Exchange program in Rossford will bring Chinese school official to area

9/29/2009

A Chinese school administrator will spend a week at Rossford Village Exempted Schools and the area in November as part of a shadowing exchange program with a rising Ohio trade partner.

In return, Rossford Superintendent Susan Lang and nine other Ohio school administrators will go to China in April so they can better prepare students to work in a global economy.

While overseas, the Ohio administrators will learn about Chinese schools, education reform, development, and international affairs.

China increasingly is becoming more important to Ohio. Exports to China have risen every year since 2000, and Ohio has trade offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Last year, China received $1.8 billion worth of shipments from Ohio. That was about 4 percent of Ohio's total exports, making China its fourth-largest market worldwide behind Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, according to the Ohio Department of Development.

Chinese administrators will spend their first week in Ohio in the Columbus area. They will be involved in seminars and lectures led by the Ohio Department of Education.

During the exchange's second week, one of the Chinese administrators will stay in the Rossford area and shadow Ms. Lang.

The visiting Chinese administrator will visit classes, attend meetings, participate in school and community activities, and live with a host family while in the Rossford area.