Superintendent recounts Scandinavian study tour, urges expanded global learning and 24‑month notice for student travel

Superintendent Dr. Krueger told the Board of Education July 22 about a nine‑day professional learning trip to Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn and described ideas from Scandinavian schools she believes align with New York State’s evolving “Portrait of a Graduate.”

Dr. Krueger said she participated in a competitive program with 35 educators and that the trip included school visits, workshops and meetings with Finland’s national education agency. She said the experience reinforced priorities now appearing in state graduation pathway changes: global competency, critical thinking, social‑emotional skills and multiple pathways to graduation beyond standard Regents testing.

Noting specific contrasts, Dr. Krueger said Scandinavian systems place higher professional prestige on teaching and tightly limit entry into teacher preparation (accepting roughly 5–10% of applicants), prioritize multiple daily periods of unstructured learning time (recess) to support attention and collaboration, and introduce hands‑on skills and multiple languages earlier than typical U.S. practice. She said the school the group toured in Helsinki enrolls about 800 students and that many ride bicycles to school; school transport and athletics are organized differently than in the United States.

On special education and English‑language learners she said Finland and Estonia use integrated classrooms and co‑teaching models for many students; specialized programs exist for higher‑need students but long‑term services beyond grade 9 are more limited than in New York. Dr. Krueger noted both Finland and Estonia are experiencing recent increases in refugee students from Ukraine and are adapting language supports.

Dr. Krueger proposed district policy adjustments to increase access to travel and global learning: broaden which courses or student groups may travel (beyond world‑language or AP cohorts), use BOCES partnerships to claim state aid for the instructional portion of trips, and institute an expectation of roughly 24 months from board approval to travel to allow families time to plan and to increase equity of access through phased fundraising.

Board members reacted positively in discussion and several said fundraising and logistics would need careful planning. A student ex‑officio member said the program would be a helpful option for students who are not involved in school sports.

Ending: Dr. Krueger said the trip’s main takeaway was to broaden student access to immersive learning; she asked the board to consider policy changes and welcomed questions from board members about how the district might scale such opportunities.