Ep. 9: (Mandarin) Stuyvesant ex-Principal Jie Zhang taught American prisoners, fixed U.S. schools, returns to China to lead two international schools

Chinatown 2.0

Jie Zhang has been an instructor, administrator and leader of American education institutions for more than three decades. She began her career teaching math to prisoners on Rikers Island (New York). Her most well-known positions included principal of the Ivy League feeder Stuyvesant High School, and principal of the now Chinese company-owned New York Military Academy, which US President Trump attended. She recently returned to China to run two international high schools.

Besides recounting her eclectic career, she also shared stories of helping prisoners get high school degrees, challenges in teaching American high schoolers as a foreigner, her firsthand experience dealing with pressure to democratize enrollment at magnet public schools, making decision to return to China despite overwhelming opposition from family and friends, and cherishment of the exciting work environment and an energetic team of coworkers at the two Chinese schools she now manages.

* Jie Zhang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jie-zhang-67a97620/
* Stuyvesant High School ("Stuy"): https://stuy.enschool.org/
* New York Military School: https://www.nyma.org/
* Hongwen School: http://www.hongwenschool.com.cn/

0:00 Teaser
1:01 Host monologue
4:32 Guest self-intro
11:20 Pressure of running international schools amid China-US tension
15:55 Coronavirus deepened financial woes of US private schools (pre-college) that preceded the pandemic
22:04 Journey to State University of New York at Stony Brook and family ties to Chinese Physicist CN Yang
27:50 First job teaching math at a prison in Rikers Island in New York City
35:54 Transition to teaching regular schools, and challenges of teaching Americans as a foreigner
42:53 Her son (Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, startup) and daughter (Berkeley, speech pathology studies)
45:18 Transition from purely instructive to administrative roles
51:56 Willingness to take risks plays big role in advancing her educational career from teaching at schools to leading schools to returning to China
1:01:03 Assignment to “clean up” Stuyvesant after test-cheating scandal as interim principal
1:06:15 Natural esconsement to permanent principal as the first China Mainland born principal at Stuyvesant
1:09:36 Her response to public pressure to remove academically focused entrance tests for magnet schools like Stuy in the name of equity and inclusiveness
1:21:44 Chinese parents’ general anxiety and formulaic approach on getting kids to Ivy League
1:32:33 Kids at the academic “bottom” 5% at Stuy still do well in life
1:40:49 Leaving Stuy partially due to significant red tape and a lack of autonomy
1:46:00 Move to lead recently out-of-bankruptcy New York Military Academy, increasing communication with China education institutions not previously available at public school
1:50:00 Growing interest and increasingly clear reasons for leading American-style secondary education in China
1:55:11 Making decision to return to China at late 50s against overwhelming opposition from family and friends
1:59:28 Contrast the more lively, positive and cooperative Chinese colleagues with American colleagues seeking stability and resisting change
2:03:47 Clash with the ways of Chinese education admin lifers from local public school system
2:10:28 Strong pride in being able to make unique and significant contribution, and fierce love for passionate and diligent colleagues
2:13:08 Managing and dealing with people at work is just as hard between America and China
2:17:32 Strong chemistry between energetic Chinese subordinates welcoming western management methods and expat leaders tired of managing uninspiring and inert public sector Americans
2:25:30 Emphasis on mutual respect regardless of status as her management style
2:32:32 Anecdote of helping a sincere and unassuming Chine