Community leaders had the chance to get the latest scoop in the Weiming Education Group partnership with Oxford Schools and get specifics of location as well as a chance to meet Weiming’s new North American CEO at the Jan. 9 Community Leaders Breakfast held at the Oxford Schools Administration Building.
The project
After being unable to come to terms with an agreement on building a dormitory on school property, Weiming began checking other properties around Oxford. The dorm will be on a 2.71-acre lot, located at the southeast corner of Market Street. The dorm will be two stories for a total of 65,363 square-feet and be able to house 200 students and have eight classrooms as well.
Stephen Auger & Associates is doing the architecture for the project.
‘We had to figure a geometry that would make everything work and get every dorm room to have an exterior exposure,? Auger said.
‘That is really a dynamic play of all the physical requirements of the building,? said Auger’s associate, Stephen Foster. ‘But also the exposure to outside and outdoor spaces, you have the opportunities to have breakout classrooms in the summertime that are outdoor-related.?
According to Auger, the game-plan is to have the dormitory built and ready to start housing students by January 2016.
As far as the big picture, he says ‘it’s a great project.?
‘I think it’s going to be the wave of the future,? he added. ‘I see these will be all over the country 10 years from now. That’s why we’re excited about it.?
Who’s the new guy?
Tim DiScipio is the new North American CEO for Weiming. While he was hired almost a month ago by Weiming, he is no stranger to the world of education. DiScipio has been in the field of education for 19 years and was one of the Co-Founders of ‘ePals Classroom Exchange.?
‘We were one of the pioneers of connecting school rooms virtually for cross-cultural connections, language practice, curricular project sharing and also a leader in safe collaboration tools for K-12 schools,? he explained. ‘Things like e-mail, virtual workspaces, digital storage lockers for lesson plans and school work and we’re also provider of digital literacy services for school.?
DiScipio said he left the company to join Weiming.
‘It’s really still in the realm of what I’ve been doing. I work very closely with the Chinese Ministry, so I had that background and understand how Chinese education works,? he said. ‘I think it’s a pretty good complement to what Oxford is trying to do sort of tether the liaison between American school system that’s doing something very groundbreaking and the Chinese system and the Chinese students who can come over and study.?
DiScipio believes it’s a ‘reciprocal opportunity? for both Oxford students and Weiming students.
‘That’s what makes it work for all the kids. That’s why the Weiming kids are here,? he added. ‘They’re not here just to be by themselves and study by themselves. It’s all about the integration and exposing everyone to a meaningful education experience.?
DiScipio said the main reason he accepted the position was because he knows the Chinese – American education space very well and he believes what Weiming and Oxford are doing is the future of global learning.
‘The global economies are really all connected and this is a way to connect the educational elements. But industry and professional fields, they are all connected worldwide. We can’t only do business in the town we live in or the state or country we live in. Other countries are now connected to commerce,? he said.
‘The Oxford kids have a real opportunity now to start getting comfortable the international experience and it might start as educational, but soon or later. It’s going to become commerce and professional field industry-oriented. That is the jump Oxford kids are going have here.?
Having previously lived in Michigan in the Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham area where he went to middle school and high school, DiScipio said it’s refreshing to have Midwestern hospitality.
‘I’m currently on the east coast, but I am out here every week now,? he said. ‘I’m just getting acclimated to the school district, the community and even the company. It’s exciting and I think everyone is terrific. I think everyone sees the benefit here. Everyone has been friendly.?
Community Leaders perspectives
Trustee Jack Curtis believes this partnership will help Oxford become a community based on education.
‘I’m looking at this from a (standpoint) of what is that going to bring,? Curtis said. ‘The educational thing is a big step in economic development.?
Superintendent Dr. William Skilling said he is regretting that he won’t continue to be apart of this once he retires at the end of August and moves to Georgia.
‘I think we are only a microcosm of what this district is going to become,? he added. ‘You’re going to bring people from all over the world here. It’s going to happen, some of the very best minds (are going to) come to speak.?
Township Treasurer Joe Ferrari likes the idea well enough, but he wants a system in place for an ‘exit interview process? for both American and Chinese students.
‘If it’s just great ‘rah, rah rah this is all good stuff.? It doesn’t mean anything,? Ferrari said. ‘When my kid gets graduates, I want to hear ‘Yes, I’ve learned a lot and I feel more confident going into the job market.? That’s what I’d like to see the outcome of phase testing.
School Board Trustee Mike Schweig said he always thought this would be ‘a great opportunity if done correctly.?
‘And I think steps are in place where the schools have learned and Weiming has learned what works, what doesn’t work and what will work better and this is better to where the program is going now,? he said. ‘This is still a great partnership and I feel it’s one of trust toward their goal of benefiting both Chinese and Oxford students who are involved in this from whatever aspect. We can integrate them to be beneficial for all.?
While some in the community may fear what this program may bring, Oxford High School Principal Todd Dunckley doesn’t believe there is anything to fear.
‘There are no problems with our Chinese students. We’ve had exchange students forever. The fear is in the community that it’s going to change us. Well of course. Everything is going to change us, but in a good way,? Dunckley added. ‘We’re still going to be Oxford. We’re still going to have our farm country and our horse country and our continued routines that have happened for many, many years. We just have to convince people that we’re not here to break apart and change everything.?