Taoyuan and Alameda County have been sister counties for nearly four decades. A delegation of nine K-12 principals, led by Dr. Kao An-Pang, Director-General of Taoyuan Department of Education, visited San Francisco from July 31 to August 5, 2017, to explore further opportunities for cooperation and to strengthen the Department’s educational bonds with Alameda County.

One of the main purposes of the visit was to exchange views and experiences, focusing on innovative learning and educational technology. The delegation was given a warm reception by L. Karen Monroe, the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools, and various division supervisors. The delegation was then given a tour of Alameda’s Meaning Maker Studio, where they were briefed on its advanced technology facilities and innovative instruction, and potential sister school partnerships were discussed.

Over the years, the Education Division of TECO in San Francisco has established a strong partnership with Yu Ming Charter School, one of Alameda’s Mandarin immersion schools, and it helps the school to recruit language teachers and teaching interns from Taiwan. The visit of the delegation of K-12 principals from Taoyuan paved the way for more similar collaborations to be developed between Alameda and Taoyuan in the near future.

Photo:The Taoyuan delegation with Superintendent L. Karen Monroe and Director-General Kao.