Dodson Educator Earns Fulbright

Ashley Pankratz, Dodson Public Schools English Teacher, has earned a Distinguished Award in Teaching Research Fulbright.

Upon entering her 11th year of teaching in Phillips County, Pankratz will study professional networking of rurally located teachers in Finland. In addition, she plans to research how the Finnish education system supports its in-service teachers within content-specific areas (e.g., social studies, language/composition, government) in the mid-to-upper grade levels.

Pankratz sees the potential for growing rural educator collaboration as a means of lessening achievement gaps among rural low-income, & culturally diverse Montana school districts.

The University of Jyväskylä will host Pankratz, where she'll work closely with her assigned faculty advisor, who will guide her educational research and assist her in making professional connections.

From January through May of 2024, Pankratz will research her inquiry project and create her research product, participate in university courses, observe and team-teach in Finnish classrooms, and potentially conduct workshops in and around Jyväskylä, Finland.

The initial intrigue began while stumbling across Finnish education policy during her graduate coursework. The deeply-felt trust in educators, professionalism of the career, emphasis on the learner, and individualization of education after ninth grade, were just a few of the educational qualities that lured Pankratz deeper into her Finnish quest.

The Fulbright DA (Distinguished Award) in teaching research is part of the "Fulbright Teacher Exchanges and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)...[F]unding [is] provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX." It is a highly competitive educational research program that allows master-level U.S. teachers to craft and carry out an international inquiry project for 3-6 months while located in select countries. Of the 200 applicants, roughly 20 were chosen to take part in the 2023-24 cycle. The program's overall goal is to promote the study of international best practices in education. It also aims to build students' global competence while strengthening teachers' leadership skills. Ultimately, the program strives to improve teachers' capacity to work in multicultural and diverse environments.

Pankratz spoke of the strengths of the U.S. education system, like the dedication to students by teachers, administrators, and districts. She mentioned the accessibility to the latest classroom technology and the community's involvement in education. But when looking at possible improvements, she shared that for "Rural youth in Dodson and the Hi-Line area, it is easy to focus on what they've been exposed to, but there is a larger, more complex world beyond our front doors." Pankratz conveyed her eagerness to share that complexity with her students. She said, "Our rural kids deserve the opportunity to benefit from a more global perspective on education. They deserve insight into the world beyond our county and state lines. This research aims for participants to come home and share what's out there, to see what other countries are doing well, and to examine how those tools may be implemented in the U.S. and especially, in my case, rural districts." She acknowledges that change is often a slow process but that it begins with initiating the conversation. In participating in this program, Pankratz agrees to willingly share insights on Finnish education policy and the findings of her inquiry project.

For more information on the program, check out: [email protected].