A delegation of 30 top Chinese educators from South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, of the People’s Republic of China will participate in an Educational Leadership Learning Exchange at UW Bothell.
The Chinese educators are involved in a three-year practice-based program of study at South China Normal University. The UW Bothell Education Program is coordinating the academic activities of the delegation as well as arranging visits with many of its educational partners at local schools, school districts, and community organizations.
The director of UW Bothell’s Education program, Brad Portin, said the key to a successful exchange is to focus on engagement, rather than tourism.
“The learning sessions are about conversation and exploration around shared topics of interest,” Portin said. “School visits will highlight shadowing opportunities rather than just campus tours.”
On the UW Bothell campus, ELLE participants will engage with Education faculty members and University administrators in seminars on the U.S. Education System, Teacher Development and Leadership, and Post-Secondary transitions to higher education. They will also meet with representatives from the campus’ International Admissions and the Chinese Student Association to discuss differences in the American and Chinese education systems.
Dawei Yang, Vice Director of SNCU’s School of Professional Development and Research on Primary and Secondary Education, said he has high expectations for the exchange.
“UW Bothell has such a strong program in school leadership and principal preparation,” Yang said. “We are confident our discussions with UW Bothell faculty will deepen our understanding of K-12 education in the U.S. and specifically in the field of school leadership development.”
For one full day of their visit, the Chinese educators will join working teachers who are also UW Bothell students in a seminar that is a part of the UW Bothell Leadership Development for Educators (LEDE) program. These two groups will learn together, under the guidance of University faculty and practicing school principals. They will examine case studies, discuss differences in approaches to U.S. and China educational challenges, and expand their understanding of teaching practice and leadership.
ELLE participants will visit the Northshore and Tacoma School District offices as well as schools in the Northshore, Everett and Seattle school districts. They will even attend a public meeting of the Northshore School Board. Most of the schools visited during this exchange will have a
K-8 certified graduate from UW Bothell. More than 200 are employed throughout the state, including high concentrations in Snohomish and King Counties. The program has also placed educators in school principal internships throughout the region.
UW Bothell partners Technology Access Foundation in South King County and the TAF Academy, a public/private partnership, 6-12 school in the Federal Way School District are also scheduled stops for the ELLE delegation. Founded in 1996, TAF offers STEM based programs to children in diverse neighborhoods of mostly low-income families in order to reach students disadvantaged by poverty.
This program is a collaboration between the UW Bothell Education Program, Pacific International Education, the Chongquing Municipal Government of China Municipal Education Commission, Alta Leadership and SCNU.
