Monica Bramajo, a visiting principal on a Fullbright grant, is from a school in a small town in the province of Córdoba.
Photo by Ryan Lely
Victor Mejía and Anna Pier
El Sol de Sonoma
From an educator’s perspective, they do things differently in Argentina.
The group of teachers and administrators assembled on a recent morning in the Flowery library were astonished. “In my country, the principal doesn’t hire the teachers, or fire them either,” said Monica Bramajo, who is in Sonoma briefly as a visiting principal. “The government makes most decisions concerning education, including these matters of personnel.”
Bramajo, who is here on a Fulbright grant, continued, “The government keeps a list of teachers, ranked according to experience and education.” Whoever is at the top of that list is sent to the next school that needs a teacher.
With over 20 years experience as a principal, Bramajo directs an elementary school in a small town in the province of Córdoba. She came to Sonoma on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Grant, a program that brings teachers and administrators from all over the world to the United States to exchange knowledge and expertise. Her colleague, Joyce Schipper, Flowery principal and a Fulbright recipient as well, will spend three weeks next summer in Argentina, where she will stay with Bramajo and visit her school.
That morning at Flowery, Bramajo gave an in-depth presentation on the educational system in Argentina, supported by charts and graphs, and topped off with an engaging slide show about her school. She addressed a variety of issues, including how education is financed in her country. There, the government conducts studies of the economic needs of each different region to determine how to support their educational program in the region. Citing Argentina’s commitment to “social and curricular justice,” she said, “Each region does not receive equally but rather receives what it needs. In some parts of Argentina where the economic resources are greater, they can provide a much stronger educational program than in less advantaged areas, where they wouldn’t even have computers.
“The government only pays the salaries of the staff,” she explained. “The parents pay for school upkeep and for educational materials. The schools depend on the community. A large part of the budget comes from private donations.”
As is true in much of Latin America, in Argentina classroom teachers are responsible for as many as 40 students, including some with special needs. The vivacious principal commented, “A classroom teacher needs to be a wizard!”
“How much does a teacher earn in Argentina?” asked a Sonoma teacher. “A new teacher gets $300 a month; a principal with 20 years’ experience gets $750,” she replied to the incredulous audience. “You can imagine that many teachers have a second job, which their school schedule permits. Elementary students – and teachers – in Argentina go for a half-day only, 8:15 a.m. –12:15 p.m. or 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.” Someone in the audience inquired about after school programs, given that the school day is so short. “Well, we don’t offer them. Parents have to pay for that.”
Chatting afterward, Bramajo expressed her pleasure at being in Sonoma. “Joyce Schipper is my host, and I am very well taken care of,” she said. “I am really happy to be able to share information about my country, my school and my students. And it is a privilege to be here in Sonoma to learn from all of you.”
