Massachusetts Delegation Returns From China

Primary Source's Executive Director, Kathleen Ennis, recently led a group of 30 school leaders, including Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Mitchell Chester, on a ten-day specialized tour of the Chinese educational system. The group, which was organized in collaboration with EF Education, also included 12 superintendents and assistant superintendents.

The Massachusetts Educational Delegation to China explored the contemporary Chinese educational system through school visits, formal exchanges with Chinese education professionals, and planned meetings with officials from China's Ministry of Education. Highlights of the trip included meeting students, teachers, and administrators at the Dandelion School, a Beijing-area middle school for the children of migrant workers. Participants also visited the rural Pang Liu Village School outside of Xi'an, joined in an educational exchange with teachers in Hong Kong, and met former Hong Kong Governor Tung Chee Hwa. This trip to China was the third in a series of travel delegations designed to engage school leaders in education about China.

Commissioner Mitchell Chester spoke to Primary Source about his experiences in China as they relate to his role in the state's education system.

Primary Source: Please describe the impact this trip had on you personally.

Mitchell Chester: I had the good fortune of traveling with the recent Massachussetts Educational Delegation to China, which really enhanced my resolve around the value and importance of global education. I was particularly struck by our meeting with C.H. Tung, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and his mission to forge strong relations between the U.S. and China.

Primary Source: What does this experience suggest for next steps for the state of Massachusetts?

Mitchell Chester: We are very interested in promoting global education, foreign language study, and the use of technology. Technology gives us the opportunity to connect with people and places around the world
without having to buy a plane ticket or book a hotel room.

Massachusetts has done so well with standards and assessments, and we have historically counted on districts to develop curriculum. I'm working to get the state office to play a leadership role in disseminating best practices in curriculum across districts. I'm also looking into the possibility of a summit dedicated to global education, which will help in this process by highlighting the importance of curriculum content in our schools.