Superintendents to spend spring break in China
1:10 PM Fri, Apr 10, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A delegation of superintendents representing several Rhode Island communities will spend spring break in China to study the country's educational system. Traveling on the roughly two-week excursion are Supt. Marcia Lukon of Jamestown Schools; Asst. Supt. Judy Paolucci from Narragansett Schools; Supt. Hans Dellith from Pawtucket Public Schools, Supt. Kenneth DiPietro from Coventry, and John Pini, executive director of Rhode Island School Superintendents' Association [RISSA] and former superintendent of CHARIHO Regional Schools. The majority of the group is scheduled to leave Tuesday, April 14, but some were slated to leave Friday, April 10. Everyone is scheduled to return on April 26. The superintendents' goal is to experience the Chinese culture, the language and educational system, as China, which has roughly 1.6 billion of the world's population, continues to grow as one of the major global economies. The trip is sponsored by the Rhode Island School Superintendents' Association and was organized under the China Exchange Initiative, an organization that creates educational exchange programs for schools in the United States and in China at the pre-college level. The superintendents are paying for the bulk of the trip out of pocket, some $600 each, according to RISSA president Kenneth DiPietro. The remaining portion is being partially funded by a grant from the Freeman Foundation. Established in 1993, the New York-based nonprofit's goal is to strengthen ties with the U.S. and countries in East Asia. The foundation, which also has offices in Stowe, Vt., and Honolulu, Hawaii, has been a major contributor of kindergarten through 12th-grade education programs and professional development programs that have provided workshops taught by experienced Asian scholars. The foundation also does exchange programs for students and teachers, as well as study tours for faculty and administrators. DiPietro said that four of the educators, including him, will be in the Hebei Province in the northern part of the north China Plain on the Bohai Sea. Each administrator will visit a different school. DiPietro said he will visit the Beijing National Day School. "All of us will spend the first four or five days meeting with dignitaries and educators from universities and the government to better understand China's educational system," he said. "There will be some sightseeing and visits to museums. This will all take place in Beijing. The next five days will be shadowing school leaders in the selected school. The last two days we will fly to Shanghai to visit some cultural areas and museums before returning home," he said. 
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You have got to be kidding....why aren't they staying at home working on ways to fund their schools? Even if the cost was being totally paid by some group...these administrators should be home working on details and looking at next years' funding......
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Who is paying for this trip? The taxpayers?
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I would be very interested to know if the superintendents are personally paying for this trip or if the state association - which each district pays into - is paying.
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Not to beat a dead horse, but I too am wondering who is paying for this. If it is the taxpayers then there should be an investigation into how this was approved especially since several of the school systems mentioned are complaining of budget cuts. Also, even if it is a private group funding this vacation masked as a fact finding mission then I think that the money should have been put to better use. Like donating it to help pay for sports programs for the kids or buuing text books written after 1970.
if it is the individuals paying their own way then I say have a good time.
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Oh yes, I'm sure there's a lot they can learn from the Chinese educational system. Give me a break.
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If anyone bothered to read the article, it states clearly that the superintendents are paying for the bulk of this trip with the rest being covered by a grant.
Too bad, Rhode Island can't adopt some of China's education policies. Over there education is a privilege not a right. So if there is a child causing trouble over there.....there's no parent/teacher meeting to discuss it, that child is simply removed from school and put right into the sneaker factory.
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WOW! Did you all only read the first line in the article?
The sixth paragraph clearly reads:
"The superintendents are paying for the bulk of the trip out of pocket, some $600 each, according to RISSA president Kenneth DiPietro. The remaining portion is being partially funded by a grant from the Freeman Foundation."
Second point is the Feeman Foundation, is not going to bay for books or other supplies needed for schools. Their purpose is to fund things like this and as a private organization they can spend their money any way they would like!
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WHO IS KIDDING WHOM? OUR EDUCATORS WOULD DO WELL TO HAVE CHINESE EDUCATORS E-MAIL SOME LESSON PLANS INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS ON TEACHING OUR KIDS TO USE THE METRIC SYSTEM. THAT MIGHT HELP TO WARD OFF A THIRD WORLD STATUS IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE.
THE SIX HUNDRED DOLLAR OUT-OF POCKET PARTICIPATION ON THEIR PART SHOULD BE ABOUT ENOUGH TO GET THEM A ONE-WAY TICKET TO GEORGIA (AS IN EASTERN EUROPE).
WHEN THEY ARRIVE THEY WILL FIND ALL THE STUDENTS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONS RATHER THAN HANGING OUT IN THE MALL OR THE ZOO FOR THEIR SPRING BREAK. THAT SHOULD TEACH THEM SOMETHING.
TIME AND MONEY COULD BE PUT TO MORE PRODUCTIVE USE.
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