International Baccalaureate Curriculum - something we all need to be aware of!

[LutheranChick]

http://www.mps.k12.mi.us/index.php?NewsID=118 This link is news about another school district subscribing to the International Bacalaureate Curriculum.

PLease see the following link for why we should be concerned:

http://www.edwatch.org/updates07/031707-IB.htm

PLEASE - PLEASE read this article and find out everything you can about this program - a United Nations sponsored curriculum that is making its way into our schools in the United States. This is NOT something we want in our country - please learn and find out what YOUR local school districts are considering. The above article states 680 school districts have adopted this, but I spoke with the author of the article this weekend and now over 760 school districts have adopted this. This curriculum is unconstitutional and will do nothing but harm our children's education.

 

[flicka]

Can you specify exactly what it is you don't like? IBC has been around in some US schools for over 20 years, and internationally for over 50. It's and optional program, not something everyone will or can do since the courses can be very challenging and time consuming with lot's of extra curricular responsibilities. For people who plan to attend college outside the US (and FYI, there are plenty) it does have a global focus and can give kids an edge for admissions. Most schools will offer both IB and AP classes, with the majority of qualified students choosing AP because they are historically the path to take for entrance into the Ivy League schools. The majority of US student won't participate in either of these programs and make do with the basic high school curriculium.
Please don't go off on a tangent about it being un-American/anti-Christian because that isn't the case. Those things are NOT what higher education is about anyway.

 

[NiteClerk]

Yet another reason for sending your kids to private school.

 

[flicka]

Yet another reason for sending your kids to private school.

Be specific or don't bother posting

 

[BigBadWlf]

I have the same question as flicka. What exactly is your issue here?

 

[Phylogeny]

http://www.edwatch.org/updates07/031707-IB.htm

PLEASE - PLEASE read this article and find out everything you can about this program - a United Nations sponsored curriculum that is making its way into our schools in the United States. This is NOT something we want in our country - please learn and find out what YOUR local school districts are considering. The above article states 680 school districts have adopted this, but I spoke with the author of the article this weekend and now over 760 school districts have adopted this. This curriculum is unconstitutional and will do nothing but harm our children's education.

The IB curriculum is one of the most prestigious programs for college bound students, especially for those that are expatriates and live abroad but would like to attend to college in their native country. It's also suppose to be pretty tough. The students I know who took it says it is more difficult than the AP classes offered in the US. From my experience, kids from those schools tended to be very well prepared for our US colleges, so what's the complaint here?

Yet another reason for sending your kids to private school.

Then you may be disappointed to know that the IB program has been offered at a higher rate at the most academic private schools in the country and only just now started filtering into our PUBLIC educational systems.

I'm not sure why this anti-intellectual attitude comes from. Just because something is standardized and written by nonAmericans doesn't make it un-American to learn. It's not like the US has the high ground on education.

 

[Dagna]

A number of schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth area offer the IB programs, both private schools and public. In the public schools, it's optional. The students don't have to go through the IB program. I know of at least 1 private school that only offers the IB program. It's an international school, with the curriculum taught in mostly French, some English.

Personally, I've looked at the programs in my area and I would prefer my child go through the IB program. They are far more advanced than the public schools and even many of the private schools in my area. If my child turns out anything like me and my husband, they'll be bored sitting through the standard classes offered and will need a challenge.

 

[NiteClerk]

Can you specify exactly what it is you don't like? ...

How about this, from the article:

The American Creed versus the IBO-UNESCO Creed:
How different are the American creed and the IBO-UNESCO creed? The following table describes some of the differences:

..................................UN-IBO U.S.A.
Right to bear arms .........No .......Yes
No double jeopardy ........No .......Yes
Church & state separation No ......Yes
Limited government.......... No .....Yes
Reserved powers ..............No ....Yes
Natural law recognition ......No ....Yes​

There are other significant differences between the American creed and that of IBO-UNESCO. For example, our Constitution guarantees that a person's property cannot be taken by government without just compensation. IBO-UNESCO has no such guarantee.

The biggest difference between the American Creed and that of IB-UNESCO, however, is this: Our Declaration of Independence states that government exists to protect the God-given, inalienable rights of all persons. The Tenth Amendment to our Constitution restates the same doctrine as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution ... are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." That is, human rights belong to the people, and government has only those rights given it by the people. Our rights have higher standing than government.

The UN and IBO, in contrast, subscribe to the exact opposite view of human rights. The UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR] says: "These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." [UDHR, Paragraph 29, Article 3]

Please don't go off on a tangent about it being un-American/anti-Christian because that isn't the case. Those things are NOT what higher education is about anyway.

1. )Yes it is.
2.) This is elementary and secondary education. I consider higher education college courses. I think that U.S. schools should teach history and morality from a U.S. perspective. Not the U.N. propaganda.

 

[BlackAndy]

If it has a UN seal on it -it's bad news...
A man-made unifying world religion? You don't have a problem with that?

 

[Donkeytron]

If it has a UN seal on it -it's bad news...
A man-made unifying world religion? You don't have a problem with that?

No, as I understand it the "Left Behind" series is (awful) fiction.

 

[flicka]

How about this, from the article:


1. )Yes it is.
2.) This is elementary and secondary education. I consider higher education college courses. I think that U.S. schools should teach history and morality from a U.S. perspective. Not the U.N. propaganda.

Schools aren't in the business of teaching morality, parents have the right to do that themselves so be happy!!!!
And believe me, any child graduating with an IB diploma is not missing out on any of the traditional classes, they are doing what all other kids do and then some.

Why do I get the feeling that those opposed to this program wouldn't be able to handle it anyway?

 

[minister50]

If it has a UN seal on it -it's bad news...
A man-made unifying world religion? You don't have a problem with that?

Yes, the truth plain pure and simple.

 

[Mr.Pious]

How about this, from the article:


1. )Yes it is.
2.) This is elementary and secondary education. I consider higher education college courses. I think that U.S. schools should teach history and morality from a U.S. perspective. Not the U.N. propaganda.

Granted I took AP and not IB but they are just upper level classes that look good on a transcript. It isn't indoctrination, it isn't even a requirement...

 

[LutheranChick]

Schools aren't in the business of teaching morality, parents have the right to do that themselves so be happy!!!!

Directly from the IBO handboook on Programme Standards and Practices
[FONT=GillSans,Bold]http://www.ibo.org/ibna/educators/documents/ProgrammeStandardsandPractices.pdf[/FONT]

[FONT=GillSans,Bold]Section A: philosophy[/FONT]
[FONT=GillSans,Bold]Standard A1[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]There is close alignment between the educational beliefs and values of the school and those of[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]the programme.[/FONT]
[FONT=GillSans,Bold]Practices[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]Common:[/FONT]
1. The school is committed to the principles defined in the IBO mission statement.
2. The school is committed to developing in students the qualities, attitudes and characteristics
described in the IB learner profile.
3. There are clear and close connections between the school’s published statements of mission
and philosophy, and the beliefs and values of the programme.
4. The beliefs and values that drive the programme are shared by all sections of the school
community (including students, teachers, administrators, members of the governing body and
others, as appropriate).[FONT=GillSans,Bold][/FONT]

The highlighting is my own. Interesting that in their section on the curriculum's philosophy, BELIEFS and VALUES (which everyone - teachers, students, school board members, etc must all share) are quite important. Hmmmm- aren't "beliefs and values' all a part of "morality"?????

 

[Dagna]

It says "Educational Beliefs and Values"...I'm pretty sure that wouldn't fall under morality. Could you explain in more detail why you have a problem with this? I have a few information packets on the various IB programs in my area. I'm sure I can dig through those when i get home and find something if you have any questions.

I seem to recall very similar wording on our welcome packets throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, private school and college.

 

[eldermike]

The most basic idea of freedom is that beliefs and values are mine, not shared, not any part of yours, or anyones business. People can choose to fail, that's called freedom. People like Bill Gates and Richard Branson, they failed. People can choose to learn, again that's how freedom works. Cookie cutter people are dull, likely to fail if left alone, quick to blame governemnts for personal faliures and just don't get it on really important stuff. We don't need more of them. Stop the programs and teach math, science and language.
Schools should offer high quality courses, period end. If you want to learn, or not, thats how it goes in a free country.

I see this as just another reason to cut all funding to the UN and make them all buy tickets home.
That's my opinion.

 

[LutheranChick]

Granted I took AP and not IB but they are just upper level classes that look good on a transcript. It isn't indoctrination, it isn't even a requirement...

No, this is a curriculum that is K-12. Maybe some schools offer separate IB classes, but what this is referring to is an entire curriculum. If you read the piece from EdWatch - which takes its info directly from IB's website and publications - you will see that this is, indeed, indoctrination.

 

[LutheranChick]

It says "Educational Beliefs and Values"...I'm pretty sure that wouldn't fall under morality. Could you explain in more detail why you have a problem with this? I have a few information packets on the various IB programs in my area. I'm sure I can dig through those when i get home and find something if you have any questions.

I seem to recall very similar wording on our welcome packets throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, private school and college.

If you read the EdWatch article it is clear. The author of that piece is not some crackpot - he has done his homework - and is brilliant, by the way. Do you really think an education system that is controlled by the United Nations is a good idea? They want to promote THEIR values - their 'universal' values, which are not necessarily American values. And as far as the education goes - here is another exerpt from the report:
"Teaching the Beliefs and Values of IBO
As mentioned above, IBO requires member school to teach its courses from the IB point of view. This requirement is clearly stated in the Minnesota School District # 6078 federal grant application, which says: "Units will ... integrate IB philosophy and concepts into core content curriculum." [p. 70]

The IB curriculum in A.C. Flora High School in South Carolina illustrates how the IB values are incorporated into math and language classes. A.C. Flora describes its IB curriculum as follows:

At A. C. Flora the French classes have continuously integrated global concerns, such as pollution, endangered species, health issues (obesity, aging, AIDS, cloning), space research, human rights, and the death penalty...​

One wonders how much French IB students are learning when they are studying AIDS and the death penalty. A. C. Flora describes its math curriculum as follows:

Math Studies curriculum explores problems concerning the weather, environmental protection, conservation, and energy. . . The statistics unit will examine a variety of problems from a global perspective, such as the disparity of wealth distribution between first and third world countries.​

How much math are students learning as they study wealth distribution? (They are actually learning Marxist ideology in math class.) "

 

[Dagna]

I had something all posted but I'm having a pretty rough day at work and think it might have come across as a bit...cranky. So, I deleted my post and I'll type something up tonight when I have a chance to get home and relax a little bit.

 

[Phylogeny]

One wonders how much French IB students are learning when they are studying AIDS and the death penalty. A. C. Flora describes its math curriculum as follows:

Math Studies curriculum explores problems concerning the weather, environmental protection, conservation, and energy. . . The statistics unit will examine a variety of problems from a global perspective, such as the disparity of wealth distribution between first and third world countries.​

How much math are students learning as they study wealth distribution? (They are actually learning Marxist ideology in math class.) "

Actually, students study quite a bit of math when they study wealth distribution. Statistics is a very useful area of study, especially in practical applications, moreso, dare I say it, than calculus. Even in med school, I cannot escape stats.

I'm not sure what 'marxist math' is...all I know is that in the "marxist" country of China, the average Chinese kid knew more math in the 11th grade than I did as a freshmen engineering student in college (I peeked at my cousin's math book). If knowing more 'marxist math' is having a better grasp of calculus derivatives, then I'm all for it.