Educators from China Visit Ben Davis High School

Two dozen high school principals and teachers from China spent all of Tuesday, December 5 at Ben Davis High School in the MSD of Wayne Township.

The group is made of up educators from Indiana’s sister state in China, Zhejiang Province. An Indiana company called the Chinese Education Connection contracts with the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education to provide professional development to their educators.

Ben Davis was the fourth high school on their two-week visit to Indiana. The group began with Brownsburg and New Palestine high schools and then to Franklin Central High School Monday. The educators’ visit concludes Thursday, December 7 at North Central High School.

“In addition to the school visits during their two-week stay, we have presented lectures on the structure and governance of American education as well as on the American high school experience,” said Phil Boley, vice president for Chinese Education Connection. Guest speakers have included IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox and Mick Bridgewater, Executive Director of the Indiana State School Music Association. The group also heard from Linda Brown, the College and Career Counselor at Fishers High School.

The visit to Ben Davis was a highlight for the educators, Boley says. “I overheard one principal compliment Ben Davis Principal Sandra Squire on the wonderful things happening at the school and that it is a compliment to her leadership that things appear to be going so well.”

Boley says the visitors especially enjoyed Principal Squire’s introductory remarks about teachers caring for students and how students need to connect with at least one adult. The visiting educators also enjoyed watching the school’s choir program present a beautiful song and visiting various classes at Ben Davis’ Area 31 Career Center.