Schools
Board of Ed Sets the Stage for Vote on IB at Greenwich High School
Following a 5-to-2 vote Thursday night, the Greenwich Board of Education will decide in October whether to expand IB offerings into GHS for ninth- and tenth-graders.
Weeks after deciding to a widely discussed educational program to one of the district’s middle schools, the set the stage Thursday night for a vote this fall on whether to offer the same program to underclassmen.
Following divisive discussions on the merits of the international baccalaureate or “IB” program, the board voted 5-2 to set up an October decision on whether to offer IB to ninth- and tenth-graders in the future. The Swiss-based educational program that champions learning through critical thinking and questioning, and student engagement.
After voting to move the deadline for a decision on high school IB from January 2012 to October 2011, Nancy Kail called for fellow board members take a stand without regard to winning re-election in the fall.
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“I think we have over-thought this to death,” Kail said during the meeting, held at and attended by more than 125 residents, including about 30 students. “Whether we have two months remaining on the board or four years remaining, we are responsible [for making decisions.]”
Decisions related to IB are complex and emotionally charged. While those who support the expansion of IB to middle school and high school claim it offers for students, others have , saying IB beyond elementary school is an , and that the town losing control over its curriculum, including the of valuable advanced placement courses.
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Greenwich’s school district first implemented the IB program at the International School at Dundee 10 years ago. Two months ago, following and within the board that some members have not been transparent in pursuing IB, the board voted to expand IB into . As a consequence, elementary school students who attend IB schools will be able to continue their studies with those teaching methods at the middle school level.
Board member Marianna Ponns Cohen, who has voiced opposition to IB expansion in Greenwich, described the high school as “a complicated animal compared to the elementary school.”
Many outstanding questions remain.
For example, board members couldn’t agree whether Greenwich’s existing criteria, as it relates to IB’s global curriculum, contain redundancies. The board also disagreed on whether certain criteria needed to be fine-tuned, including what quantifiable metrics may be used to compare student performance in IB versus non-IB districts.
“We can sit here and wordsmith this thing to death,” chairman Steven Anderson said of the board’s efforts.
Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Sidney Freund, who has advocated for IB expansion in Greenwich schools, suggested that the board did not need every idea to be articulated to the finest level of detail at this time.
