In english

I grew up in an environment where conscientiousness and reliability were important, as well as fairness and caring for others. These values are deeply rooted in me. As an adult, I have reflected on values in general, especially in the context of my children’s upbringing and my own personal growth, and how these values manifest in my daily life or how I want them to be part of it. We often face small choices in our daily lives where we have the opportunity to follow our values or other important aspects of our overall life picture. These choices can vary, for example, from offering help, participating in something, or speaking up for someone.

In my previous teaching experience, I received feedback from my students about treating everyone fairly with the same rules and methods. This has helped me make quick decisions more easily in various situations, as I have thought through the principles or logic I follow in advance. Hard work and rolling up my sleeves to get things done have also had a significant impact on my life. Sometimes it’s the so-called raw basic work or learning/studying something new. This has contributed to my daily living (the previous big and crazy extension project and building my current home and yard alone). Or how I have managed to stay reasonably active alongside work and children – often motivated by my dogs.

I am currently walking this path aligned with my values. I feel that I have the skills and desire to influence and help shape the future directions of our society, next through a political route. I have continuously engaged in various forms of volunteering, both big and small (e.g., association activities, local personal activity, and help). Values can also include how things are handled and how we communicate and treat other people. This is becoming an increasingly bigger challenge, and those in power (by power, I also mean role models of a group, whether in music, social media, or others who have the power to change or influence others’ thinking or actions – also through parenthood or work (position), we can have power. Power brings responsibility. Black-and-white thinking and polarization are becoming more evident in everything. Either we debate the right way to act or who is better. I increasingly value smart handling of matters and communication. It may not be the most media-sexy or otherwise glamorous, but depending on the issue, it doesn’t have to be. The bigger the issues being discussed, the ability to communicate, expand one’s knowledge base, and discuss perspectives – and if necessary, change one’s thoughts – is a significant skill that I want to nurture.

Goal Setting

I have always found it effective to set a goal for myself to work towards. Goals have included acquiring certain skills (I’m not just talking about degrees or work-related achievements but also building a fence or standing on my head, which are achieved goals along the way). One significant goal for myself is to be happy. I have thought a lot about what happiness consists of. It’s clear that my children and many things related to them are one of the significant sources of happiness. Others include my physical well-being (which I have learned to appreciate in a completely different way due to illnesses and no longer take health for granted), family and people around me, nature, experiences of success, and the ability to make an impact that reflects positively on others or enables them. This last one has been a driving force in my work, and I am proud of the models (both big and small) I have helped build, which have provided many with smooth paths from study to work or eased their daily work life. Now, this same drive is guiding me to get involved in activities where I can make a difference in another way. I have also written a lot about significant themes for myself, aiming to help recognize or identify these issues that I highlight.

I go out several times a week to forests and other nice nature trails. Walking the dogs keeps me moving, but I also like to explore the local nature in some way during these trips. One of the most impressive places I’ve visited has been the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis in Scotland, as well as the mountains of Central Europe.

I enjoy being able to step out of my front door into beautiful nature. The gems of our area are the nature reserves and recreational areas in the wild. In the development of Northern Espoo, nature plays an important role, and we have been careful to ensure that this is taken into account in urban development. It is unique, especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area, to be able to live and have such unique nature easily accessible. We must hold on to this and cherish it.

In March 2017, I suffered a stroke, which was a major upheaval and influencer in many ways in my life thereafter. As part of my rehabilitation, I tried to return to my previous level of physical activity. It wasn’t easy at all. I couldn’t really run at all because I would get terrible headaches and had difficulty controlling my heart rate and moving in general, except for slow walking. In January 2018, I set myself a goal that sounded utopian at the time: to run a half marathon. I had never been into running, let alone such long distances. I hadn’t studied long-distance running or run such distances before. I extended my runs one lamppost at a time and achieved my goal, running my first half marathon in May 2019 with a time of 1:57:06. Since then, I have continued running. It serves as a way to clear my thoughts and bring clarity. I enjoy channeling my energy through running. I have continued to challenge myself and participated in various running events and have become more interested in trail running. I update my Instagram account: @petran_treenijuttuja with running and exercise-related content.

Left: After Bodom Trail 12 km 2024. Right: after Helsinki City Run, my first half marathon 2019. My records:

• 21,1 km 1.54.36 / 2020
• 10 km 46,30 / 2020
• 5 km 21,24 / 2020

When I moved into my own house I build myself, I caught the gardening bug and have since enjoyed creating flower beds and growing flowers in my yard. My style is my own version of a cottage garden. Now, I have a small yard that I built myself, where the flower projects are in the early stages, but they already bring me great joy! In picture: fence and I I built myself.

You can see pictures of my house project on Instagram @projektipikkurauhala.

I have had dogs since 1989. I bought my first own dog in 1996, and in 1999 I was granted the breeder name Kennel Green Perry’s. Over the years, I have received the Lauri Vuolasvirta Award for my outstanding work with Parson Russell Terriers. My breeding work has also been recognized with the Breeder Award from the Finnish Dog Breeders Association and twice as the Breeder of the Year by the breed club. My activities have been small-scale and are currently on hold. You can read more about my previous breeding work here. I have written extensively in support of ethical dog breeding, which led to a broader campaign on the subject. I also serve as a face for the Kennel Club on this theme. Below are pictures from the World Winner Show in Amsterdam 2018, where Luru (Green Perry’s Butterfly) won two Dutch certificates and the World Veteran Winner title. In the other picture, at the Helsinki World Terrier Show, Luru (C.I.B. multi-champion, KVA-V, KVA-L Green Perry’s Butterfly) and her brother Elmo (FI AVA, AVA-H, KVA-L, KVA-M, FI MVA, Agi SM-1 Green Perry’s Boomer) and Annina Myllyaho were Best of Breed and Best Working Dogs of their breed. Third picture Luru and I gaining our double working champion title.

You can follow dog-related updates on Instagram: @greenperrys

As a mother of three, services and issues related to children and youth are naturally close to my heart. My nearly 20-year background in vocational education has given me a lot of perspective on the needs of young people and the effectiveness of education. Alongside this, major changes have been brought by the new structure of employment areas and the services transferred to welfare areas, such as school psychologists and counselors. The cooperation between the municipality, welfare areas, and schools/educational institutions and understanding each other’s needs to achieve better outcomes are extremely important, especially now, when it is necessary to ensure not only the security of services but also that no one falls through the cracks during the new service structures. Close cooperation and ensuring matters in decision-making bodies are essential in all services related to youth. The whole system is only as effective as its weakest link.

I have been active locally in Northern Espoo and recently on the board of the local residents’ association. My area in Espoo’s Kalajärvi is one of those areas whose development has lagged behind, and now we are taking significant steps forward in many ways in the coming years. From the residents’ perspective, the biggest attraction of the area is nature and tranquility. On the other hand, development is desirable, but it is hoped to be such that the good is preserved and the necessary is obtained. We have been actively commenting on various issues during the planning stages related to traffic, building heights, and the protection of nature. Influencing the development of my area is one of the main reasons why I signed the candidate agreement.

My work in skills, education, employment, and the development of working life has helped me understand the interconnectedness of things and the whole picture in many ways. There is no vitality without businesses. Without businesses, there are no jobs. Without people, there are no workers, and without the right skills, there is no vitality. Without good services and infrastructure, people do not have the desire or opportunity to live in certain areas, and the attractiveness of areas and Espoo is maintained with good services and infrastructure. We also have valuable things to cherish in diverse Espoo: urbanity, maritime character, suburban areas, beautiful nature, village-like atmosphere, and history.

For me, education and skills, employment, youth, and the prevention of social exclusion have been central to my work for the past 20 years, providing a strong perspective on the overall picture and the areas that influence it. This is the main reason why I decided to run as a candidate in both municipal and regional elections. Good education is the core of our vitality and a significant source of societal development.

Here, I outline important issues and why or how I would like to focus on them:

• Class Sszes and learning outcomes
  • Increasing class sizes seemingly saves money in the short term but worsens learning outcomes. It is clear that various learning challenges and the diversity of cultures and languages are growing. This challenges teachers in large groups to provide everyday pedagogy and appropriate support for each student. Additionally, this is one of the most significant reasons for teacher burnout, increased sick leave, and attrition from the profession. On the other hand, ensuring a peaceful learning environment, enabling suitable learning methods for each student, and providing the necessary learning support are central to achieving good learning outcomes.
• Teachers are pedagogical experts
  • Every curriculum includes many topics and themes that are periodically highlighted in social media or the media. These issues and emphases in teaching vary by municipality, teacher, or school. There must be some flexibility according to the teacher’s strengths. To enable the implementation of new methods, background work is needed to lead, organize space and time for discussions, planning, and individual growth. A teacher’s daily life is filled with much more than just teaching. We always return to resourcing and what is included in a teacher’s job.
  • Teacher is a pedagogical expert. Currently, various challenges faced by children and youth, documentation obligations, and managing order and rules take up time. In many places, various support tasks have been eliminated or first cut and added to the teacher’s job description. I believe that investing in various roles that support the overall school environment helps improve pedagogical quality and teacher well-being and retention. It would be good to consider, for example, increasing the number of social workers, various counselors, etc., to support teachers and strengthen the teacher’s role specifically as a pedagogue.
  • Learning outcomes have declined (PISA results) to a somewhat worrying level. Reasons have been sought from various directions. One clear reason is that teachers have had fewer opportunities to focus on actual teaching. Education cuts do not target basic education support, and now it is essential to carefully consider what this support is to achieve the best impact. For me, it is clear that teaching should be done by teaching professionals, and the everyday challenges of families and children/youth should be supported in collaboration by those whose expertise this is.
  • The quality of basic education and the real opportunities to succeed in their work are the foundation of all further education.
• Increasing number of students need for special learning support
  • This must be considered in class sizes. It must be recognized in resources from early childhood education to secondary education and employment. We have an increasing number of students needing some form of learning or life skills support. Previous large-scale inclusions have not produced results in terms of learning outcomes, preventing social exclusion, or teacher well-being, so the direction must be changed. Since additional funding is not always available, we must consider ways to maximize the use of existing opportunities.
  • There are good models for having youth counselors in schools for prevention, and vocational education uses various counseling resources to support and enable many students to manage their schooling, learning, and life skills – not to mention employment. I have received good suggestions from several primary school teachers on how, for example, social worker-counselor-teacher combinations could achieve good results: the teacher could focus on teaching, and others could support in other areas, such as guidance, classroom peace, or various situations. Although special support requires expertise in special pedagogy and resources, needs are often more diverse and reflect other areas of school life.
• Support for schools leadership, substitutes, and skills development
  • The government completely removed funding for teacher and education leadership continuing education. The National Board of Education has provided extensive training for staff, which now falls to the infamous ”someone else.”
  • In basic education, principals spend far too much time arranging substitutes daily. Substitute needs increase partly due to increased teacher sick leave, and sick leave increases due to burnout and poor leadership. The media has reported how ”anyone can become a substitute.” The other side of the issue: where and how to get substitutes quickly, let alone pedagogically qualified ones? Where are the people waiting for a call in the morning for a possible illness? Especially if they are pedagogically qualified and not working. How could this be helped at the municipal level?
  • The school and educational world are constantly undergoing reforms due to curriculum content, funding cuts, or other obligations. This adds to the teacher’s daily workload and leadership. Continuous changes require leadership skills, and supporting this is crucial for the overall well-being and retention of staff.
• Welfare Areas and Their Services for Youth in Schools and Holistically
  • Under our new model, welfare areas are responsible for school and educational institution services, such as counselors, psychologists, and health care. There is variability in how well these services are genuinely available and resourced at the school level.
  • Another challenge is cooperation with other key actors. Often, schools and educational institutions have children or youth who need close cooperation with child protection, mental health services, or other health care. This cooperation is lacking, and from the child’s/youth’s perspective, the service package is not always built seamlessly enough to be called cooperation rather than bouncing around or availability challenges.
  • Every child or youth who receives timely support or care can, with their safety net, remain and strengthen as a full member of society and, purely from an economic perspective, move from consuming tax money to producing it. The goodness of the welfare state is measured by the functionality of its safety net, and we cannot afford to lose anyone.
• Open Adult Education (Työväenopisto)
  • Where can a retiree update their digital skills and find opportunities for stimulating and meaningful activities? Finland’s goal is to support lifelong learning and maintain it as a strong foundation for vitality. But not all skills are acquired through formal education. For example, languages and cultures can be learned at workers’ institutes.
  • Where can many people find a community and experience inclusion? Where can they express themselves and thus support their well-being? If they cannot get into higher education, where can they study themes that support their goals? The answer to these is liberal adult education.
• Investing in youth is an investment in the future
  • Comprehensive well-being for youth requires more than just investment in schools. Youth centers and generally providing meaningful, safe environments and activities are valuable.
  • Youth centers offer supervised community activities in warm and clean facilities. In many youth centers, there is an opportunity to prepare small meals together. In addition to the actual activities, this can be a valuable addition to overall eating for many.
  • At youth centers and in various youth work settings, young people become familiar with counselors who can often help before issues escalate or assist in challenging family situations.
  • An example of my own child’s activities at the youth center: young people from different cultures played typical music from their countries for each other and taught local dances. They have gone to the store to get supplies and baked pizzas for the whole group. There is ”always someone” at the youth center.

In my work at a vocational special education institution, we collaborate with three wellbeing services counties. Through the wellbeing services counties, we receive services such as counselors, psychologists, healthcare, and many other long-term supports and services that any student may need or use on behalf of their school. This is especially emphasized in our special education institutions. The reflection is seen in the varied practices, placing many students within the same walls in an unequal position depending on which wellbeing services county they are registered in. Another significant issue that I have encountered personally is ensuring the availability of effective services in times of emergency. Several times, I have had to call for help for my child, myself, or a random person. In my case, due to illnesses, I have received successful comprehensive care and assistance. It is essential to ensure this universally for everyone in the welfare state, and no one’s health should be compromised due to poor leadership and the consequences of wrong decisions.

I would like to ensure the services for every student (basic education) and student (secondary and higher education). Close cooperation and mutual understanding of needs are crucial in the wellbeing services counties and regional councils, where it is important to have people who understand the concrete impacts and functions.