This week, nine Oregon administrators are hosting their counterparts from China as part of the U.S.-China Administrator Shadowing Project, which is an exchange program for school superintendents and principals, Chinese and American. 

Chinese administrators are in the midst this week of a two-week visit to the U.S. One week is focused on professional development and the other on “shadowing their American counterparts on the job.  The American administrators head to China in the spring for a parallel experience.  Through participation their participation, the Chinese and American partners develop trust, friendship and understanding built - ingredients essential to establishing a robust school-to-school partnership. 

In the past three years, 25 Oregon Administrators have participated in the exchange. This has resulted in establishment of Mandarin Language programs, Teacher and Student exchanges with sister schools, and visiting Chinese teacher programs being established throughout Oregon. This year’s participants are: Michael Carter, Rainier; Joseph Von Doloskki, Medford; Rob Hess, Lebanon; Lynn Jackson, Astoria; Ken Parshall, Salem-Keizer; Mark Witty, John Day; Shirley Burrus, Creswell; Ginger Redlinger, Oregon Trail; and Colin Cameron, COSA.

Learn more about the program: COSA China Exchange.

Pictured below, from top:  Chinese and Oregon administrators vist the State Capitol; Superintendnet Rob Hess and guests "digging in" in Lebanon; McMinnville assistant principal Sean Burke gives a tour of the engineering program in McMinnville; visiting with University of Oregon professor Yong Zhao.