In coming to the U.S., Mr. Ibrahim was seeking an answer to one question: “How does the U.S. measure the quality of education?” Is it the number of scientists; or the number of graduates from prestigious universities; or the scores on standardized tests? Is standardized testing the best way to measure the quality of education? And does testing consider the cultural differences, financial backgrounds, and personal abilities of the students?

In the hopes of answering this question, Mr. Ibrahim requested a meeting with Office of Superintendent for Public Instruction (OSPI), a Washington state organization that supports and oversees K-12 education. The mission of the OSPI is to ensure the success of all learners in collaboration with educators, students, local communities, businesses, and federal government.

The representative from OSPI began the discussion with the topic of education reform of 1993 and the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] of 2002. OSPI gave us a brief history of reform and the Act, and they talked about positive and negative affects on the U.S. education system. The conversation led Mr. Ibrahim to ask: “Why did education reform happen?” and “Who sets the standard in each state?”

I am always surprised by the differing education policies of each state. I am from Japan, where the ministry of education oversees national education standards. This allows for a high–level of standardized education for all students through the twelfth grade. I have to wonder how the situation would change if the U.S. had a Ministry of Education, similar to that which we have in Japan.

The No Child Left Behind Act highlights the differences between the states. Mr. Ibrahim wondered if the law was applicable in different states. Apparently, this has been a source of controversy for the act and has led to the dismissal of principals of schools, changes to make the test easier in order to gain funding from the federal government, accountability issues for stakeholders, and many schools continue to struggle with simply meeting the required standards.

The representative from OSPI explained how NCLB has affected educational institutions significantly, but also how this act has been an impetus for increased discussion for the improvement of the delivery of education on a national basis.

When three visitors from the Dominican Republic put on headphones and started trying out a whammy bar to remix a Jimmy Hendrix song, it was clear that they had found a museum with the right balance between fun and education. The group of three visitors included a museum curator and two musicians who are touring the United States to visit all of the most prominent music museums. When they return to the Dominican Republic they will bring back ideas for the design of the music museum of Santo Domingo, a museum celebrating the musical heritage of the Dominican Republic from colonialism to modern Bachata and Merengue.

In Seattle, Mr. Jasen Emmons, the EMP’s curatorial director, gave the visitors a comprehensive tour of the museum. He discussed with the visitors which curatorial strategies work best for the space, how curators manage interactive exhibitions, and which innovative directions the EMP will be pursuing in the future. The visitors were especially excited to see the Sound Lab, where guests can learn to play rock band instruments, and the Sound and Vision exhibition of videotaped oral history interviews with music industry professionals. The visitors have been considering incorporating similar features into their museum and they were thrilled to see how the EMP has executed these ideas.

At the EMP, everyone has the chance to be a rock star. I can’t wait to visit the music museum in Santo Domingo to learn how to jam to the Merengue beat.

Jack in the Box is renowned as a national and international leader in developing food safety protocol. After the outbreak of illness caused by e-coli found in undercooked meat in 1993, Jack in the Box has instituted rigorous practices to ensure food safety including intensive and recurring employee training, a system of daily and weekly equipment tests, and a series of inspections by local and regional food safety consultants.

The Chinese visitors were extremely impressed by Jack in the Box’s commitment to food safety. The Chinese Food and Drug administration is tasked with regulating a rapidly expanding food service industry and the visitors were eager to bring home the materials and knowledge they gained from this meeting. In fact, after a tour of the “back of the house” where the visitors observed first-hand the cleanliness and sanitation of Jack in the Box’s meals, they welcomed the restaurant to open stores in China!