And being a school-teacher remains a very highly valued position in Finland. The pay isn't great but you need very good grades to become a teacher. From what I've heard it's supposedly about as difficult as becoming a doctor in Finland. That should lead to better quality of teaching.
Then that's the key to improving education in the United States. The standing of teachers here will not reach the level seen in Finland overnight, but in the meantime we can work to create a more nurturing environment for graduate school-level prospective teachers by bringing standards in education schools up to the level typically expected in medical, business, and law schools.
Is it not also true that teachers unions are all-powerful in Finland? How does that square with Finland's high educational rankings? And do teachers there 'teach to the test' the way they do here in the United States? Do they encourage creative thinking among students there in Finland?
Are there any books (in English) that can shed light on education in Finland?
