Debra Kaplan Returns from China with Increased Global Outlook

"My whole life has been based on willingness to go with the flow as opposed to always having plans," said Debra Kaplan, superintendent of the Dobbs Ferry Union Free school district. "My message to my students is that you can have all the plans you want, but you really have to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. It might be the best thing for you."

Indeed.

Kaplan has certainly practiced what she preaches.

Born and raised in Southern California, Kaplan spent her high school years in Hawaii after her family relocated there. As a 17-year-old, she read Leon Uris's novel, Exodus, about the founding of the state of Israel, which inspired her to attend college in Israel.

"I went away from home; I didn't have contact with my parents. We didn't have email or texting," she recalled. "It was a very positive experience. Sometimes you have to take risks in life."

That adventurous spirit has served Kaplan well.

After her year in Israel, Kaplan returned to Los Angeles and enrolled in community college before earning her undergraduate degree at a state college, and went on to earn her master's from UCLA. A life-long professional educator, Kaplan has worked as a special education teacher and general education teacher, moving onwards and upwards as an administrator in a variety of districts around the country in California, Florida, and New York. Kaplan has also worked with charter schools and universities.

Her curiosity and interest in expanding her own, as well as her students', horizons recently led her on a trip to China. Kaplan belongs to a national superintendents' round table group, and was part of a 411-member delegation of administrators and teachers who spent nine days exploring China and learning about the country's language, culture, history and education system. The idea behind the trip was to help Americans do a better job at educating students about China, through developing partnerships and programs in the United States. The trip, which covered Kaplan's airfare, lodging and meals, was sponsored by the College Board and the Confucius Institute Headquarters, a non-profit public institution based in Beijing to promote Chinese language and culture.

"The Chinese government is trying to promote friendship and understanding of China today,"Kaplan said. "I came away thinking that we're more alike than different. They were very interested in our feedback and looking for collaboration. The 'ah ha!' for me was when I thought of global learners and realized we needed to collaborate with students in other countries. I'm trying to get my arms around the idea of what it mean to be a global citizen. We need to understand other cultures."

Dobbs Ferry already has the International Baccalaureate program, which enables interested high school students to pursue an especially rigorous two-year college preparatory program. While the district does not yet offer Chinese language or culture program, Kaplan hopes to explore some possibilities, such as a global issues class, in which students could collaborate on projects with their counterparts in other countries.

Given the current economic realities, Kaplan admitted that the greatest challenge is maintaining Dobbs Ferry's distinctive instructional program and offerings.

"The hardest part is the finance, giving quality education with limited resources,"  said Kaplan, who's been in the district for the past nine years, the last five as superintendent. "Realistically, the system is not sustainable. I'm from California and I don't want to see what happened there happen here. When you spend nine years building something, you don't want to be the one tearing it down."

There is much that Kaplan is proud of in Dobbs Ferry.

With her roots in special education, it's not surprising that Kaplan is particularly proud that the district's children with autism are, for the most part, in regular classrooms. "We really do have an inclusive school district," she said. "We believe all kids can learn. "

Although she lives in Englewood, NJ, Kaplan feels a special connection to Dobbs Ferry.

"I feel really honored at this time in my career," she said, noting that Dobbs Ferry has been her longest career posting to date. "I've been very lucky. My values are part of Dobbs Ferry values."

And above all else, Kaplan delights in the students.

"The best part is working with the kids," Kaplan said. "Every year at graduation, I look out at the young adults we're sending into the world and  I know they will be successful human beings."