Arne Duncan, Mayor Daley, and Chicago’s Mandarin Programs

Arne Duncan, CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, has been nominated by President Obama to be Secretary of Education. His school district, Chicago Public Schools, claims to have more students, more than 7,000, studying Mandarin than any other school system in the US.

 

Chicago Mayor Daley sees world language programs as giving Chicago a business advantage. He “is very enthusiastic about students learning Chinese, Arabic and Russian, because he understands that in order for Chicago to be a truly international city - which is the goal, we want to be the international American city - we need a work force trained to speak international languages.” (here)

 

And, from a 2005 news article (here):

Mayor Richard M. Daley today encouraged Chicago’s young people to learn Chinese and other foreign languages to prepare themselves for careers that require an understanding of international cultures.

“Even though Chicago is located far from our country’s borders, its economic future will depend more and more on international trade and commerce,” Daley said before leading Mayor Han Zheng of Shanghai on a tour of Walter Payton College Preparatory High School.

“That means the leaders of tomorrow will need a broad understanding of the cultures, customs and languages of China and the other great nations of the world. Whether your future is in business, education, the arts or some other field, I can guarantee you’ll benefit from a global outlook.”

Mayor Han was in Chicago to give the keynote address at the second annual Chicago-Shanghai Dialogue conference at the Fairmont Hotel. The event is sponsored by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations in conjunction with the China Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities international Program. Han also was scheduled to visit the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Daley visited Shanghai, a Sister City of Chicago, last October on an eight-day trade mission that also took him to Shenyang, China, and Osaka, Japan.

During his visit, he said, it was obvious that “the Chinese know a lot more about the United States than we know about China, and there are a lot more Chinese who speak English than there are Americans who speak Chinese.

“This has to change,” he said, “and I hope you students will be part of that change. When I was a high school student, the U.S. didn’t even recognize mainland China. Today, China and the United States are trading partners. We have non-stop flights from Chicago to both Shanghai and Beijing. American companies have set up operations in China, and Chinese companies are beginning to invest in the United States.”

Daley said the relationship between China and the U.S. “is destined to grow. And this presents tremendous opportunities for young Americans who are willing to put forth the effort to learn the history, culture and language of China.” …

 … “Even if Chinese isn’t your thing, I would strongly encourage every student to study a foreign language and to learn more about the rest of the world,” Daley told the students. “The world is a much smaller place than it was a generation ago – and it’s getting smaller every day.”

Currently, for 2009, Chicago Public Schools are expanding their world language programs, making them a priority. (here)

Chicago Public Schools will expand its foreign language curriculum next year, teaching more students Chinese and Arabic and launching Russian in several schools, officials announced Wednesday.

The district will re-allocate $1 million from its general fund to expand Chinese and Arabic programs in some schools while establishing new programs in others…. The expansion, which will be paid for by cuts in other parts of the budget, will allow officials to hire about 15 new language teachers for 15 schools.

 

This is the school district our new Secretary of Education nominee managed.

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The district will re-allocate $1 million from its general fund to expand Chinese and Arabic programs in some schools while establishing new programs in others…. The expansion, which will be paid for by cuts in other parts of the budget, will allow officials to hire about 15 new language teachers for 15 schools.

[pandora]

Chicago Public Schools will expand its foreign language curriculum next year, teaching more students Chinese and Arabic and launching Russian in several schools, officials announced Wednesday.

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During his visit, he said, it was obvious that “the Chinese know a lot more about the United States than we know about China, and there are a lot more Chinese who speak English than there are Americans who speak Chinese.

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Daley said the relationship between China and the U.S. “is destined to grow. And this presents tremendous opportunities for young Americans who are willing to put forth the effort to learn the history, culture and language of China.” …

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The district will re-allocate $1 million from its general fund to expand Chinese and Arabic programs in some schools while establishing new programs in others…. The expansion, which will be paid for by cuts in other parts of the budget, will allow officials to hire about 15 new language teachers for 15 schools.