A Latvian Teacher's American Experience
For Fulbright Educator, Manassas School Offers Stark Contrast in Affluence

By Jennifer Buske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 6, 2008

Having access to computer printers, televisions and photocopiers is nothing new for educators in Manassas.

That is, except for one: exchange teacher Inta Gertnere, who, after two months of teaching, is still astonished by the wealth of resources at her fingertips as an educator in the United States, she said.

"I still can't believe how well equipped the classrooms are here," the Latvian native said. "We have very limited access to technology in Latvia. We run out of ink or paper. You have to be very flexible at home, because you never know what resources you will have."

Gertnere is teaching at Osbourn High School this year as part of the U.S. State Department's Fulbright Program. The 46-year-old, who teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages, recently briefed the Manassas School Board about her experiences at the school and her plans to continue sharing her culture with city educators and students.

"I'm very impressed with Inta, and she is a real sharp lady," Osbourn Assistant Principal Eric Barna said. "We are trying to move forward to see what else she can do to bring Latvia here."

The Fulbright exchange program, established in 1946, swaps U.S. teachers, students and administrators with educators and students abroad. Participants switch schools for a year to experience other cultures and strengthen relationships between the United States and other countries, according to the State Department's Web site.

The program, funded primarily by Congress, operates in 155 countries and gives out about 7,000 grants annually. Last year, Congress budgeted almost $200 million for the program.

Participating governments and host institutions help by paying salaries, supplements and tuition waivers, the Web site says.

This is the first time Manassas has participated in the program, thanks to Osbourn ESOL teacher Joy Peters, Barna said.

Peters applied for the program, was matched with Gertnere and is teaching English as a foreign language at Gertnere's school, Riga Secondary School 31 in Latvia.

Prince William County is also participating in the program, sending C.D. Hylton High School teacher Curtis Willoughby to Bulgaria in exchange for Velina Draganova, who is spending the year in the county teaching English.

"This program is teacher-driven," Barna said. "I think this is just the beginning, though, and we'll have more teachers involved next year now that they know what it's like."

Gertnere, who has a degree in English, applied for the program a year ago, wanting to travel to the United States to grow as a teacher and experience a new culture. After interviewing with representatives from the U.S. Embassy, she learned in February that she would be heading to a small city outside the nation's capital.

"I can't explain how happy I was when I got accepted," she said. "When I heard the name Washington, I was very excited. I was excited to take pictures in front of the White House."

Although she has taught English for about 15 years, Gertnere's Latvian accent still shines through as she teaches the dozen high school students in Room 1212 at Osbourn. The 90-minute class is twice as long as lessons in Latvia, which, Gertnere said, has been a blessing.

"It gives me more time with the students and gives them more opportunities to practice speaking," she said. Gertnere also teaches algebra with educator Ellen Devlin.

"The students are great and all help each other out," Gertnere said.

Gertnere said that she researched the Northern Virginia area online before heading to Manassas but that nothing could fully capture what she experienced once arriving.

Everything from having the ability to copy worksheets on colored paper to having dozens of varieties of ice cream to choose from at the grocery store is impressive after coming from a place where resources are limited, she said.

"It takes us forever to grocery shop, because we have to look at everything," said Gertnere, who is here with her daughter Inita, a junior at Osbourn. "It is very exciting to be in the U.S and learn the culture."

Classes are about half the size as in Latvia, and grading students at Osbourn is much easier because it is done electronically instead of by hand with calculators and grade books.

Gertnere said she has adjusted her daily routine since arriving. Errands take longer because everything is "spread out" compared with at home, and she must get up by 5:30 a.m. instead of 7 to prepare for the day.

"Manassas, they say, is a city, but it is so widespread," she said. "If I want clothes, I go to Sudley Road. If I want to mail a letter, I must get in my car to find a post office."

Gertnere said she enjoys the weather in Virginia -- it falls to about 18 degrees in Latvia in October -- and residents' friendliness, making her transition a smooth one.

"People smile here more and are more helpful," she said. "My colleagues were so welcoming. One has even invited me to Thanksgiving. I've always heard about eating the big turkey, so I'm very excited."

While Gertnere is enjoying the wealth of resources, friendly environment and way of life in America, Peters said she is seeing the other side of things, living in a country where the scars from the Soviet times still "run deep."

"I've learned a lot about life in a country that has been so oppressed," Peters said. "The people here are really survivors and are so grateful for their freedom. Some people even go into stores just to buy something little every day, not because they need to but because they can."

Peters said people in Latvia were not as open or trusting at first.

The biggest frustration is the lack of technology, she said, noting that she is one of the few teachers who have a computer in the classroom.

The other day, the school copy machine broke, and teachers had to pitch in money to get it repaired, she said.

"It makes me sad, because these students don't have much money," the 29-year-old said. "There isn't even hot water in all the sinks, because they can't afford it. The library has a tiny, measly collection, and the students already pay a lot of money for their books."

Students in Latvia are interested in learning about America, she said, asking about Tom Cruise and Britney Spears.

Many have not met anyone from the United States before, Peters said, and some have even asked her for dead batteries she planned to throw out because they were from the United States.

"I think the Fulbright Program is much more important to international understanding and opening cultural dialogues than people realize," she said. "The things I'm learning here are going to be very important to teaching other students about cultures, but more than that, the things I am teaching the children here are going to hopefully help future generations as this world becomes more and more globalized."