Dist. 220 administrators back from China

Superintendent Tom Leonard and Barrington High School Principal Steve McWilliams were among six Barrington Unit District 220 administrators who joined a group of 30 Chicago-area educators for an eight-day visit to schools in Beijing and Tianjian, China earlier this month.

Although the recently returned travelers are preparing a more thorough presentation on what they saw and heard, Leonard did share a few of his most vivid impressions at this week’s board of education meeting.

During a discussion about possible adjustments to District 220’s school day or school year, Leonard mentioned that the Chinese students he met with started their day at 7 a.m. and finished at 6 p.m., but had a two-hour lunch break in the middle.

And when it was asked whether Barrington High School students still had enough time to walk between classes, Leonard mentioned that the Chinese students ran between classes — though that’s not what the recommended solution in Barrington!

District 220 is in the earliest years of a new cooperative program with the University of Illinois to introduce Mandarin language to its youngest students who can then carry it on through high school. The university will then have a program whereby graduates of the program can carry on with four more years of instruction there.

The District 220 administrators’ trip was largely funded by the U.S.-based College Board at little cost to the district.