HAMPTON--A forum at the United Methodist Church on Wednesday night focused on the triumphs and pitfalls of the American education system.

The Hampton Town Democratic Committee sponsored the forum, attended by about 30 people eager to hear from School Administrative Unit 90 Superintendent Kathleen Murphy, state teachers' union President Rhonda Wesolowski and former Spaulding High School Principal John Shea.

Much of the conversation focused on Shea's recent trips to China, where he observed the emerging world power's classrooms. Chinese methods are not particularly innovative, he said, but the students impressed him.

"They pay attention, they focus and they work-- without exception," Shea said. "It's a pretty remarkable thing to witness."

Shea, who is now consulting with the Kittery, Maine, school district over the revisioning of its high school, did not advocate for following the Chinese model, but said America's system needs to change and called for more individualized learning.

Murphy and Wesolowski were more defensive of American education, particularly in New Hampshire. They pointed to highlights such as charter schools, which offer more choices than ever before, and programs like Running Start, which provides high school students a chance to earn college credits through the state's community college system.

Amy Vandersall, forum moderator and a teacher at Exeter High School, said the only part of Shea's depiction of China that made her jealous was the uniformly attentive students. She said she has never seen a student fail to succeed who wanted to learn, but "the hardest part of the job, day-to-day, is getting there."

She said that, in an increasingly global world, it makes sense to look for strategies for success wherever they might be found. "(Children) need to be prepared right now. They can't wait around for us to figure things out," she said.