do you think would happen if we let people who scored low on the SAT attend Harvard? Many would fail out. Why? Because test scores matter. Also, the assumption that they don't matter means that there is no need to test. Is that really what you're proposing? No more tests? Hmm. 5 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

R43d99 > Jim • 4 hours ago http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 7 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

R43d99 > Jim • 4 hours ago Std testing should work well for 10th grade and 12th grade either federally or stately. In that both public schools and charter schools should participate. In India, public schools always do well in std testing for both 10 and 12th grade than Charter schools. Rest of the grades std testing should be based on the school model, if we do that, we can improve the quality of education here in this country.. 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

JSB > Jim • 15 minutes ago Test scores are indeed a snapshot. If I have 20 snapshots of you and 20 of 20 show that you not only don't know what is on the test but that you score worse than if you had guessed your way through it... I have a pretty accurate 'snapshot' of your deficiencies. Similarly If you consistently score in the top 5% we have a pretty good way of saying that you scored in the top 5% and probably know your stuff. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

oldguy68 > Jim • an hour ago I presume you are talking about the ACT and SAT. These tests can be taken many times (although I personally doubt their value, except that a very low score seems to be a good predictor of failure) △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

RetiredHappy > Jim • 2 hours ago You're right. A lot of outside factors are at work, day in, day out. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

CAnnie > Jim • 4 hours ago EXACTLY!!!!! △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

randal thor > CAnnie • 3 hours ago Okay cannie were going to let the enginnersthat build the bridges you drive across not be tested, or th surgeon that operates on you. As long as they try hard that is good enough. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

CAnnie > randal thor • 13 minutes ago Did I say not testing at all and trying hard "good enough"? Not even close, Einstein. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

disqus_eTOmyHE4Re > antonio • 4 hours ago My son has a 140 plus IQ. He rarely misses a test question in class. He also has ADHD. His standardized tests scores fluctuates between the sixties and the high nineties. As a result, he was excluded from the gifted program at his school. He doesn't fit the box. My husband went through a gifted program when he was a kid and does not think it is necessary. He is also a public http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 8 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

kid and does not think it is necessary. He is also a public school teacher. These tests are a day in the life of a child. Someday my boy is going to come back and blow these people away. We don't need more boxes to tick. We need to teach the child and bring out their abilities. Inspire them to learn. Do not just strive to bring up the bottom. 12 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

antonio > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • 4 hours ago Your kid represents a small portion of the population (not only in terms of his intelligence, but how it varies over time). Schools make accommodations for these types of situations. For most students, a test is not just a day in the life of a child - that is, students who score highly have a tendency to score highly, and students who score poorly have a tendency to score poorly (even after multiple tests/days). When you say your kid will come back and blow people away, you seem to be referring to his performance on a test, but earlier in your post you argue against testing. Seems a bit contradictory. Listen, just be happy your child is gifted b/c if he scores in the nineties, the he will likely be very productive and successful in life, and many folks are not blessed with that sort of capability. Regarding the end of your post, we have to do both (can't have one without the other)... 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

disqus_eTOmyHE4Re > antonio • 3 hours ago Thanks. That was completely my point. Sometimes you can use facts as a point and not just to brag. If you think having ADHD and an high IQ is something easy, I invite you to live with me for awhile. It's a challenge. And when I refer to blowing people away, I'm referring to what he will do later in life. Hopefully, maturity and coping skills will help him overcome his deficits. 3 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

antonio > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • 2 hours ago I have ADHD (and a PhD from a prestigious school in a difficult area of specialization), so I can empathize with what you're saying. Sometimes when I work, I can't get anything done, other times, I can get so much done so fast (so I suppose it averages out). My standardized test scores also varied quite a bit (from percentiles in the mid- 70s to 90s), similar to your son. Instead of being placed in a gifted and talented program, I was placed in special ed because of behavioral issues (classes moved too slow, so I became bored and distracting). Of course we all have our unique challenges (life is not easy for most), but I can assure you that having high intelligence is a blessing, even if it comes and goes in spurts. 3 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

disqus_eTOmyHE4Re > antonio • 18 minutes ago Thank you for your story. It gives me hope that my son will turn out just fine. As a parent it can be frustrating to see so much potential just brushed aside. Our http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 9 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

see so much potential just brushed aside. Our Neuropsych keeps telling me he will be a " rock star" once he can pick his field. Sounds much like you. He is a sweet amazing little boy. His current obsession is Marine Biology. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

antonio > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • 15 minutes ago Normally I wouldn't disclose so much, but this is anonymous, so what the heck! Funny thing - marine biology was my first passion, too, but I ended up doing economics (I'm currently a professor and consultant). Your son will be fine (it sounds like he has a very caring mother, which will be a great help)! :-) △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

dkmich > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • 2 hours ago Oh but.. Bill Gates needs more worker drones to fill his corporate jobs. 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Miss Y > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • 3 hours ago Nice brag - we're all VERY impressed △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

asfdasfsagsdfg > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • an hour ago Will these people you have made into your son's enemies without his knowing or consent even have the attention span to remember to do this? Sounds like your little snowflake doesn't get the challenges he needs at home. I recommend we send him off to foster care. See how well he does flitting around the room when people are chasing him with belts and starving him. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

BillA > disqus_eTOmyHE4Re • an hour ago I was one of the kids who did not fit into the box at school. I had lived with my grandparents around first grade. Grandad was an engineer and taught me a a lot of science and math. I also was taught to read at a more advanced level. So by the time I was in third grade, I could read anything in the library. The library books were color coded by grade level. I actually got in trouble with my teacher for checking out a 6th grade level book. I also had been taught some mathematical tools like basic trig, PI, and logs. Well according to the teacher, I should have not learned those concepts yet.. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

bguest > BillA • an hour ago Some teachers just dont like it when there is something out of normal. I had to fight to have my son tested at a new school because the school did not want to place him where he belonged. They eventually did and told us they would get back to us after grading the test. We did not even leave the parking lot before we got a call asking us to come back because he aced the test and they needed http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 10 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

to give him another. They are much more accomodating now but it took a big push and honestly some help in advocating. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Fallen Kell > antonio • 4 hours ago I think what the mattwend was getting to is the fact that the tests being given are not a quality performance metric. It doesn't help that we have a large political group that is doing everything to undermine science education in this country, trying to redefine the meanings behind "current leading accepted scientific theory" to mean that its just a "theory" like any other theory, neither proved, nor disproved, and that other theories should be given equal educational weight... When that is ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Sure something like evolution is controversial to your religion, but guess what, it is the only scientific theory that is accepted and has no scientific evidence that proves it wrong, and plenty that supports it as correct. Yet, these people want to give just as many pages/paragraphs of study material to other "quote" theories on the subject, when if they gave those other theories the proportional weighting of pages in the study material as there are scientists, and support papers that believe in the theory, they wouldn't even be able to write the name of the theory in the book (or the book would have to have several thousands of pages about evolution and then 1 sentence about their "alternate"). 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jodo > mattwend • 6 hours ago Quality can only be measured through consistent, meaningful metrics. Uniform testing is a viable metric. Counting the number of happy teachers is not. 15 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Ryan Blennert > Jodo • 6 hours ago The problem with what you are talking about is that you are treating students like an end product from a business. A business can choose what products they take in to make their product and when the product does not meet their standards they can toss them out and call it a bad batch (quality control). The aim is to put the best product out into society. Public Schools are not allowed to do that. They take all students at the front door and all of their different backgrounds and attempt to make an educated citizen. A business model does not work for a public school. 24 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Tank > Ryan Blennert • 5 hours ago Finland doesn't toss out students that do not meet their standards, they help the child to meet the standards, and yet, they are still performing better than American schools. Testing IS a viable way to measure progress, but too much testing is counter productive. Finland does use a http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 11 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

standardized test before graduation--ONE test, not yearly testing. 13 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

TomFromVa > mattwend • 5 hours ago So which is it - states with strong NEA organizations have better test scores, or test scores are meaningless? You seem unaware that you have contradicted yourself. Clearly the product of an inferior education. 4 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Whatever... > TomFromVa • 4 hours ago I have seen, in several locations, with several children, that schools with teachers in unions have been much less capable than schools with teachers not in a union. That is just personal experience...... wonder why that is? 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

mattwend > TomFromVa • 5 hours ago Actually, that is my point. How do you know education is better or worse? And, where is proof that unions make education worse? △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

LeRoy_Was_Here > mattwend • 4 hours ago In California, there is a public high school math teacher who could not compute 80% of 80. She still has a job, despite being totally incompetent, because the unions protect her job.

I teach at a charter school, one of America's most highly- ranked schools. I do so because a major kahuna in our major teachers' union took a look at my resume and said, sadly, "Mr. ____, you have FAR too much education to be a good teacher."

That was a very revealing comment. The public schools want teachers who struggled in math themselves, so that they can 'relate' to their students. They actually do not WANT expert mathematicians teaching math to our children. 5 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Fallen Kell > LeRoy_Was_Here • 4 hours ago To be fair, they also can't PAY for expert mathematicians to teach math. When was the last time in grade school, middle school, or high school you addressed your teacher as Dr. in a public school? I was glad my parents were well off enough to be able to send me to private school, were we had several Dr.'s teaching in the schools, both in the arts and sciences. I can tell you for a fact that they helped much more so than you can imagine. If you were struggling, they could on the fly rephrase the questions to get you to look at it from a different angle of attack. They also impaired in us the curiosity that is truly needed to actually get an education. Straight up memorizing facts and answers does not make you educated. Knowing HOW those facts and answers http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 12 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM

you educated. Knowing HOW those facts and answers came to be is what makes you educated... 2 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Miss Y > Fallen Kell • 3 hours ago You need an expert mathematician to know how to calculate 80% of 80? LOL! 1 △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Fallen Kell > Miss Y • 2 hours ago Compared to the person who couldn't do it, yes, that person would be an expert mathematician. Eisenstein needed an expert mathematician all the time (or felt that way). And your case of getting 80% of 80 is exactly why experts are needed, to be able to do more than read the book and if a question comes up that is not strictly in the book, they can answer it. For many positions, that might not be an issue, usually low level math, reading, and spelling. But once you start getting into fractions, percentages, algebra, geometry, science, and history, you really need experts. There was a study not too long ago showing how bad the general population is with using fractions and percentages. This goes back to having a good teacher who understood it... △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

bguest > Miss Y • 2 hours ago Hopefully you learned more than that in grade school. △ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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