LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT VISITING SCHOOLS IN CHINA

By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer LA Daily News | This article first appeared  in the Contra Costa Times online

Posted: 10/28/2009 08:17:35 PM PDT | Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines leaves for China today to participate in an international educators forum, district officials said.

Cortines will join other American educators at the "International Forum on Educational Leadership and Equality," organized by the Education Department of Shandong Province and the Education Bureau of Jinan.

Cortines is also expected to visit school sites of all grade levels, including higher education institutions, during his weeklong stay in China.

The trip is considered official business for the superintendent, who will be paid his regular salary during the visit.

Travel expenses will not be paid by LAUSD however. They will be covered by the Ameson Education and Culture Exchange Foundation, a student exchange group that is funding the forum.

Cortines is not expected to return to the district until Nov. 9.

more info:

from the Ameson website [The Ameson Foundation identifies university education  opportunities for elite (their word) Chinese students – and operates a testing program (The AST) for Chinese Students to gain admission to western universities]

International Forum on Educational Leadership and Equality to be held in Jinan

Ameson events

Oct 22 |02:54 AM

Four American education experts have been invited by the Ameson Foundation to participate in the “International Forum on Educational Leadership and Equality”, which will be on Nov. 1, in Jinan, Shandong Province.
The experts include Mr. Ramon Cortines, the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District and former Deputy Mayor for Education Youth and Families for the City of Los Angeles CA; Professor Fernando Reimers, the Ford Foundation Professor of International Education and Director of Global Education and of International Education Policy at Harvard University; Dr. Entwistle, the Superintendent of Schools in Belmont, Boston; Dr. Michael Harvey, Principal of Belmont High School. The visiting experts will be led by Professor Sean Zhang, Deputy Chairman of the Ameson Foundation, to participate in the forum.
The forum is organized by the Education Department of Shandong Province and  Education Bureau of Jinan. Government officials, scholars, school principals and university chancellors in Shandong Province will also take part in the forum.