Steve Connors Thirteen British educators traveled across the pond earlier this month in an effort to learn from education practices in the United States.

The head teachers, equivalent to principals in the United States, spent a week visiting Conejo Valley, Las Virgenes, Oak Park and Simi Valley districts.

The visit was part of an international collaborative on improving learning and educational leadership, done in conjunction with the local districts, the Ventura County Office of Education, California Lutheran University and the Eastern Leadership Center near Cambridge, England.

The visiting head teachers shadowed local school principals and observed classroom teaching and learning.

They also participated in meetings and even attended a Friday night football game at Thousand Oaks High School.

Head teacher Steve Connors was hosted by Conejo principals Martha Tureen of Banyan Elementary and Jennifer Boone of Manzanita.

"The school principals in the Conejo schools are much better prepared than head teachers in England," Connors said. "Britain could learn from this."

According to CVUSD Superintendent Mario Contini, the head teachers shared mostly positive observations at a debriefing session before they left.

"They noted an emphasis on student motivation in the local schools and how much more wellbehaved and respectful students were to each other and their teachers than found in Britain," Contini said. "They noted great flexibility in the local school curriculum, allowing students to access the curriculum in different ways."

Head teacher Terry Canty was among the impressed.

"How is it that a state with one of the largest economies in the world could so underfund education and still keep children so highly motivated and incredibly focused on learning?" he asked.

Contini said the group did criticize the fact that American classrooms seemed to be driven to teach students the same thing in response to the federal No Child Left Behind program. The visitors also noted the differences in funding from one school to the next in the district. He said he wondered why the arts were so dependent on fundraising as opposed to being state-funded.

They were impressed, however, with the level of parent involvement and financial support.

"We all discovered that although we are different, we have much in common," Contini said. "Most importantly, we have a lot to learn from one another."

Head teacher Jan Wiggins agreed.

"I had done research on the Internet about California schools before I came, but I drastically misunderstood what is really here," Wiggins said. "It was only by coming here to go into classrooms, talk to teachers and principals and other people that I could really understand and take back so much to help me better lead my school in the U.K."

Contini and Terry Cannings of CLU and a few other superintendents from Ventura County are currently in London making observations of their own. They planned to visit the London Center for Leadership and Learning and the National College for School Leadership.

"England has made school leadership and schools a top priority, and they've done quite a bit in that area," Contini said. "The whole effort is to really work on leadership. It's not just a position, being a leader. Everyone plays a role in it."

Contini said they've received some funding support from the county and some expenses will be out of pocket.

"This is a good thing," Contini said. "I wouldn't go if it wasn't worth my while. Frankly it's inconvenient on my family, but I feel it's going to be important for this district."

A similar visit is being planned in March for principals.