George Mason was happy to welcome a group of German Senators who visited our school on October 6 to learn more about American public education. At a meeting held in the TLC, the Senators seemed eager and interested about how the American education system works.

It was a different type of setting because as Mason principal Bob Snee would talk, he would have to pause for a couple of minutes while a translator explained everything he had said. The Senators brought up such topics as the structure of a high school in the United States. They asked how big class sizes were here at Mason. What they seemed most impressed by was the teacher-student connection. Mr. Snee discussed how proud he was of the teachers here at Mason and explained the hiring process. He said that here at Mason we choose some of the best teachers around that have come from at least four years of practice, in order to judge their performance as teachers and see what benefit they would bring to Mason. The Senators also asked whether or not the teachers were told how to teach and if there were guidelines that they were intended to follow. Mr. Snee again explained how wonderful the teachers were at Mason and said that what teachers do in their classrooms is up to them. We have a great variety of teaching styles here but as long as it brings out success in the student we are happy, Snee said.

Senators from Germany recently visited George Mason to find out more about American public  education. They left impressed by Mason’s policies  and practices. (Photo by Adam Knudsen)

The Senators seemed very interested in the hiring and firing aspects here at Mason. Mr. Snee explained how teachers were chosen based on their performances at other schools and recommendations and he discussed the competition for George Mason to find a teacher before the very large school district of Fairfax does.

The Senators brought up salaries and asked whether teachers make a good amount of money. Mr. Snee then explained how salaries work and how they change based on where you live and the kinds of classes you have taken to help you with the subject you teach.

Towards the end of the meeting the German Senators expressed that we had a very good school here and asked, "Does Mason represent the majority of the high schools in the US?" They seemed to realize that we had a very special kind of school here, one in which the class sizes are small and the teaching is more one-on-one. Mr. Snee chuckled at the remark and continued with the fact that yes, Mason does have a very different school structure than many other schools, and he credited the location of Mason to being the reason why we are so successful. "Parents move to this area, for the purpose of getting their kids a strong higher education." As the meeting came to an end it was apparent that the Senators were very grateful for our providing time to help them better understand the educational system in the United States.