Washington, D.C. – The International Visitors Program of the US Department of State, together with the U.S. Embassy in Budapest and the Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition), are the co-sponsors of a program entitled U.S. Secondary Education Program. Nine high school principals and administrators from Hungary will visit Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Raleigh, NC and New York City from October 8 to 22.
The visiting high school principals will learn about the U.S. education system, particularly secondary education. The Washington program will provide an overview of the U.S. education system and the role of the federal government in setting educational policy. In the other cities, through meetings with teachers, administrators and students, the visitors will observe teaching techniques and communications practices among teachers, students and parents. They will also examine the role of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), student councils, and the involvement of local businesses and community members in both public and private schools.
Specific topics of interest to the visitors include:
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Current trends in national education policy, including the debate surrounding the “No Child Left Behind Act”;
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Approaches to communicating between schools and parents;
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Relationships between teaching, learning and testing;
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Management and function of public and private high schools;
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High schools for the disabled and for talented students;
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Financing, fundraising, and development plans;
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Institutions related to the high school education system;
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Student associations;
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Hungarian-language teaching in the U.S., including programs for young Hungarian-Americans.
The principals will also meet with local Hungarian-American communities.
The Coalition has been advocating for this program for a number of years as part of an ongoing effort to improve communication between U.S. and Hungarian educators. The Coalition was instrumental in the selection of candidates for this program, as well as assisting in the organization of evening and weekend activities in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and New York City.
The program will be supplemented by attendance at cultural events and visits to tourist and scenic attractions.