Welcome to my blog about schools around the world. There’s a universality around the world when it comes to students, that much we know. Yet some schools share similarities and some contrast in even the most basic ways. I’m on a quest to find the commonalities in education across the oceans with the hope that schools can learn from each other, exchange ideas and connect for the betterment of our students.
I work in a wonderful, small but growing, P-12 school district in northern New Jersey. We try innovative initiatives and are open to many new ideas. If research supports it and the end result will benefit our students, our faculty, administration and Board of Education trustees are willing to try it.
In July 2019, my colleague and I visited a private school for students between the ages of four and 18 in a major metropolitan city in Italy. Specific details of this school will be slightly altered, masked or omitted to protect the confidentiality of their students and families. School administrators graciously spent a few hours with us on this hot day in July. They gave us a tour and explained how schooling works not only in this private school but also in the country. During our tour, I saw that this prestigious private school with tuition charges approximately $24,000 per year, had the same interactive TVs that we recently purchased, used a similar online reading program that we use, and are riding the same flexible seating wave we are riding. I found the commonalities to be astounding. Over 4,000 miles separated our schools yet our philosophies, our educational beliefs and our initiatives were simpatico.
In this era of rampant, domestic school shootings, school security and student safety is on the forefront of so many, if not all, educational initiatives. The same seemed true for our international counterparts. An armed Italian police officer checked our credentials and his visitor list to make sure our taxi was allowed to enter the gated campus. Similarly our NJ district has a very tight security protocols for visitors including a person retention vestibule, bullet proof doors, closed circuit cameras feeding to the local police station, and a identification management system that scans IDs against the sex offender registry.
Major European cities are generally on high alert due to potential terrorism, especially after the 2015 Paris attack. I have visited this major Italian city several times in my life and my last visit was in 2011. This time around, I felt a deep, intense and coordinated police presence - one I did not notice eight years ago. These local, federal and military officers seemed strategically placed around the city. This coordination clearly impacts the school system as the principal of this private school said all schools in the area have a police presence. The elementary principal explained to us that in times of high threat levels, the Italian military would be present on campus in addition to the police guard. Similarly, when we experience high threat levels, we see an increased police presence as well.
Academically, this English-speaking school offered weekly library, physical education, language and music classes. They also offered Arabic, French, Italian, Chinese and Spanish language options. Students who do not speak English take an English as a Second Language support class. Students with mild special needs attend this school in an inclusive classroom setting but students with more challenging special needs often attend public school, as public schools can better serve the needs of these students. Students are evaluated for special needs in the hospital, rather than by the school district.
Standardized testing does not begin until middle school however each school system is free to create their own internal assessment system to periodically gauge student learning. There is absolutely no early childhood testing and the notion that I would even ask such a thing made this educator of over 30 years frown. She seemed perplexed at the thought that early childhood testing existed anywhere. In NJ, state standardized testing begins in third grade. Middle schoolers take exams and the high school students participate in the International Baccalaureate program.
Each class averages approximately 16-24 students per class. Elementary students are exposed to the recorder and the ukulele and some parents opt to pay for music lessons as an enrichment during lunchtime. Students in this private school eat lunch provided by the school. Although it was more common in the past and still happens in some areas, students are allowed to go home for lunch but many working parents cannot take advantage of this. Therefore, most students eat in school.
Although they have many electronic laptops and iPads, they are not a 1:1 school system. Teachers must reserve time slots to borrow laptop or iPad carts. There is also a rarely used computer lab that the administration is considering disbanding or re-purposing. Some students bring their own devices from home.
The vice principal explained to me that there is high teacher turnover, as it is expensive to live in this major city and teachers feel their salaries are low. Teachers do contribute to a pension system but must wait until they are 67 years old to begin collecting.
I saw a genuine care for students during this visit. These administrators enjoy their work, respect their families and like their students. The office was organized, the building was immaculate, the view was impeccable and the facilities were updated. The school felt like a positive and enjoyable place to work. The administrators discussed with ease their philosophies of education and their feelings on childhood development. We found ourselves agreeing with each other throughout the conversation. I was mesmerized by how this school in Italy and our school in NJ paralleled in philosophies, structure and facilities. Education trends have changed so much in the last few years and it seems educators face similar challenges across oceans and all over the world.
Welcome to my blog about schools around the world. There’s a universality around the world when it comes to students, that much we know. Yet some schools share similarities and some contrast in even the most basic ways. I’m on a quest to find the commonalities in education across the oceans with the hope that schools can learn from each other, exchange ideas and connect for the betterment of our students.
I work in a wonderful, small but growing, P-12 school district in northern New Jersey. We try innovative initiatives and are open to many new ideas. If research supports it and the end result will benefit our students, our faculty, administration and Board of Education trustees are willing to try it.
In July 2019, my colleague and I visited a private school for students between the ages of four and 18 in a major metropolitan city in Italy. Specific details of this school will be slightly altered, masked or omitted to protect the confidentiality of their students and families. School administrators graciously spent a few hours with us on this hot day in July. They gave us a tour and explained how schooling works not only in this private school but also in the country. During our tour, I saw that this prestigious private school with tuition charges approximately $24,000 per year, had the same interactive TVs that we recently purchased, used a similar online reading program that we use, and are riding the same flexible seating wave we are riding. I found the commonalities to be astounding. Over 4,000 miles separated our schools yet our philosophies, our educational beliefs and our initiatives were simpatico.
In this era of rampant, domestic school shootings, school security and student safety is on the forefront of so many, if not all, educational initiatives. The same seemed true for our international counterparts. An armed Italian police officer checked our credentials and his visitor list to make sure our taxi was allowed to enter the gated campus. Similarly our NJ district has a very tight security protocols for visitors including a person retention vestibule, bullet proof doors, closed circuit cameras feeding to the local police station, and a identification management system that scans IDs against the sex offender registry.
Major European cities are generally on high alert due to potential terrorism, especially after the 2015 Paris attack. I have visited this major Italian city several times in my life and my last visit was in 2011. This time around, I felt a deep, intense and coordinated police presence - one I did not notice eight years ago. These local, federal and military officers seemed strategically placed around the city. This coordination clearly impacts the school system as the principal of this private school said all schools in the area have a police presence. The elementary principal explained to us that in times of high threat levels, the Italian military would be present on campus in addition to the police guard. Similarly, when we experience high threat levels, we see an increased police presence as well.
Academically, this English-speaking school offered weekly library, physical education, language and music classes. They also offered Arabic, French, Italian, Chinese and Spanish language options. Students who do not speak English take an English as a Second Language support class. Students with mild special needs attend this school in an inclusive classroom setting but students with more challenging special needs often attend public school, as public schools can better serve the needs of these students. Students are evaluated for special needs in the hospital, rather than by the school district.
Standardized testing does not begin until middle school however each school system is free to create their own internal assessment system to periodically gauge student learning. There is absolutely no early childhood testing and the notion that I would even ask such a thing made this educator of over 30 years frown. She seemed perplexed at the thought that early childhood testing existed anywhere. In NJ, state standardized testing begins in third grade. Middle schoolers take exams and the high school students participate in the International Baccalaureate program.
Each class averages approximately 16-24 students per class. Elementary students are exposed to the recorder and the ukulele and some parents opt to pay for music lessons as an enrichment during lunchtime. Students in this private school eat lunch provided by the school. Although it was more common in the past and still happens in some areas, students are allowed to go home for lunch but many working parents cannot take advantage of this. Therefore, most students eat in school.
Although they have many electronic laptops and iPads, they are not a 1:1 school system. Teachers must reserve time slots to borrow laptop or iPad carts. There is also a rarely used computer lab that the administration is considering disbanding or re-purposing. Some students bring their own devices from home.
The vice principal explained to me that there is high teacher turnover, as it is expensive to live in this major city and teachers feel their salaries are low. Teachers do contribute to a pension system but must wait until they are 67 years old to begin collecting.
I saw a genuine care for students during this visit. These administrators enjoy their work, respect their families and like their students. The office was organized, the building was immaculate, the view was impeccable and the facilities were updated. The school felt like a positive and enjoyable place to work. The administrators discussed with ease their philosophies of education and their feelings on childhood development. We found ourselves agreeing with each other throughout the conversation. I was mesmerized by how this school in Italy and our school in NJ paralleled in philosophies, structure and facilities. Education trends have changed so much in the last few years and it seems educators face similar challenges across oceans and all over the world.
