The 2008 Program for Selected Elementary and Junior High School Principals to Visit the US to Promote Educational Exchanges
They arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport in the evening of October 14. On October 15, they went to the Indiana Department of Education for a comparison of Taiwan and US educational systems. Both sides also discussed how to run, manage and lead a school.
On October 16, the participating US principals took their guests to 20 schools that include Allisonville Elementary, where they had discussions on school operation, management and leadership. While visiting these schools, Principal LI Guang-rong of Neijiao Elementary School in Tainan County was praised by teachers and students alike for his extraordinary ways of teaching. During the visit to Park Tudor, the briefing given by Principal HUANG Shu-qing of Minghua Junior High School in Kaohsiung City on the school she heads was recognized with a recommendation to the school's board on establishing a sister-school partnership with Minghua Junior High.
Principals of the Indiana schools were impressed by the Taiwan school principals' descriptions of their schools. Consequently, both sides on October 17 signed an agreement at the Indiana Department of Education, with 11 Indiana schools establishing sister-school partnerships with the Taiwan schools. The signatories will conduct educational exchanges in the future.
From October 18 through 20, the Taiwan principals visited the Center Line, Bay City and Croswell-Lexington school districts in Michigan , and attended a meeting for discussions. In this trip, the brilliant responses and explanations by Principal LI Guang-rong and Principal SHI Zi-zi of Huiwen Elementary School in Taichung City to the Michigan schools' queries were carried by local newspapers on the next day.
Principals of the Michigan schools were impressed by the Taiwan school principals' descriptions of their schools. As a result, both sides on October 21 signed an agreement at the Michigan Department of Education, with 5 Michigan schools establishing sister-school partnerships with the Taiwan schools. After visiting the Hudsonville school district the next day, three more Michigan schools signed the agreement.
The US schools the Taiwan school principals visited were selected by their departments of education and are strong in terms of teaching, school running, management and leadership. Forming sister-school partnerships with them will help our schools improve.
The successful establishment of sister-school partnerships with 19 US schools this year is attributable to a number of factors. Most importantly, Taiwan US offices' long-running efforts in developing a rapport with US state departments of education. In addition, prior to the trip, principals of both countries had exchanged opinions via internet. Moreover, some of the US principals had visited Taiwan in April and June and had good impressions of Taiwan 's school education. The Taiwan school principals' outstanding performance in introducing their schools also contributed to the success.