2 SISD principals selected to learn in China this summer

Two principals from the Socorro Independent School District were the only administrators in Texas selected for the Education First Administrator Professional Development Scholarship Opportunity, which will take them on a trip to China for two weeks in June.

Angelica Ramsey, principal of Eastlake High School, and Troy Byrne, principal of El Dorado Ninth Grade Academy, are two of 50 selected recipients across the country, who will travel to Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, China as part of this unique opportunity to earn professional development credit.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” Ramsey said. “It is my hope to share my experiences with my students here at Eastlake.  I want them to dream of seeing far way lands and learning about the culture of others.  We live in a global society that necessitates us to understand diversity on a new scale.”

Byrne is a seasoned traveler and is looking forward to this international trip to discover the Chinese educational system and to bring back what he learns to his students and staff.

“I would love to dialogue with Chinese educators to understand the difficulties they face in a rapidly growing economy,” Byrne said. “I have so many questions for our Chinese partners. Do they have problems with students migrating from rural areas into the cities? What type of discipline problems do they experience, if any? How large are their typical class sizes?”

While the trip will be exciting for the educators, both agree that it is all about learning. Ramsey and Byrne will visit China’s landmarks, visit Chinese schools and collaborate and share best practices with the other U.S. educators on the trip. 

The principals look forward to being able to bring back the knowledge they gain to the Socorro district. Byrne said he would like the opportunity to conduct workshops for campus principals, directors, cabinet members and board members upon his return from China.

“During the workshops, I would share my discoveries about China’s education system, their methods, and successes. Together, principals would investigate how to adapt China’s best practices to current systems used within our schools,” Byrne said.

With two SISD educators going, Ramsey said she hopes the trip serves two purposes.