The education system of Finland came into my newsfeed online the other day, and as I read about it, I found myself wondering: what would happen if California took a page – or even just a paragraph – from Finland’s approach to public education?

Finland consistently ranks among the best educational systems in the world when it comes to educational outcomes, teacher satisfaction, and student well-being. Meanwhile, here in California, we’re often stuck in a mire of test scores, budget battles, frustrated students, and burned-out educators.

I am a huge fan of having a well balanced education. It pains me to hear that many California seniors graduate high school and do not read at a high school level, nor are they prepared to enter college or university.

That is not all California’s fault. Over the last two decades, California – like every state – has been under pressure to raise test scores to meet federal benchmarks. But somewhere along the way, that pressure changed the soul of our schools. Teaching became less about helping students think deeply and more about prepping them for multiple-choice tests. Art, music, critical thinking, and even recess were squeezed out to make room for test prep. It’s no wonder that teachers feel exhausted and students feel disengaged. What started as a push for accountability has, in many ways, accounted for the wrong things – and California’s education system has suffered for it. If we want to truly raise the quality of education, we need to reclaim the classroom as a place of exploration, not just evaluation.

What If We Tried Something Different?

So I want to explore a thought experiment: What if we redesigned California’s public education system with a Finnish-inspired blueprint – rooted in trust, creativity, and student support? What would we keep, what would we let go of, and what could we reimagine entirely?

Trust Teachers Like Professionals

One of the cornerstones of Finland’s educational success is the high level of trust and autonomy given to teachers. Finnish educators are treated like professionals – they’re required to have a master’s degree, but in return, they’re granted the freedom to shape their curriculum and classroom style without constant testing or bureaucratic interference.

In California, we often talk about “teacher burnout,” but rarely do we address the deeper issue of trust. What if we shifted from micromanagement to mentorship – supporting teachers with training, yes, but also trusting their creativity and expertise to meet and engage students where they are?

Let Go Of Excessive Testing

Another striking difference is Finland barely uses standardized testing. Students there take only one major national exam at the end of high school. Instead, the Finnish teachers use smaller assessments and qualitative feedback to track progress.

Imagine how much classroom time in California could be reclaimed and how much stress could be lifted if we reduced the testing load and refocused on meaningful learning rather than performance metrics. Could we develop a system that measures growth and curiosity instead of anxiety and memorization?

Design For Equity Not Competition

Then there’s the Finnish commitment to equal access and equity. Every school in Finland is designed to offer the same high-quality education, no matter the neighborhood or location. Students don’t chase prestige schools because every school is meant to be a good one.

That kind of equality is more difficult in a place as large and diverse as California – but we can aim higher, and it doesn’t mean it isn’t attainable. What if we fund schools based not just on test scores, but on need, creativity, and community resilience? What if we made equity a design principle instead of just a buzzword?

Support The Whole Child

Finally, Finnish schools emphasize the well-being of the whole child. There are long recesses, less homework, free lunches, and a cultural belief that children should enjoy learning – not just survive it.

California students face rising levels of anxiety and burnout, and it’s no wonder. We can’t expect students to thrive if we ignore their mental health and emotional development. What if we reimagined our schools as calm, creative, deeply human spaces—where students have time to think, breathe, and dream?

Could This Be A Crossroads For California?

We are at a crossroads. If the U.S. Department of Education does completely dissolve, California will no longer be bound by federal testing mandates that have shaped and in some ways shackled our schools for decades. That gives us a rare opportunity in that we can either continue down a path of standardization, competition, and compliance, which I don’t think anyone at this point is interested in doing, or we can dare to imagine something better. We can rebuild or upcycle a public education system that values curiosity over conformity, equity over rankings, and the whole child over a single score. Finland showed the world what can happen when you lead with trust, joy, and a deep respect for learning. California has the size, the diversity, and the creative spirit to take from that model and expand on it to make it our own. The question is: do we have the will?