Fear and ignorance kills a good program.

[Bunny]

Upper St. Clair School District in suburban Pittsburgh is one of the wealthiest and most desirable ones in the state. It is full of wealthy, educated professionals.

Yet last night, the school board voted to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program. This program teaches students critical thinking skills and encourages them to be productive members of the global community. It has been praised world-wide, and serves as a model for school programs in many other states. Even George W. Bush praised it.

Yet some small-minded people on the school board voted to eliminate the program altogether. Why? Because it is "Marxist, anti-Christian, and un-American". Is this what fear of the outside world really does to people? Turn them into ignorant, impotent little Napoleons, lashing out at the scary world in the only way they can?

Fortunately, a large part of the community is rightfully proud of the program, and I believe some of the parents are going to look into legal ways to make the school reinstate the program. I hope they are successful.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06052/658673.stm
SNIP
After a tumultuous week of community debate and heavy news media coverage, the Upper St. Clair school board voted last night to eliminate the district's International Baccalaureate program before an angry and vocal crowd of about 1,000 people.
SNIP
Founded in 1968, the program aims to give students a world perspective and develop critical thinking skills. Upper St. Clair is the only district in the region to use the curriculum at elementary, middle and high school levels. About 700 students participate in it. Schenley High School and Vincentian Academy in McCandless also use the curriculum.
SNIP
Dr. Iracki and other newly elected members of the board expressed opposition to the program on the grounds that it is Marxist, anti-Christian, un-American and too costly.
SNIP

Here is yesterday's editorial from the Post-Gazette:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06051/658140.stm

SNIP
The world is flat, asserted New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman metaphorically but wisely in his best-seller of the same name -- and American children better be prepared to live in it. It is not a stretch to say that without international awareness and cultural sensitivity, the United States will lose the economic challenge and is doomed in the war on terror.

But some on the school board in Upper St. Clair would have students live in splendid isolation -- splendid, that is, only to those who fear the world. As it stands, nearly 700 students in the district are enrolled in the acclaimed International Baccalaureate program, which is followed by some of the best schools on the planet, 1,772 of them in 122 countries.
SNIP
These critical sentiments have the breath of ignorance about them. Suddenly, we are no longer in Upper St, Clair but some place like rural Alabama, Kansas or Dover, Pa., where school board members may not know much about education but are certainly acquainted with their own small-minded agendas.

Those who would end this program for such reasons have it exactly wrong: The most anti-American thing is hostility to ideas. Those who think that the program can be cut for fiscal prudence sake ought to rethink their position, too. The program represents the sort of investment that is vital to America's success in a changed world.
SNIP

[laruemtt]

1. that's crazy. i wish them luck in reinstating the program.

if they want to show some righteous indignation against 'foreigners', why don't they put their efforts into stopping their purchase of our ports!

[porphyrian]

2. We can't have critical thinking skills in our children!

Then only apathy would prevent the majority of our children from believing all the bullshit we're fed. How can they be convinced to accept blatant lies about the fascist insurgency if they can think critically?

[otohara]

3. Too Costly??? - Considering IB Diploma Takes ONE Year Off College

those who graduate with IB diploma start college as a sophomore at colleges who recognize IB. More and more colleges do - it's quite the advantage.

Dumb-asses

[LWolf]

4. It's this part:

This program teaches students critical thinking skills and encourages them to be productive members of the global community.

Having extensive training, curriculum writing and teaching time in an IB school, I can affirm that it's all about learning to be a thinking, productive citizen of the world. TPTB in the US aren't happy with the concept of including thinking skills as one of those "basics" they are always ranting about. They're not about to encourage future citizens to think of themselves as part of a global community, rather than citizens of a global empire.