International Studies a Hard Sell in U.S.

North Carolina boasts a growing network of global-studies magnet schools, a prominent university center that sponsors training on international issues and study trips abroad for thousands of teachers, an innovative recruitment program to attract teachers from around the globe, and a popular former governor who has championed the cause of bringing a world focus to the school curriculum.

Despite those resources, and a chorus of business leaders, educators, and policymakers urging a stronger focus on global knowledge and skills, the theme is still a hard sell in the Tar Heel State.

“Whenever we say anything about going global or teaching international understanding, there’s a potential for a backlash,” said Millie Ravenel, the executive director of the Center for International Understanding at the University of North Carolina, who chairs a task force on international education. “So we’ve been trying...