SCSD principals Steven Kaufman and John Triska go to Shanghai.

1. China
Schools
Visit:
Shanghai
and
Hangzhou
May
9-­‐19,
2012
John
Triska,
Steven
Kaufman
SCSD
Principals

2. This
May,
Steven
and
I
were
fortunate
to
visit
Shanghai
and
Hangzhou
as
part
of
a
delegaJon
of
California
public
school
principals
parJcipaJng
in
an
exchange
program
between
the
California
School
Boards
AssociaJon
and
Shanghai
Municipal
EducaJon
Commission.
The
enJre
program
is
funded
by
the
SHMEC
with
no
costs
to
parJcipaJng
districts.

3. QuoJng
the
CSBA
webpage
that
describes
it,
“The
goal
of
this
program
is
to
foster
beSer
understanding
of
the
educaJonal
philosophies
and
structures
in
the
educaJonal
pracJces
of
both
countries.
It
also
serves
to
help
students
on
both
sides
of
the
Pacific
in
preparing
for
the
challenge
and
opportuniJes
in
the
increasingly
interconnected
world
of
the
21st
century.”

4. You
may
remember
Shanghai
Principals
Jenny
Li
and
Lili
Xu
who
spent
6
weeks
visiJng
BA
and
CMS
this
fall,
staying
with
a
BA/CMS
family
and
being
hosted
for
meals
and
events
by
a
number
of
our
families.
(In
the
middle
picture,
BA
parent
Parker
Yan
helped
interpret.)

5.
Our
trip
to
Shanghai
allowed
us
to
visit
the
schools
of
our
Shanghai
visitors,
and
also
schools
in
nearby
Hangzhou–
where
educators
are
interested
in
developing
sister
schools
relaJonships
with
California
schools.

6. The
Chinese
delegaJons
were
gracious
and
generous.
Here
the
superintendent
of
the
Hangzhou
EducaJon
Bureau
presents
a
book
to
Dr.
Bruce
Carter,
Emeritus
Professor
of
Sciences
at
Pasadena
City
College
and
former
President
of
the
California
School
Boards
AssociaJon.
Our
other
leader
on
the
trip,
Professor
Jenny
Quan
of
Pasadena
City
College
serves
as
CSBA’s
China
Liaison.

7. Before
hosJng
us
at
an
elaborate
banquet,
the
vice
superintendent
of
the
Hangzhou
EducaJon
Bureau
took
us
on
a
boat
tour
of
West
Lake,
a
well-­‐known
resort
desJnaJon
in
Hangzhou.
On
the
leb
is
Ashley
Melton,
Assistant
Principal
of
Berkeley
High
School.

9. At
Xixing
Experimental
Primary
School
in
Hangzhou,
I
was
greeted
at
the
gate
by
a
student
council
and
staff.
Next
to
me
is
Headmaster
Zhang.

10. I
spent
the
day
with
Mr.
Zhang
and
the
welcoming
staff
of
Xixing.
I
was
impressed
with
the
similariJes
and
differences
between
this
school
and
those
in
our
district.
As
a
primary
school,
Xixing
houses
1st
-­‐6th
grades.
Kindergartens
are
separate
schools
in
this
part
of
China.

11. While
classrooms
looked
similar
to
ours,
in
fact,
many
things
were
different.
At
the
elementary
schools
we
visited,
children
learned
in
40-­‐minute
blocks.
Teachers
taught
just
two
of
these
a
day,
on
average.
At
the
start
of
class,
a
brief
musical
selecJon
lets
teachers
and
students
know
to
be
ready.
At
the
end
of
class,
another
piece
plays
to
remind
the
teacher
to
conclude
the
lesson.

12. Unlike
in
our
schools,
teachers
in
elementary,
middle,
and
high
schools
have
desks
in
separate
offices
where
they
work
when
they
are
not
teaching
children.
The
offices
are
grouped
by
subject
areas.
This
is
the
cubicle
of
an
elementary
math
teacher.
Her
son
is
featured
on
her
desktop.

13. Twice
a
day,
gentle
music
accompanies
eye
exercises.
We
were
asked
if
many
children
in
California
are
near-­‐sighted.
The
teachers
and
principals
we
spoke
with
believe
eye
exercises
help
to
eliminate
vision
problems.
Without
a
doubt,
they
are
resjul.

14. A
calligraphy
teacher
asks
children
which
of
the
two
featured
arJsts’
wriJng
relates
most
to
the
photo
of
the
ocean,
and
which
to
the
photo
of
the
mountain
stream.
Children
stood
to
share
their
thoughts,
and
she
wrote
them
on
the
blackboard.

15. The
students
are
told
to
turn
and
talk
to
their
neighbor
to
share
their
reasoning.
Of
course,
I
was
a
big
distracJon–
the
first
non-­‐Asian
principal
to
visit
their
school.

16. The
kids
wave
as
the
headmaster
and
I
walk
by
their
class.
That’s
right,
no
teacher
in
the
room!
They
are
taking
a
break
between
periods.

17. This
is
the
teachers’
lounge
and
reading
room,
another
place
to
be
when
out
of
the
classroom

18. In
the
teachers’
presentaJon
hall,
staff
aSend
meeJngs
and
professional
learning
gatherings.
Oben
teachers
from
other
schools
join
them
here,
or
this
schools’
staff
may
travel
to
join
another
school
at
their
site.
CollaboraJon
and
sharing
of
lesson
plans,
as
the
teachers
told
us,
“is
the
standard.”
We
saw
these
rooms
at
every
school
we
visited.

19. The
cafeteria
is
big.
Student
calligraphy
is
framed
on
the
uprights.
It’s
noisy,
but
the
children
contain
their
energy
well.
Teachers
take
turns
eaJng
meals
at
the
tables
with
the
children.
The
food
is
simple
but
plenJful.
This
is
a
happy
place.

20. In
the
staff
dining
room,
Mr.
Zhang
and
I
take
Jme
to
eat
a
real
meal–
exactly
what
the
children
eat.
Each
of
us
has
four
dishes:
rice
with
a
fried
egg,
mushroom
soup,
BBQ
pork
ribs,
and
cooked
greens.
We
finish
with
enormous,
delicious
apples.

21. Aber
lunch
and
a
walk,
I’m
treated
to
a
tea
ceremony
by
the
music
teacher
and
these
girls,
part
of
a
tea
acJvity
class.
All
1st
–
6th
grade
students
take
elecJve
acJviJes
like
dance,
vocal
music,
calligraphy,
fine
art,
table
tennis,
and
instrumental
music,
to
name
a
few.

22. This
boys’
dance
acJvity
group
performed
a
dance
about
a
well
known,
comical,
misfit
Buddhist
monk.

23. I
enjoyed
performances
by
a
variety
of
acJviJes
groups.

24. I
was
glad
to
be
visiJng
on
good
terms.
.
.

25. The
choir
acJvity
group
performed
their
first
ever
song
in
English
for
me.

26. In
the
art
studio,
Mr.
Zhang
pointed
out
the
recycled
boSle
art,
and
shared
the
school’s
philosophy
around
reducing,
reusing,
and
recycling.
I
shared
our
BA
PRIDE
Club,
and
gave
him
our
neoprene
blue
and
gold
bracelet.

27. This
very
compeJJve
third
grade
boy
easily
beat
me
in
an
impromptu
game
of
table
tennis.
I
take
solace
in
knowing
the
Chinese
are
famous
for
their
Ping-­‐
Pong
skill;
six
of
the
top
eight
players
in
the
world
are
Chinese.

28. Back
in
Shanghai,
Headmistress
Jenny
Li
(at
my
side)
shared
Ma
Lu
Cai
Joint
Middle
School
for
7th
-­‐9th
grades–
established
1957,
and
rebuilt
in
1999.
Pictured
are
some
teachers
and
a
number
of
“directors.”
Schools
are
staffed
with
many
posiJons
we
are
not
familiar
with,
including
communist
party
representaJves
and
a
“Director
of
Moral
EducaJon.”

29. This
is
the
master
who
wrote
the
calligraphy
hanging
in
the
BA
office.
Here
he
teaches
bamboo
carving–
important
to
the
school’s
“bamboo
culture.”

31. I
had
no
idea
what
a
beast
Steven
is–
he
showed
off
his
physicality
in
the
staff
gym,
on
the
volleyball
court
at
PE,
and
at
Ping-­‐Pong–
and
while
he
insists
the
PE
teacher
was
“just
being
nice,”
Steven
beat
him
on
his
home
table.

33. Just
before
lunch,
Steven
and
I
met
with
the
student
council.
They
had
many
quesJons
for
us
about
our
schools
and
students.
What
do
our
students
like
to
do
in
their
free
Jme?
What
are
our
school
rules?
How
do
we
like
their
school?
What
are
some
differences
we
see
between
our
schools
and
students?
Then,
the
obligatory
photo
shoot.

36. The
school
is
modern
and
well
equipped.
Here,
students
worked
individually
at
science
tasks–
preparing
for
the
9th
grade
exam.
At
9th
grade,
students
are
sorted
into
two
tracks:
academic
high
school
preparaJon
for
university,
or
vocaJonal
high
school
preparaJon
for
work.
There
are
also
vocaJonal
colleges,
but
we
were
told
most
placements
in
vocaJonal
college
are
obtained
by
lower
performing
academic
track
students.
The
biggest
difference
between
the
Chinese
and
American
educaJonal
system?
In
China,
one’s
career
opJons
are
virtually
decided
by
an
exam
in
9th
grade.

37. Aber
visiJng
Ma
Lu,
an
excursion
to
the
800
year-­‐old
Confucius
Temple
at
Jiading
in
Shanghai
was
eye-­‐opening.
There
we
learned
about
the
origin
of
the
examinaJon
system
in
China,
which
began
in
the
Han
dynasty
in
206
BCE,
when
open
examinaJons
were
first
used
to
fill
posts
of
high
government
officials.
At
the
base
of
the
system
was
Confucian
philosophy
advocaJng
strict,
conforming
behavior
for
an
ordered
society.
While
the
exam
system
is
no
longer
used
to
fill
specific
government
posts,
it
is
clearly
sJll
fundamental
in
the
educaJon
system.

38. Next,
we
spent
a
day
in
Shanghai
at
the
1st-­‐9th
grade
school
of
our
visiJng
principal
Lili
Xu,
here
at
my
side.
Two
intern
English
teachers
interpreted
for
us.
They
also
lead
Young
Pioneers
at
the
school
(a
communist
party
version
of
Girl
and
Boy
Scouts).

39. The
schools
we
visited
did
not
have
front
desks
with
school
secretaries
checking
people
in
and
out.
We
saw
no
one
who
would
answer
parent
phone
calls.
On
the
other
hand,
each
school
had
guard
shacks
at
the
gates,
with
at
least
two
uniformed
guards
keeping
track
of
who
arrived
and
leb.

40. During
our
visit,
the
school
held
an
earthquake
drill.
Again,
many
similariJes
and
differences.
The
students
covered
their
mouths
with
handkerchiefs,
ducked
down,
and
ran
to
their
evacuaJon
site.
The
children
on
the
ground
floor
covered
their
heads
against
dropping
materials.
The
evacuaJon
itself
took
just
2
minutes.
Amazing.

41. The
earthquake
drill
lasted
over
an
hour–
with
many
speeches,
awards
for
students
who
had
shared
ideas
to
improve
preparedness,
and
a
poetry
recital
by
students
and
their
Young
Pioneers
advisor.
Note
the
many
teachers
in
the
background.
In
the
schools
we
visited,
school
staff
numbered
at
least
4x
ours
here
in
California.

43. Again
at
this
school,
there
is
a
10
minute
break
between
periods,
during
which
the
teacher
departs
and
the
children
are
free
to
amuse
themselves,
use
the
bathrooms,
etc.
unJl
the
next
class
begins.
Despite
the
apparent
lack
of
supervision
at
these
Jmes,
we
witnessed
no
behavior
problems.
Children
of
all
grade
levels
and
teachers
interacted
happily.

44. We
were
invited
to
rest
in
the
“Cave
Bar,”
a
staff-­‐only
café
where
teas
and
coffees
are
served
by
a
school
employee
barista.
Steven
and
I
considered
keeping
this
place
a
secret
from
our
staffs,
since
they
will
otherwise
certainly
demand
one
from
us!
(I
asked
what
they
watch
on
the
big
screen
TV–
and
they
said
it
was
broken.)

45. We
visited
a
first
grade
English
class.
Our
visiJng
principal
Lily’s
daughter
is
at
front
row,
center.
The
lessons
were
a
mixture
of
carefully
prepared,
interacJve
PowerPoint
slides
and
cartoon
videos,
singing,
clapping,
and
conversaJons
with
each
other
and
teacher.

47. We
learned
that
many
of
the
acJviJes
school
children
parJcipate
in
are
compeJJve–
including
the
morning
exercises
with
which
each
school
begins
the
day.
This
is
the
school’s
team,
with
members
from
each
grade
level,
preparing
for
a
meet.
To
our
minds,
they
were
perfect-­‐-­‐
but
their
coaches
sJll
shared
criJcal
feedback.

48. Three
acJvity
classes:
In
the
arts
class
above,
students
used
lighters
(!)
to
heat
glue
sJcks,
and
worked
together.
At
the
boSom,
a
group
of
older
boys
sorted
through
metal
and
plasJc
pieces
in
their
roboJcs
class.
The
instructor
showed
us
trophies
won
in
local
and
regional
compeJJons.

49. Three
more
acJviJes
classes:
tea
ceremony,
at
which
we
saw
three
boys
parJcipaJng
among
the
girls;
strategic
games
class;
and
a
matchbook/stamp
collecJng
acJvity.

51. In
the
dance
studio,
these
girls
in
a
dance
acJvity
class
rehearsed
a
piece
about
the
daily
life
of
school
children
in
China.
The
opening
music
was
Flight
of
the
Bumblebee–
but
midway
through
the
number,
the
music
changed
to
tradiJonal
Chinese.
Steven
and
I
were
moved
by
the
beauty
of
the
choreography.

52. Dr.
Carter
and
his
wife
stand
in
the
gate
of
the
Songjiang
No.
2
Senior
High
School,
established
in
1904.
The
gate
has
a
history
of
its
own
daJng
back
to
220
AD.
This
school
is
about
40
km.
southwest
of
downtown
Shanghai.
All
senior
high
schools,
vocaJonal
and
academic,
are
private.
CompeJJon
to
aSend
the
“best”
high
schools
is
fierce–
since
performance
there
will
determine
university
entrance
opJons–
and
is
based
enJrely
on
the
exam
taken
at
the
end
of
9th
grade.

53. Songjiang
high
school
juniors
cram
for
the
test
that
will
determine
their
placement
in
university.
Our
guide
told
us
about
half
aSend
“very
fine”
universiJes.
Below,
a
poster
announces
interviews
by
U.S.
universiJes
including
Cornell
and
Stanford
(center).
It
is
not
uncommon
for
Chinese
university
students
to
receive
visas
to
study
abroad.

54. The
delegaJon
with
the
headmaster
(center)
of
the
Shanghai
Jonjiang
No.
2
Senior
High
School.
In
addiJon
to
the
school’s
long
reputaJon
for
academic
excellence,
it
is
also
known
as
a
“garden
school”
due
to
it’s
beauJful
campus.
Most
of
its
students
are
boarders.

55. Steven
and
I
feel
fortunate
to
have
been
allowed
this
glimpse
into
Shanghai’s
and
Hangzhou’s
elementary
and
secondary
schools.
We
hope
to
keep
in
contact
with
the
new
friends
we’ve
made,
and
will
look
for
ways
to
exchange
ideas
that
can
benefit
our
students
and
theirs.
We
thank
the
many
San
Carlos
families
and
staff
who
helped
make
this
exchange
possible.
非常感谢 (Extreme
graJtude.)