In my little hamlet, we fought the implementation of the IB program in our high school mostly on the idea that we believed that our students should be American students first and then be knowledgeable “the world”. But the biggest thing was the philosophy bias and that it would have meant a total loss of local control – use the SEARCH function with “IB” to see what we’ve written about the program in the past. Well, there is a bill is now being considered in Concord – HB 1403:
HOUSE BILL 1403
AN ACT relative to providing pupils with curriculum and instruction regarding state and national sovereignty and establishing a committee to study the implementation of the International Baccalaureate program in New Hampshire.
SPONSORS: Rep. Pettengill, Carr 1; Rep. Cohn, Merr 6; Rep. Cox, Merr 6; Rep. Hill, Merr 6; Rep. Kreis, Merr 6
COMMITTEE: Education
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires that school curriculum and instruction shall only meet school approval standards if such curriculum and instruction promotes state and national sovereignty and is not subject to the governance of a foreign body or organization. The bill also establishes a committee to study issues relating to the International Baccalaureate program in New Hampshire.
I am all about local control, but I also know that the Educational Establishment in a lot of towns start pushing it in their towns – and don’t always take the truthful, the ENTIRE truthful, road in explaining what’s what with the program to parents that trust them implicitly (that implicit trust is oft not the right thing to have – instead, a bit of cynicism would better serve them). Rep Seth Cohn, one of the sponsors, found out personally as he caught the “Educational Establishment” lying to him.
So in this case, I support this Act. I also support this petition process:
The Petition
We the undersigned support the passage of the New Hampshire HB 1403 which would end the governing structure of the International Baccalaureate Organization in New Hampshire schools.
1) No foreign organization in partnership with a global political organization should be collecting private data on New Hampshire students.
2) The International Baccalaureate Organization should not be governing New Hampshire local public schools by mandating schools follow the mission statement of the IBO. The IBO is an NGO of the United Nations. (example: teachers could be investigated by the IBO for “improper conduct” which could mean something as benign as giving extra time on an exam)…
Go read the whole petition and sign it.
