schools looking for Chinese students

[Anonymous]

This article brings up numerous questions. First are public schools looking to China as a means to boost their ADA? It would be necessary to have an educational program with a stellar track record for admitting graduates to the top universities. It would also seem important to be close to cultural and enrichment opportunities.

[Anonymous]

The program could have been beneficial for students on both sides. It's sad the columnist posted such an opinionated article about the school while it's questionable if he was ever taught or lived in the region. Moreover, how a student uses his/her time at school is still highly depending on the individual. I really hope the district's/school's effort can eventually pay off.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this article, as it's helpful to hear about the successes and failures of these types of exchanges. I would have preferred a more in-depth analysis of why this program failed, as I think it would be very helpful to K12 schools looking to create programs of this kind. I have my suspicions about why it failed based on our experience these last few years. From the work we've done with US-China exchanges, many factors must come into play to make the program a success. And many schools don't have the fiscal or management experience to implement such programs.

There is no doubt that the market in China for people who want to attend schools in the US is growing exponentially. There are also schools across the country in the US that are rapidly developing international departments to meet this demand. Faced with huge budget cuts, both private and public schools are seeking Chinese students as a revenue source - particularly in CA.

California is a highly desirable market for Chinese families for a variety of reasons; I can't imagine Maine is nearly as attractive. Its rural location, inclement weather and distance from cultural and recreational resources make it more difficult to implement a program like this. We're excited about our ability at Escondido Charter School to meet these needs and maximize success for entry into the postsecondary school of choice once the Chinese student completes the program.

[Anonymous]

Bringing in students from China for the money will always fail. An organization has to decide to develop a world wide program for enrichment. Then over time as the program develops then the money will follow the success.

[Anonymous]

I truly hope these six students have a positive experience in Maine. Starting with a small number can be a good thing and attempting an exchange with China should be a learning adventure for both sides. There must be more to the extracurricular lives of these rural Maine students than hanging out in a parking lot.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

School's pitch to China is a failure

Education officials in American backwoods town are left disappointed after bold attempt to boost enrolment and finances attracts just six students
Associated Press in Portland, Maine
Updated on Aug 14, 2011

A school district in the deep woods of Maine that sought out Chinese students to help boost its enrolment and its finances fell far short of its ambitious goal of bringing in 60 students.

Only six Chinese students will attend high school in Millinocket, in a rural part of the northeastern state, next month.
The target of five dozen was probably overly ambitious, officials said.
The efforts were also hindered by a recruiter in China who failed to deliver any students and a writer who told readers of China's Global Timesnewspaper that the school was "mediocre" and that Millinocket children hang out in parking lots for fun.
Stearns High School officials said they were disappointed more Chinese students won't be attending when classes begin on September 6 but will stick with the programme and try to expand in the years ahead.
"We're also a public school, not a private school or an academy or attached to a university or college," said Arnold Hopkins, chairman of the Millinocket school board.
"We're a rural school out there by ourselves and we're untested, so to speak. So naturally I would think the Chinese would be a bit hesitant."
The six students are scheduled to stay with host families in Millinocket, a town of about 4,500 people an hour north of Bangor.
Each student will pay US$24,000 in tuition, room and board.
Private schools have recruited students from China and other overseas locations for years.
Faced with declining enrolment and shrinking revenues, several public schools around the country have begun doing the same in the past few years.
As Millinocket has fallen on hard times with the decline and eventual closure of the area's two paper mills, high school enrolment has fallen to about 200, down from more than 700 in past years.
Its Chinese recruitment initiative was begun last autumn by Superintendent Kenneth Smith, who started with a target of 25 and later upped it to 60.
The programme would benefit Chinese students by immersing them in American society, sharpening their English skills and enhancing their chances of going to a US college or university, Smith said, while also helping local students by opening their eyes to other cultures. From the start, Smith knew he was at a competitive disadvantage to private schools.
Foreign students are allowed to attend a public school for only one year because of American visa regulations, whereas private schools aren't restricted as to how long students may attend.
Public schools pitch their programmes as a way for foreign students to get a foot in the door in the US and then move on to a university or a private school.
But school officials found it a harder sell than expected.
An opinion column in June in the Global Times took aim at US public high schools in general and Millinocket in particular.
The author, an adjunct instructor at a law school programme in China and a former high school teacher and prosecutor in the US, wrote that "the first thing to understand is that the average US public high school isn't very good".
He went on to call Stearns a "run of the mill" school and said the "biggest kick for (Millinocket) kids is hanging out in a supermarket parking lot."
And until last week, a recruiter was still guaranteeing delivery of up to 60 Chinese students for the school, but ended up with none, Smith said.
In all, the school district has spent about US$40,000 on the programme, on consulting and legal fees and a recruiting trip by Smith, Hopkins said.
The school board now has to reconfigure its budget based on the programme bringing in US$144,000 in revenues rather than the US$1.4 million that had been anticipated.
Despite falling short in recruiting, Smith is confident the programme can grow and that word will spread about Millinocket's spacious school facilities and tight-knit community, and the region's natural beauty and recreational opportunities.
The six Chinese students due to arrive this month are from Fuzhou, Wenzhou and Hunan province.

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