This week, State Senator Sonya Halpern is traveling to the European Union countries of Finland and Estonia as a member of the esteemed Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program hosted by The Hunt Institute. Sen. Halpern’s mission is to uncover the secrets behind the extraordinary educational success of these nations.
The prestigious Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program, now in its ninth cohort, is dedicated to cultivating leadership and informed policy development in the field of education. Senator Halpern’s selection as a Fellow underscore her dedication to fostering a dynamic, globally competitive educational system in Georgia.
“Given the achievements in educational equality and excellence acknowledged in Finland and Estonia, I am eager to explore their educational models to gain invaluable perspective and scalable solutions to bring back to the Peach State,” said Halpern. “As the sole elected official from Georgia on this trip, I appreciate the opportunity to represent our state and gain knowledge that could prove valuable in crafting new legislation or policies to help young people in Georgia.”
The tour begins in Finland, a nation that has undergone a remarkable transformation of its education system. In just 15 years, Finland has received international acclaim for its exceptional performance in mathematics, science, and reading on global assessments. What especially sets Finland apart is its ability to meet the diverse needs of its student population, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds, effectively creating one of the world’s smallest academic achievement gaps. Finland has also elevated teaching to a prestigious and highly competitive profession, attracting an impressive number of applicants for each available teaching position.
The next leg of this journey unfolds in Estonia, where substantial strides have been taken to bridge the achievement gap between the wealthiest and most underprivileged students. These efforts have yielded…
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