CHINESE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AND TWENTY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TOUR POMPERAUG HIGH SCHOOL

    Pomperaug High School was the site this week of a China-Connecticut educational partnership. The nearly two dozen Chinese educators were special guests of the school on Wednesday, and had an opportunity to see what an American high school looks like.

    Mr. Xu Shuguang, the Education Deputy Commissioner of the Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China toured Pomperaug High School with twenty school principals from the province.

    Over the course of a week and a half, the Chinese principals will be looking at American teaching methods and learning about American culture and schools.

    “Since this delegation is made up of school principals,” said Mr. Shuguang through a translator, “they are primarily interested in the school setup, including the media center, classrooms, and the cafeteria. They are also very interested in seeing American students in a classroom setting.”

    Mr. Daniel Gregg, director of the Connecticut Shandong School Partnerships, is spending two days with the delegation, introducing the principals and deputy commissioner to the United States educational system. They toured Pomperaug High School on Wednesday and will visit an elementary school in Glastonbury later in the week.

    “Because China is going through such rapid socioeconomic development, the country is constantly re-evaluating its curriculum, measurement systems, teaching methods and priorities, while making huge investments in infrastructure and technology,” said Mr. Gregg.

    Following the school tour, the principals and deputy commissioner asked questions to Dr. Frank Sippy, Region 15 School Superintendent, about teacher-student classroom ratio, parent involvement, after school co-curricular activities, and school policies.

   The Chinese educators will stay at sister-school homes in fourteen different Connecticut school districts during their ten-day U.S. visit.

    Back in April 2007, Region 15 Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Lois Lanning and World Languages Director, Dr. Yolande Bosman visited the Shandong Province as part of a professional exchange program. Region 15 is hoping to cultivate a productive relationship with its sister school in Laiwu City, China with the ultimate goal of one day being able to consider semester-long teacher exchanges.