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Fall 2013
EXCHANGES The CEI Newsletter
Updates from The China Exchange Initiative Happy Holidays from the China Exchange Initiative! We are
thrilled to announce the successful completion of the fall
portion of the 2013-2014 Administrator Shadowing Project
(ASP)! This year we focused our efforts on establishing new
partnerships in Pennsylvania and Oregon. Pennsylvania was
paired with schools in Hebei Province and Oregon with
schools in Shaanxi Province.
We held our hosting orientation meetings on September 12th
in Pennsylvania at the Berks County Intermediary Unit and on
September 27th in Oregon at the Confederation of Oregon
State Administrators. At the meetings we first introduced
everyone to CEI and to the education system in China. Then
we prepped everyone for hosting, going over what to include
in the shadowing week and dos and don't’s for hosting a
foreign guest. At the end we even had time for a quick
Chinese lesson!
On Sept 11 we also held an ASP reunion in Pennsylvania at
the BCIU. Participants traveled from all across the state to
take part. Steve Gerhard, Michelle Saylor, and Joe Padasak
gave presentations on the progress their schools have made
since participating, and discussed future goals and plans.
In addition to the Chinese administrators from Shaanxi and
Hebei, we also hosted a group of administrators from Handan,
Hebei this fall. These administrators were paired with
American schools in Massachusetts during the 2012-2013
ASP, but were unable to travel last year due to visa difficulties.
Their American partners traveled to China last April.
In this issue:
Updates from the China Exchange Initiative
Review of ASP, Fall 2013
Notable Next Steps
ASP 2013-2014 Program Participants
2
Review of ASP, Fall 2013
During their first week in the U.S., principals attended lectures and seminars in the Boston area to
give them an overview of the U.S. education system. At the Boston College Lynch School of Education,
Professor Irwin Blumer pushed the principals to expand their definition of a strong leader, while
simultaneously demonstrating how American teachers lead a participation-based seminar. Principals
discussed how they lead and encourage cooperation in their schools and techniques for improving their
effectiveness. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Professor Katherine Boles talked about
her research on how to create effective teacher teams in schools to improve instruction and create a
Dr. Julia Phelps gives a presentation at the DESE
school environment and culture
that fosters collaboration.
In order to learn more about
the role the state government
plays in education, the
delegation attended lectures at
the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education
(DESE). Dr. Anping Shen and
Dr. Julia Phelps presented on
the role of the DESE and on the
Massachusetts Comprehensive
Assessment System (MCAS),
Massachusetts’s standardized
state exam.
In addition to lectures and seminars, administrators also visited local schools to learn more about
the distinction between public and private schools in America. They were very impressed by the warm
welcome they received at the Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart (NCD), a private
Roman Catholic all-girls school. We drove up to the building to find that the entire middle school had
lined the driveway, waving Chinese and American flags to welcome us. We were then whisked to the
auditorium, where headmistress Sister Rogers gave a formal welcome followed by a student
performance of scenes from the musical, The Pajama Game. NCD even prepared a translated
synopsis so their Chinese guests
could follow along. Principals
then attended a panel where they
learned about the differences
between private and public
schools and about the mission of
NCD.
Principals also visited
Newton South High School,
where Principal Joel Stembridge
gave them an introduction to the
school followed by a panel
discussion with the principal, vice
principal, chair of school board, a
department head, and a house
master. Each member introduced
Students at NCD line up to welcome the delegation of Chinese principals
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Review of ASP, Fall 2013
their role in the school, giving our guests a clear understanding of the governance structure of a typical
American public school.
To get a taste of Boston’s history and culture principals visited various sites in the city, including
Copley Square, Faneuil Hall, MIT, and the John F. Kennedy Museum. They even got to experience an
American dinner party when they were welcomed into the home of CEI cofounder and Brookline local
Charlotte Mason.
The Chinese delegation
also got a taste of Boston’s
sports culture when they
attended the Boston Celtics
game against the Charlotte
Bobcats at the TD Garden
stadium. While the principals
may have stood out in the
crowd in their business attire,
they quickly made friends with
the other fans. During half
time, everyone enjoyed the
cheerleading performances
and several principals caught
token mini basketballs that
were thrown to the crowd.
Principal Ma and Principal
Sun even made an
appearance on the
JumboTron three times! By
the end of the game they
were quite famous and
several fans asked to take
their pictures. Other Boston
notables were also at the
game, including Red Sox
player Mike Napoli. The close
score kept spectators on the
edge of their seats and, even
though the Celtics lost 83 to
89, the principals were still
thrilled to have this once in a
lifetime chance to attend an
NBA game.
Principal Cao poses at the Boston Harbor
Principal Yang and Principal Lu make friends with two Bostonians at a Celtics game.
The Chinese principals also had a spectacular time visiting their respective partner districts in
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Oregon during the second week of the program.
In Pennsylvania, guests were picked up at the airport and taken to Nudy’s Café where they had a
traditional American breakfast with their partners, interpreters, and our regional partners, Connie
Skipper and Beth Kozloski. Afterwards, the group split up and headed out to their respective districts.
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Review of ASP, Fall 2013
Many schools went all out with their
welcome ceremonies, gathering the entire
student body for speeches, student
performances, and gift presentations. At
the Tacony Academy Charter Schools,
students sang a Chinese folk song and
danced with Chinese fans at an assembly
for grades first through eighth. In Oregon,
Clara Brownell Middle School rolled out a
red roll-paper carpet decorated with
“welcome” in Chinese for their guest.
Several other schools prepared
performances by their a cappella groups,
and at Foxborough Regional Charter
School Massachusetts State
Representative Jay Barrows delivered a
welcoming speech.
A student dances at the welcome ceremony for Mr. Zhao at Tacony
Academy Preparatory Charter Elementary School
Schools also made special arrangements to give their partners a comprehensive introduction to
their school. In Oregon, Heather Cordie had a potluck at her home with the board of directors. The
board moved their monthly meeting so that Mr. Li could attend and even presented him with a plaque.
Mr. Li also had the opportunity to tour city hall and meet with the City Manager and Police Chief.
Principal Sun watches a worker tend to a hundred-year-old saddle
On Wednesday, our regional
partner Colin Cameron arranged
for the group to meet in Salem and
tour the capitol building, the
Department of Education, and
Willamette University.
Dianna Veleke and Jon Mishra
brought their partners to the
nation’s oldest western store,
where they spent the afternoon
touring the facilities, trying on hats,
and watching craftsmen take care
of saddles made hundreds of years
ago.
Several administrators also
used this opportunity to teach their
Chinese partners a little about the
history and traditions surrounding
Thanksgiving. Lee Loving in Oregon held a special early Thanksgiving dinner for his partner, Principal
Ma. In Pennsylvania, Beth Ann Haas also arranged for the Culinary students at Reading Muhlenberg
Career & Technology Center to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for her guest, Principal Han. Kathy
Metrick, also in Pennsylvania, held a Thanksgiving Community Potluck with 70 people attending! In
Massachusetts, several administrators brought their guests to Plimoth Plantation where they learned
what life was like for the Wampanoag tribe and early English settlers in the 17th century.
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Notable Next Steps
Participants in the Director Training Program ride bikes on the city wall in Xi’an
Several administrators from
the 2012-2013 ASP have been
very quick on their feet to
establish their own exchange
programs. Four participants
have already made
arrangements to send and/or
host students during the spring
of 2014.
The speediest of all was
Ron Griffin from Massachusetts,
who had already established
plans for the inaugural student
trip months before his Chinese
partner, Mr. Wang, had had
even set foot in America! Their
student exchange program will
start with one Chinese student
visiting Foxborough Regional
Charter school in March and
one American student visiting
The Handan No. 1 Middle
School in April.
Joe Padasak,
superintendent of the
Chambersburg Area School
District, and Wes Foltz, an
American History teacher, are
planning an exchange trip for
teachers in June and have
invited teachers from
surrounding towns to join as
well. Their goal is to increase
interest and understanding of
China and Chinese culture
among teachers, who will then
pass on that exposure to their
students.
Chambersburg has also
created a partnership with
Shippensburg University,
creating a China Field Studies
program open to students at all
levels from high school through
graduate. Participants will visit
several cities in China and spend
time at the Shijiazhuang No. 25
High School, Chambersburg’s
partner school.
Several other participants
have taken advantage of a
unique opportunity CEI offered
last summer, sending
representatives from their
schools to participate in CEI’s
first U.S.-China Exchange
Director Training Program. The
goal of this program is to train a
teacher champion in the day-to-
day responsibilities involved in
running an exchange program
in an effort to jump start
programs in their districts. The
results have been quite fruitful.
Deborah Jumpp (ASP 2012-
2013), principal of the Bodine
High School of International
Affairs selected Melanie Keiper,
an English teacher, to
spearhead her school’s efforts.
Together they have made plans
for eight students and two
teachers to visit their partner
the Shijiazhuang No. 4 High
School in April, 2014.
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Notable Next Steps
Janice Nuzzo (ASP 2012-
2013), Director of Student
Achievement for the
Allegheny Valley School
District, sent Nicholas
Spehar, a teacher at
Springdale Jr. and Sr. High
School. They have arranged
for ten students and two
teachers from their partner,
the Shijiazhuang No. 42
High School, to visit
Springdale High in early
February. Students will stay
with host families and spend
time shadowing students at
school. They will then go on
to visit Philadelphia and
New York before returning
home.
Karen Krisch visits a class at her partner school
Heidi Ondek (ASP 2011-2012), assistant Superintendent of Quaker Valley School District,
selected Susan Gentile, principal of Edgeworth Elementary school to participate. Their district has just
started a Chinese program, beginning with a 9-week exploratory course for 6th graders and then
offering Mandarin as a year-long language option starting in 7th grade. They also have two Chinese
students attending their high school this year, who will receive Quaker Valley diplomas. In the future
they hope to start a two-week exchange program for students, teachers, and administrators.
Nick Spehar takes an art class with Chinese students and American administrators
Karen Krisch, Principal
of Bellefonte Area Middle
School, represented the
Wilson School district on
the program for Michelle
Saylor (ASP 2010-2011),
Wilson’s Director of
Curriculum, Instruction and
Professional Development.
They plan to host a group
of teachers and
administrators from their
sister school, the
Shijiazhuang No. 20 Middle
School, in the fall of 2014
and hope to send their first
student to China in either
the fall of 2014 or spring of
2015.
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2013-2014 U.S.-CHINA ASP MATCHING LIST
Pennsylvania Hebei Burdette Chapel, Principal
Chambersburg Area Senior High School
Chambersburg
Xu Shaochuan, Principal
Yongnian County No.1 Senior High School
Handan
Sterling Rayvon Garris, CEO and Principal
Tacony Academy Charter School
Philadelphia
Kuishu Zhao, Principal
XunZi Middle School
Handan
Dr. Beth Ann Haas, Supervisor of Curriculum and Professional Development
Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center
Reading
Ergang Han, Principal
Shijiazhuang Vocational Education Center
Shijiazhuang
Ernest Holiday, CEO and Principal
Delaware Valley Charter High School
Philadelphia
Xianping Yang, Principal
Shexian No.1 High School
Handan
Katherine Metrick, Superintendent
Kutztown Area School District
Kutztown
Zhaotang Wang, Principal
Handan No.23 Middle School
Handan
Barbara Wolf, Principal
Grandview Elementary School
Chambersburg
Wang Kuishen, Principal
Experimental Primary School of Hanshan
Handan
Oregon Shaanxi Kelly Carlisle, Director of High Schools
Salem-Keizer School District
Salem
Geliang Yang, Principal
Fengxiang Senior High School
Baoji
Heather H. Cordie, Superintendent
Sherwood School District
Sherwood
Jianhua Li, Principal
Fugu County Senior High School
Yulin
Lee W. Loving, Principal
Ridgeview High School
Redmond
Xin Ma, Principal
Puji Senior High School
Xianyang
Jon Mishra, Director of Operations and Business Services
Hermiston School District 8R
Hermiston
Aiping Lan, Principal
Yan’an Senior High School
Yan’an
Bob Stewart, Superintendent Gladstone School District
Gladstone
Gaoyuan Lu, Principal
Xi’an No. 89 Middle School
Xi’an
Matt Thatcher, Principal
Cascade High School
Turner
Baikang He, Principal
Mian County No. 1 Middle School
Hanzhong
Dianna Veleke, Principal
Clara Brownell Middle School
Umatilla
Jianguo Sun, Vice Principal
Changqing No. 2 Middle School
Xi’an