What Elementary School Teachers Are Saying About International Baccalaureate (IB)
July 7, 2011
These remarks are from “Beyond IB Puffery, a work in progress”, a compilation of news and blog articles, quotes, and commentaries about the International Baccalaureate program. (Used with permission. Emphasis added by compiler.)
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IB Primary Years Program (PYP) – remarks by IB teachers
“I work in an IB elementary school in Virginia. My school system is implementing IB starting in primary school (where ALL students are required to participate in the program) and the program will gradually progress to middle and high school as these kids move up, . . . From what I’m seeing, the IB program has NO place in elementary school. It takes too much emphasis off learning the basics, it takes the teachers out of the classroom for too many meetings, and it takes our administrators on expensive cross-country business trips. The program is costing my county untold sums of money and I see absolutely no return on the investment. This program should be offered no earlier than middle school, and should be voluntary. Parents of students who choose to participate should help foot the bill for all the costs of the program.”
– Teresa, March 20, 2008 (See comment section for “International Baccalaureate is Anti-American & Anti-
Christian?”, Feb. 22, 2006, About.com Pittsburgh)
http://pittsburgh.about.com/b/2006/02/22/international-baccalaureate-is-anti-american-anti-christian.htm
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“Having taught in an IB elementary school for the past three years and having read all of the IB employee documents pertaining to the pedagogy, along with three day trainings into the concept of IB, the anti-American teaching in the primary years program is done in a very subtle way. It’s more about the “right way” to be or the “right way to do things” or the “right way to think” and a lot of it is not the American way. Keeping an “open mind” is always pushed. Anyone who isn’t “open minded” isn’t considered an enlightened human being.
[ . . . ] I also learned more about rigor although I often found it developmentally inappropriate. It’s all about taking action, putting these thought processes into action. My question was always: Should a 7 year old take action when they don’t really understand the issue completely? I don’t think so. Also, there was so much time spent on the IB stuff and time taken away from the true academics — very frustrating when you have some low students that you need to help on academics but can’t. The parents are all clueless, they have bought into something they don’t really understand.”
— From a private email, Jan 22, 2011 5:43 pmIB Programs – remarks by current and former educators
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[Canada] Teachers say program is being forced on them
By Brenda Branswell | THE GAZETTE | March 8, 2011
http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Teachers+program+being+forced+them/4399683/story.html#ixzz1G7UGrlDv
Excerpt: Teachers at a Rivière des Prairies elementary school are up in arms that a bid to establish an international baccalaureate program is forging ahead even though a majority of them oppose the idea.
Most teachers initially agreed to explore the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme at Michelangelo School but a majority have since voted twice to end the experiment – to no avail.
“I think they feel more than duped,” said Ruth Rosenfield, head of the Montreal Teachers Association. . . .
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[Arizona] Grand Canyon School takes hard look at IB program
Many teachers frustrated, test scores remain unchanged
Clara Beard, Williams-Grand Canyon News Reporter | Grand Canyon News | Feb. 15, 2011 1:53:00 PM
http://www.grandcanyonnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=9167
Excerpt: GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – “The workload is crushing,” said Laura Kelso, Grand Canyon School (GCS) fourth grade teacher.
When the International Baccalaureate (IB) program was adopted, no one could predict those words would eventually echo the sentiment of most teachers at the school, who, after six years of implementing the program, are showing signs of strain.
During the Grand Canyon School Board’s Feb. 8 regular meeting, IB was both challenged and supported by teachers and community members. The board’s current status review marks the official beginning of an already ongoing debate to either scrap the program or forge ahead.
According to many GCS teachers, the IB program expects educators to go above and beyond their already demanding schedule, which poses questions among some, who wonder whether the extra paperwork and late hours have been worth their efforts.
“I’ve worked in other schools, I’ve taught gifted and talented, I’ve had 72 students,” Kelso said. “Never in my life seen the kind of workload that teachers have now. I’ve been here many mornings at five a.m. and I’m not the first one here. I’m here at ten at night and I’m not the last one here. Something’s wrong.”
Art teacher Amy McBroom agreed.
“I was a wholehearted believer in the beginning, but as it has continued on every year it becomes more of a nightmare rather than a simplistic idea. It is meant to be flexible, but sometimes I feel like this flexibility is really breaking my back,” McBroom said.
The training and planning that teachers must do in order to effectively teach IB methods has cut into valuable time many teachers consider better spent with their students.
“As I am trying to learn IB, I’m finding that it’s requiring me to do things two and three times that I’m already doing,” McBroom said. “It’s frustrating to me because it’s taking away from time I would like to spend doing things with my class because I’m trying to get planning done for IB instead.
“School board member Bess Foster voted against adopting IB in 2006, mostly due to the size of Grand canyon School and the program’s cost. When researching the program’s success in other schools of similar size, she was concerned with her lack of findings.
“One of the biggest challenges I had was just finding a school our size,” she said. “The few schools I did find did not share the same classroom dynamic as us.”
[ . . . ] Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) testing scores have remained steady at the school over the years, but IB’s promise of improvement has not transpired.
Former GCS employee Peggy Houghton said her observations over the years have led her to wonder if the students are benefiting from IB, and if test scores reflect it.
“I answered the phone for years, and I know there were lots of parents that didn’t even know what the hell it was. IB. Two letters. What is it? I don’t understand what it is; I don’t know what it is doing for my kid,” Haughton said. “I hear teachers complaining about it, I hear that it is supposed to be great, but what is it and how much does it cost. And why are they still doing it if it doesn’t seem to be working.”
Houghton went on to say it is obvious that staff at the school is frustrated with the program.
“You are thinkers, you are independent people,” she said. “You are communicators. That staff is terribly frustrated. Where is it getting us? Do you hear what you are saying? It is not getting you where you want to get. I just see treading here.”
One “benefit” of IB, according to music teacher George Haughton, has been the round about way the program has brought GCS staff closer together.
“In the hallways and during private moments, dislike of IB has always been a topic of discussion,” he wrote in comments submitted to the board. . . .
These remarks are from “Beyond IB Puffery, a work in progress”, a compilation of news and blog articles, quotes, and commentaries about the International Baccalaureate program. (Used with permission. Emphasis added by compiler.)
=======================================================
IB Primary Years Program (PYP) – remarks by IB teachers
“I work in an IB elementary school in Virginia. My school system is implementing IB starting in primary school (where ALL students are required to participate in the program) and the program will gradually progress to middle and high school as these kids move up, . . . From what I’m seeing, the IB program has NO place in elementary school. It takes too much emphasis off learning the basics, it takes the teachers out of the classroom for too many meetings, and it takes our administrators on expensive cross-country business trips. The program is costing my county untold sums of money and I see absolutely no return on the investment. This program should be offered no earlier than middle school, and should be voluntary. Parents of students who choose to participate should help foot the bill for all the costs of the program.”
– Teresa, March 20, 2008 (See comment section for “International Baccalaureate is Anti-American & Anti-
Christian?”, Feb. 22, 2006, About.com Pittsburgh)
http://pittsburgh.about.com/b/2006/02/22/international-baccalaureate-is-anti-american-anti-christian.htm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Having taught in an IB elementary school for the past three years and having read all of the IB employee documents pertaining to the pedagogy, along with three day trainings into the concept of IB, the anti-American teaching in the primary years program is done in a very subtle way. It’s more about the “right way” to be or the “right way to do things” or the “right way to think” and a lot of it is not the American way. Keeping an “open mind” is always pushed. Anyone who isn’t “open minded” isn’t considered an enlightened human being.
[ . . . ] I also learned more about rigor although I often found it developmentally inappropriate. It’s all about taking action, putting these thought processes into action. My question was always: Should a 7 year old take action when they don’t really understand the issue completely? I don’t think so. Also, there was so much time spent on the IB stuff and time taken away from the true academics — very frustrating when you have some low students that you need to help on academics but can’t. The parents are all clueless, they have bought into something they don’t really understand.”
— From a private email, Jan 22, 2011 5:43 pmIB Programs – remarks by current and former educators
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[Canada] Teachers say program is being forced on them
By Brenda Branswell | THE GAZETTE | March 8, 2011
http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Teachers+program+being+forced+them/4399683/story.html#ixzz1G7UGrlDv
Excerpt: Teachers at a Rivière des Prairies elementary school are up in arms that a bid to establish an international baccalaureate program is forging ahead even though a majority of them oppose the idea.
Most teachers initially agreed to explore the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme at Michelangelo School but a majority have since voted twice to end the experiment – to no avail.
“I think they feel more than duped,” said Ruth Rosenfield, head of the Montreal Teachers Association. . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[Arizona] Grand Canyon School takes hard look at IB program
Many teachers frustrated, test scores remain unchanged
Clara Beard, Williams-Grand Canyon News Reporter | Grand Canyon News | Feb. 15, 2011 1:53:00 PM
http://www.grandcanyonnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=9167
Excerpt: GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – “The workload is crushing,” said Laura Kelso, Grand Canyon School (GCS) fourth grade teacher.
When the International Baccalaureate (IB) program was adopted, no one could predict those words would eventually echo the sentiment of most teachers at the school, who, after six years of implementing the program, are showing signs of strain.
During the Grand Canyon School Board’s Feb. 8 regular meeting, IB was both challenged and supported by teachers and community members. The board’s current status review marks the official beginning of an already ongoing debate to either scrap the program or forge ahead.
According to many GCS teachers, the IB program expects educators to go above and beyond their already demanding schedule, which poses questions among some, who wonder whether the extra paperwork and late hours have been worth their efforts.
“I’ve worked in other schools, I’ve taught gifted and talented, I’ve had 72 students,” Kelso said. “Never in my life seen the kind of workload that teachers have now. I’ve been here many mornings at five a.m. and I’m not the first one here. I’m here at ten at night and I’m not the last one here. Something’s wrong.”
Art teacher Amy McBroom agreed.
“I was a wholehearted believer in the beginning, but as it has continued on every year it becomes more of a nightmare rather than a simplistic idea. It is meant to be flexible, but sometimes I feel like this flexibility is really breaking my back,” McBroom said.
The training and planning that teachers must do in order to effectively teach IB methods has cut into valuable time many teachers consider better spent with their students.
“As I am trying to learn IB, I’m finding that it’s requiring me to do things two and three times that I’m already doing,” McBroom said. “It’s frustrating to me because it’s taking away from time I would like to spend doing things with my class because I’m trying to get planning done for IB instead.
“School board member Bess Foster voted against adopting IB in 2006, mostly due to the size of Grand canyon School and the program’s cost. When researching the program’s success in other schools of similar size, she was concerned with her lack of findings.
“One of the biggest challenges I had was just finding a school our size,” she said. “The few schools I did find did not share the same classroom dynamic as us.”
[ . . . ] Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) testing scores have remained steady at the school over the years, but IB’s promise of improvement has not transpired.
Former GCS employee Peggy Houghton said her observations over the years have led her to wonder if the students are benefiting from IB, and if test scores reflect it.
“I answered the phone for years, and I know there were lots of parents that didn’t even know what the hell it was. IB. Two letters. What is it? I don’t understand what it is; I don’t know what it is doing for my kid,” Haughton said. “I hear teachers complaining about it, I hear that it is supposed to be great, but what is it and how much does it cost. And why are they still doing it if it doesn’t seem to be working.”
Houghton went on to say it is obvious that staff at the school is frustrated with the program.
“You are thinkers, you are independent people,” she said. “You are communicators. That staff is terribly frustrated. Where is it getting us? Do you hear what you are saying? It is not getting you where you want to get. I just see treading here.”
One “benefit” of IB, according to music teacher George Haughton, has been the round about way the program has brought GCS staff closer together.
“In the hallways and during private moments, dislike of IB has always been a topic of discussion,” he wrote in comments submitted to the board. . . .