Cross Case Features: Context

Lincoln High School: Admin Support Context

District Level

Support for global and multicultural learning is written into the district’s mission statement. The superintendent says that the state’s emphasis on state history over Asian history exemplifies a “convoluted view of the world.” Nevertheless, because the community does not have a large Asian population or community pressure to study Asia, the superintendent contends that the “pump needs to be primed” in order to get Asia into the curriculum. He says that programs such as NCTA have the potential to make a big difference because they give teachers the knowledge and confidence to teach about Asia.

Although the administration has supported the inclusion of Asian Studies in the curriculum, The superintendent credits the faculty with making it work. “I think it is personality dependent. We’ve had some real talented faculty people who have been aggressive about making it work and that’s important. It’s one of those things a school district might let fall by the wayside because it’s just one more thing to add to the agenda.” The curriculum director for the district concurs. “You’ve got to have a catalyst in a school district. Some of the people who have taken this [NCTA course] are an active force in the school district working with their colleagues. I do see this as a K-12 process and those who have had the experience are sharing with others in the district.”

Whereas the curriculum director sees Asian studies as a “continuing part of our curriculum,” the superintendent cautions that Asian studies needs to be nurtured: “In Lincoln it’s very shaky. With potential budget cutbacks, changes in personnel, it could disappear quickly. It’s been quite a few years since the start of it and it’s just now permeating a little more into lower grades. If the pipeline of teacher training, travel, and workshops were to close down we’d be back to where we were some years ago.”

High School Level

The principal of Lincoln High School, sees the support for Asian studies growing stronger. He points to the potential scholarship opportunities for travel to Japan and China through the Asian Experience grant, a five-year program in which the Lincoln district collaborates with local districts and the local museum of art to enhance teacher learning about Asia.