Following the same theme raised in this December post on the topic, we now learn that Marblehead Massachusetts has recently rejected adopting the International Baccalaureate program. According to a report on Wicked Local Marblehead, the school’s committee expressed
"reservations about the IB program and will delay the implementation until 2013 for fiscal reasons."
The article goes on to explain how the faculty at MHS
"wishes to completely postpone IB and not invest any more money in it at all at this time or next year…is a rather expensive program to implement, and the faculty wishes to explore it thoroughly to be absolutely certain it’s worth the investment.”
They also expressed concern over the "unknown fees" associated with the adoption of this program. It’s clear from the article, money could be better used on other priorities.
Several school districts in New Hampshire pushed forward the same program in the midst of an economic crisis and yet other schools are finding it an extravagant program to adopt.
Feins, who is an English teacher said,
“Teachers who visited the IB school at the Cape earlier this year did not find anything we don’t already do or couldn’t more cost effectively add ourselves for the entire student body. During the training at Rice University, participants were told the IB certificate was not accepted at American colleges and universities; only by taking the diploma track will credit be considered, and this track will cost more money . MCAS scores may also suffer."
As many of us have noted, Feins goes on to say,
"Advance Placement is a superior alternative, in the teachers’ view."
Schools like Bedford slipped in the IB program with little or no public input however in Bow the Superintendent conducted meetings and invited the public. He listened to the concerns from the parents and taxpayers about cost and content and the people decided, thanks but no thanks.
While some think we have an endless supply of money available to fund these programs, others like me question the fiscal irresponsibility during one of the worst economic times in our history.
