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McDowell Educators in China this week

Trollinger: Travel plans made, paid for, before budget crisis

By Britt Combs | The McDowell News

Published: June 24, 2009

Three McDowell public school personnel are visiting the People's Republic of China this week. The trip is part of an effort to foster bonds of cooperation and academic exchange between North Carolina schools and schools in China's Jiangsu Province.

Assistant Superintendent Becky Pearson, East McDowell Junior High Principal Greg Hughes and East geography and history teacher Jessica Lewis have gone to China to formalize the Sister School Program relationship.

The trip has been the subject of some public comment to The McDowell News due to the budget crisis, which, in the past few weeks, has cost at least 45 McDowell school employees their jobs.

But, said Superintendent Ira Trollinger, the plans, reservations and commitments for the trip were made last fall, before the budget crisis arose.

"This money was set aside last fall when we were selected to participate in the program," he stated. "If we had to do the program this coming year, we would not be able to do it because the funding that we have used this year has been set aside to keep 15 of our teachers employed."

The local cost for the three to travel to Washington, D.C. for orientation and for various follow-up workshops was between $850 and $900 per person, Trollinger stated.

"The total purse for the Sister School Program is $5,250," he said.

Currently, the state has restricted most government employees' travel, but, he added, this trip was planned and airline reservations made prior to the travel embargo.

"Special permission was granted by the Department of Public Instruction and approved by the state to continue the trip," said Trollinger.

The program is organized by UNC-Chapel Hill's Center for International Understanding. The center's Web site features McDowell's participation prominently, and describes the need for North Carolina students to gain an international perspective.

"Our state has become a leader in the pharmaceutical fields and the development of new knowledge, has seen dramatic shifts in the demographics of its citizens and in 2007 saw $23 billion in exports leave its ports for other countries," an annual report from the center stated.

McDowell's participation has ranged from last year's trip to Denmark by several high school students, faculty and administrators to teleconferencing between local elementary schools with elementary kids abroad.

In the coming weeks and months, a delegation from China is expected to visit McDowell County and East Junior High specifically. And there will be a global education conference for all McDowell educators in August.

"I am very proud that East McDowell Junior High School was selected as one of 20 schools across the state to participate," he said, and reiterated his oft-stated belief that today's students must be comfortable with the wide diversity of the global community in order to succeed in the 21st century job market.

"Global understanding can be developed by participating in the Sister School Program," Trollinger continued. "The high school is a testament to that fact."

He said the Board of Education had not formally ratified the school's participation in the China program but had approved the expenditure in a budget amendment, which is normally handled on a monthly basis.

"The Board seemed to be very excited about the program," he said, "and was glad we had been selected to participate, even though a formal vote was not taken."