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Pakistani Delegation Visits LSS
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JUNE 25, 2002
| Local issues in education have been
stealing Philadelphia headlines lately, but a recent
endeavor by Temple University’s Laboratory for Student
Success (LSS) has transferred focus to the
international stage. Pakistani educators and
policymakers visited LSS on June 25 to engage senior
staff members in a lively, wide-ranging discussion on
education that left everyone talking about their
similarities rather than their differences. "You
cannot learn enough in an hour about education in our
country,” Dr. Joann Manning, |
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Executive Director of LSS,
told the Pakistani delegation. She was right. The
discussion ultimately spilled over to almost two hours in
order to cover topics ranging from the tiniest, most rural
school funding to the broader goals of recent federal
reform. To everyone’s surprise, the challenges both nations face in
improving education are almost identical, despite the stark
contrast between the two societies.
“You’re asking all the right questions,” said Dr. John
Kovach, Associate Director of LSS. Issues such as teacher
quality, parent involvement, and national standards piqued
the delegation’s interest – some of the very topics LSS is
tackling in its mission to bring about lasting educational
improvements in the mid-Atlantic region. Other LSS staff
members agreed with Kovach’s assessment.
“Are you really from Pakistan or are you from a neighboring
city? The questions you’re asking have tremendous relevance
right here in Philadelphia,” said Dr. Graynle Edwards,
Research Associate at LSS. Perhaps most relevant was the
issue of state versus local control. Pakistani delegate
Jamil Najam, Director of County School Education Complex in
Lahore, mentioned that the Pakistani government may soon
grant local control of schools and asked how the American
system functions at that level.
“The belief is that, really and truly, local communities
should decide what their schools look like,” said Kovach.
Manning joined Kovach in explaining the intricacies of local
school systems, how they work in concert with state and
federal initiatives, and the role that politics often play.
It’s just one of the many educational issues LSS has a
wealth of information on.
“We’re a research-based laboratory, and our job is to make
sure that research is used in practice,” said Dr. Addie
Johnson, Research Associate at LSS. Even if it’s used half a
world away. |
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Dr. JoAnn Manning (center) discusses policy with some of the delegates.
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| Dr. Patricia Montgomery making some
noteworthy remarks. |
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| Dr. Manning in a tete-a-tete with a Pakistani
educator. |
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