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TIONESTA, Pa. – Forest Area School District Superintendent Amanda Hetrick has been selected to take part in an international study group next month.
The PSBA Trust Institute, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, will host its first international study group in April 2024. The 15-member study group will focus on the educational system in Germany with the purpose of developing recommendations for Pennsylvania school districts to significantly enhance district academics, operations, facilities and culture.
This study group is comprised of a diverse team of individuals with varied experience and differing roles within the Pennsylvania education system, including elected school board directors, superintendents, business managers, principals, and career and technical center administrators.
Prior to traveling abroad, participants will meet virtually with education, business and government leaders from Germany to gain a basic understanding about their systems, academic approaches and policies.
Once in Germany, the group will travel to Bonn, Cologne and Dortmund to tour schools and conduct meetings with education and civic leaders. These interactions will provide an overview of the German education system, including how it functions, achieves results and is funded, with the goal of gathering ideas that can be implemented in Pennsylvania’s school districts.
Primary- and secondary-level school tours will provide firsthand experiences to gain a valuable understanding of the structure within the German education system and provide the opportunity to meet with school administrators, educators and students. Participants also will meet with government officials; city, state and federal education agencies; employer associations; and unions.
To provide a holistic understanding of the education system, tours of German corporations and manufacturers are planned so participants can observe on-the-job training opportunities and hear the employers’ perspective on the German education system.
After returning from this immersive educational experience, participants will share their learning through articles published by PSBA-IN and PSBA and by serving as presenters and panelists at the 2024 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference.
