Ms. Margie Wescott
Durham County

“Hi! I’m Margie Wescott, a Civic Literacy and AP Psychology teacher at Jordan High School in Durham, NC. Today was our third official day in the Netherlands, and I giggled the entire time. While I am a giggler by nature, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the Borchardt Fund, Triangle Community Foundation, and Go Global NC for making this particular day of giggling possible. 

Today’s agenda was one that I was looking forward to from the moment I found out I would be a part of this program. We began our day touring a secondary vocational school in a nearby town. By this point in the program, we are almost experts at the Dutch education system. We have already been so lucky to learn from other educators around Amsterdam, so I was eager to get to visit our second school of the experience.

We began our school tour with a meeting with the Principal, or School Leader, who told us about their student population and school goals. The data nerd in me loved seeing all of the growth they’ve accomplished since their founding in 2020. After this, we got a tour of the building and got to see some of the incredible programs that are running within the school. Students were caring for fake babies, building easels, and caring for animals, all on track to join the workforce when they graduate in several years. Afterwards, we met a few of the teachers at the school and talked to them about their experiences teaching. One of the most unexpected gifts of this program has been to connect with teachers and discover how much we have in common. One of the teachers we met invited us into her German class. We got to play a thrilling round of Kahoot with the students, where, through my knowledge of gummy bears and German-made cars, I finished in 5th place “on the podium.” The students were so welcoming and asked us questions about school in America, and giggling ensued. 

After a delicious lunch at Lowlander Botanical Restaurant, we began our walking tour of the city. We loved learning about the architectural history of Amsterdam and the progress being made to support new and sustainable building projects. I was very grateful to be on the tour with my new biology teacher friends to explain the science topics that went straight over my head. Our final activity of the day was our first reflection session, where we all came together and talked about what has stood out to us so far in and out of the schools. Though we’ve only been in-country for several days, I feel like I already know these educators so well and it was a great experience to share our perspectives of everything we’d absorbed over the past 4 days. 

And then we ate. A lot. More giggling ensued. Another lovely day in the beautiful city of Amsterdam! Thank you again to Go Global NC for organizing this incredible program and the Borchardt Fund of Triangle Community Foundation for funding this incredible opportunity. Doei!“

Mrs. Robin Welker
Graham County

“Friday, June 20th was our third full day of the program and second  visit a local school. Just like the day before, it did not disappoint! I opted to see a bit of both worlds, signing up to do a secondary visit for this day and a primary school visit on our next day to tour a school. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the beautiful variety of industrial and contemporary buildings as we made our way from Amsterdam-Noord area to a neighborhood on the west side of the city called Haarlem. We specifically visited within the neighborhood a secondary school called Spaarne College, which teaches the U.S. equivalent of roughly 8th-9th grade (VMBO Level 1-2.) As our bus wove through the narrow streets en route to Spaarne College, my colleagues and I noticed how morning traffic en route to school for drop off looked like mothers and fathers biking their primary school-aged children alongside them or in wagons, and the middle school ages riding their own bikes independently. Still other children practiced roller blading next to their cycling parent on their way to school. This looked very different than our own familiar, wholly sedentary version of morning drop off which consists of a long line of cars. 

   Just as we saw at Hyperion Lyceum, another secondary school we toured the day before founded by visionaries, Spaarne College welcomed us graciously and with delicious snacks! My first stroopwafel ever (pronounced here as “strope voffle”) was served to us upon arrival with cold water or coffee, and I felt immediately at ease. During the presentation by the school’s current principal that is soon to retire, we received our third explanation of how the Dutch equivalent of middle and high school works here. Though it remains a bit nebulous at junctures within the levels and what that looks like in schools or teaching, the attainment test students take at the end of their 8th year and teachers’ recommendations determine the career preparatory pathway students will take. 

  Comparing the principal’s strong support of how this sorts students based on their “smartness” largely from one test at a young, brief moment of their lives versus the insistence others are making across the country that this is not fair to students and takes away their motivation or ability to achieve higher, I’d say our own education system in the US aligns more with latter perspective. We see this through multiple tests that can be retaken to achieve a higher score and decent grades across four years rather than on one test leaving most degree programs open to students to pursue with the exception of the most competitive and high stakes positions such as doctors or lawyers who must be masters of knowledge and skill in their professions.

   Our tour of the school left everyone noticing stark contrasts between the norms of US school-wide and classroom environments and those of the Dutch system. Teachers were warm and professional, and their clothing choices of khaki shorts or jeans did not diminish this or take away from us taking them seriously. The school buildings were built with a minimalist but beautiful design, and the artwork or signs displayed were extremely intentional. Students have more freedom to choose their path to success, and teachers have incredible autonomy to be professionals in their craft that get the end goal accomplished with their students without dictation of how to do that or with which materials. This trust from administrators in their staff translates to trust from staff to the students, focusing on their job and less on the bureaucratic side of education. Everyone, administration, teachers, and custodial staff were extremely in tune with deep care and relationship with their students, and this was evident school-wide. I was also impressed by the relevant and practical nature of their classrooms to promote true understanding and specific focus on skill building within career pathways such as animal care, beauty, nursing, and culinary/wait staff positions. If only more of our schools could focus on the specifics rather than casting a wide net that often feels disjointed from what most students truly need in order to be successful in a chosen career someday! 

   Key takeaways include autonomy resonating through the organizational and student level—both inside and outside of the schools here, and a societal norm of being outside regularly in ways that demand physical fitness. It is built into the culture here to be interactive and outside often, environmentally supportive through alternatives to motor vehicles for transportation, and healthier lifestyle choices in food portions and cycling or walking much of their daily coming and going. There are some of the same challenges facing the education system here in Netherlands as in the US, but I do believe they are few steps ahead of us in cultural norms that are supporting a better prepared youth entering adulthood and the job market.

   Someday, I aim to return to Amsterdam and am excited to see what improvements and innovations have come. They are surely on the forefront of mindset and environmental sustainability.”