August 10-16

Introduction & Overview

As a part of my journey to South Africa as a 2008 Fulbright-Hays Scholar, I had many eye opening and life changing experiences.  The six weeks with 14 other fabulous woman educators from across the United States gave me new perspective on the challenges that we face as educational leaders in the United States. 

Admittedly, when applying to the program, I had a concept of what my required curriculum project would be.  Initially, I hoped to do a comparative analysis of the U.S. educational system post-Brown v Board of Education to the South African educational system post-apartheid.  This project does contain some of those elements.  However, it was during our pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. that we were cautioned to remain open to the experience, as it had the potential to change us and, consequently, our curriculum projects.

That is the inevitability of (1) going to a new, foreign land, (2) experiencing it with other dynamic people, (3) encountering fascinating people and places whose stories bear witness to a dimension unpreditable before the journey.

This is what my project intends to chronicle.  Likewise, as an educational administrator, I hoped that my project would stimulate dialogue and discussion among educational leaders about the work that we do.  In that regard my essential questions are:

• What type of leadership is really required to bring about educational change, especially within a politically conflicted context?
• How do/should leaders exercise social justice as a fundamental element of their work?
• How can/should educational leaders right institutional wrongs?

This wiki:  http://lessonsforleadersfromsouthafrica.pbwiki.com, is a place for educational leaders - teachers, administrators, board members, community members - to explore some of my experiences interacting with the educators and learners of South Africa and engage in a collaborative dialogue toward common understanding and commitment.

It is organized into 5 case studies the cover 5 themes that persisted throughout all of my encounters.  They are:

• "Madame, Shoot Me!":  Community Resources and Partnerships for School Success
• Both, And:  A Look at School Integration
• 1 of 11:  Language Acquisition, Learning, and the individual child
• Geography of Opportunity:  The lengths people will travel for the promise of an education
• What do we forget when we remember?:  An examination of memorialization as inclusive and exclusive

Explore the various cases by selecting one of the case pages in the sidebar to the right (or be selecting the case page links above).

After exploring the case mutimedia materials on the page, respond to the collaborative reflection questions, responses left by others, or your own unprompted thoughts. 

Yours for children,

Kendra L. Hearn, Ph.D.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction

West Bloomfield School District

Fulbright-Hays Summer 2008 Seminar Scholar to South Africa