Singapore Expert on Teacher Education Speaks to Delawareans

Last week, Lee Sing Kong of Singapore, a leading international expert in teacher training and preparation, spoke at “Lessons from Singapore,” an event we hosted in Wilmington, Delaware. Professor Lee is the Director of the National Institute of Singapore, as well as a member of our International Advisory Group (IAG). We hosted this event so that Delawareans could learn about the challenges faced in Singapore, and examine the ways in which the nation has established the international gold standard in teaching training and preparation.

Professor Lee discussed the education system in Singapore, centering on the clear alignment around the desired outcomes of education for students–alignment across policymakers, educators, and the educator preparation programs. Following his presentation, Joanne Weiss, former Chief of Staff to Secretary Arne Duncan at the U.S. Department of Education and fellow Rodel Foundation of Delaware IAG member, moderated questions from the audience about ways in which the successful practices in Singapore can be replicated in Delaware.

Delaware can learn from Singapore’s strategies to further build on its efforts to improve student and teacher experiences, including:

• Reflecting on the rapidly changing needs of the Delaware (and global) economic landscape, and setting goals for our students that reflect the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need in order to have a lifetime of success.
• Involving individuals at every level of the public education system (including teachers, school leaders, businesses, communities, and families) in developing these goals for our students, so that they understand their role in contributing to them.
• Positioning these student goals as the focal point of Delaware public education, to which all actions are aligned, including policies at the state-level, practices in schools, and the preparation of the teachers.

These strategies build on the successes that Delaware has already achieved to improve its public schools as well as students’ and teachers’ experiences within them. This aligned approach with clear goals for students is fundamental for students to be successful, particularly as technology dramatically changes the skills and knowledge needed for jobs, and with rapid changes to the way students learn.

To learn about a previous event with International Advisory Group members, click here.

For more information about our International Advisory Group, click here.