News
Opinion
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The controversy over International Baccalaureate is not unique to Incline Village, and it's beginning to garner increased national attention.
The New York Times printed an article on July 2, 2010, discussing the increased profile of IB for college admissions officers.
The article features Incline resident John Eppolito — a vocal opponent of IB implementation at Incline's public schools — quoting him as saying only a small percentage of students at the high school would actually obtain the IB Diploma.
“We have 337 kids, and 80 of them take at least one of our 16 A.P. classes,” said Eppolito in the article. “If we switched to the I.B., the district estimates that 15 kids would get a I.B. diploma in two years.”
The article also refers to the New York-based website, www.truthaboutib.com, as a clearinghouse for anit-IB viewpoints.
IB is currently offered in 700 American high schools — more than 90 percent of them public schools — and almost 200 more high schools have begun the IB certification process.
The program is used in 139 countries, which has drawn the ire of some American citizens — including some from Incline Village — who say the curriculum's focus is too international.
“Some parents say it is anti-American and too closely tied to both the United Nations and radical environmentalism,” the Times article reads. “From its start in 1968 until 1976, the program was financed partly by Unesco. It is now associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and until recently it endorsed the Earth Charter, a declaration of principles of sustainability that originated at the United Nations.”
Other parents object to the expensive nature of the program — the International Baccalaureate Organization charges $10,000 a year per school, $141 per student and $96 per exam, the article states.
Nevertheless, the article also reveals that college admissions officers, teachers and students respect the academic rigor the program brings.
“I don't think there is anyone who does not respect the I.B.,” Panetha Ott, an admissions officer at Brown, said in the article.
“A.P. is great for content-based traditional learning,” Chris Mosca, principal of a school in Maine, which recently implemented IB, said in the article. “It's great for kids who like to memorize. But for more creative kids, who want to make those connections, there's nothing like the I.B.”
“I.B. taught us how to think through a position, and support it,” Michael Tahan, a recent graduate from the IB school in Maine, said in the article. “And while I understand why some parents might worry that the program is international-based, I think it's good for America for students to learn how others nations think.”
The New York Times printed an article on July 2, 2010, discussing the increased profile of IB for college admissions officers.
The article features Incline resident John Eppolito — a vocal opponent of IB implementation at Incline's public schools — quoting him as saying only a small percentage of students at the high school would actually obtain the IB Diploma.
“We have 337 kids, and 80 of them take at least one of our 16 A.P. classes,” said Eppolito in the article. “If we switched to the I.B., the district estimates that 15 kids would get a I.B. diploma in two years.”
The article also refers to the New York-based website, www.truthaboutib.com, as a clearinghouse for anit-IB viewpoints.
IB is currently offered in 700 American high schools — more than 90 percent of them public schools — and almost 200 more high schools have begun the IB certification process.
The program is used in 139 countries, which has drawn the ire of some American citizens — including some from Incline Village — who say the curriculum's focus is too international.
“Some parents say it is anti-American and too closely tied to both the United Nations and radical environmentalism,” the Times article reads. “From its start in 1968 until 1976, the program was financed partly by Unesco. It is now associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and until recently it endorsed the Earth Charter, a declaration of principles of sustainability that originated at the United Nations.”
Other parents object to the expensive nature of the program — the International Baccalaureate Organization charges $10,000 a year per school, $141 per student and $96 per exam, the article states.
Nevertheless, the article also reveals that college admissions officers, teachers and students respect the academic rigor the program brings.
“I don't think there is anyone who does not respect the I.B.,” Panetha Ott, an admissions officer at Brown, said in the article.
“A.P. is great for content-based traditional learning,” Chris Mosca, principal of a school in Maine, which recently implemented IB, said in the article. “It's great for kids who like to memorize. But for more creative kids, who want to make those connections, there's nothing like the I.B.”
“I.B. taught us how to think through a position, and support it,” Michael Tahan, a recent graduate from the IB school in Maine, said in the article. “And while I understand why some parents might worry that the program is international-based, I think it's good for America for students to learn how others nations think.”
