District Holds Second Meeting on Middle School Restructuring
Answers to submitted questions were given after the Superintendent's annual State of the District address.
The proposed International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program will not be unduly costly, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Osborne told an audience on Wednesday night at a special meeting at Columbia High School. He — and other district administrators — also said that the program would provide rigor for all students, even as the district reduced the number of levels — or tracks — that separate students using measures of academic performance and standardized testing.
A subdued crowd listened intently as Osborne and middle school principals Jeff Truppo (Maplewood Middle School) and Joseph Uglialoro (South Orange Middle School) answered 11 questions about the proposed middle school restructuring.
A crowd of about 200 gathered to hear Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne's annual State of the District address, followed by prepared answers to the 11 questions that had been culled from submissions made online by interested residents. The questions ranged from "Why IB?" to queries about funding, curriculum, and professional development. Parents wanted to know if the IB program could be incorporated faster and/or expanded to the high school. Other questions focused on particulars such as the impact of pulling 6th graders out of arts instruction for interventions.
Finally, moderator Barbara Heisler said that there were many questions regarding rigor.
In answer to "Why IB?" Uglialoro said that "the world is changing so rapidly, we can't predict the careers we are preparing our children for." He argued that IB would engender the critical and creative thinking needed for children to succeed. "Students will be regularly engaged in meaningful investigation, problem solving and problem finding." He said that an IB classroom would ask students to innovate and also teach them to understand their global peers.
Osborne said that he felt that the costs of professional development for IB would not be vastly different than the present allocations for professional development in the district. He also said that he projected the cost for fees and support for the IB program to be no more than $20,000 per school.
Truppo noted that IB doesn't "dictate a curriculum" but rather would reveal itself in classrooms through a different approach to subject matter. "You talk about your approach. How do I study this?" Truppo said rigor would be assured through professional development and evaluation provided not just through district and state measurements but through the IB program.
One questioner chided the district for not providing the gifted and talented program required by the state.
Osborne responded at length and pointedly to this question.
"This has come up many, many times," he said. Noting that gifted and talented students were measured to be about 3% of the student population, Osborne said, "Ideally we would have a system of identification — it's about 20 students in each grade — and meet their needs."
"This lies in front of us," said Osborne. "It's a critical aspect of our work that we haven't gotten to."
"But we do have exceptional students that we have crafted programs for. We need to make this systemic and more formalized. It's work we want to do."
However, Osborne said, "Our current proposal is fashioned to address more pressing problems."
Osborne said that the IB program combined with further de-leveling would help push achieving students and lift struggling students.
"Kids can be engaged at very high levels in heterogeneous groups," said Osborne. "They can be highly challenged and doing meaningful work." He added, "We take just as seriously the problem of the bored student as much as the challenged student."
Osborne called the proposed middle school restructuring "a golden opportunity to build on our success without judging, sorting and labeling them [the students] at such an early age."
Added at 12:10 p.m.:
In response to the question, "Why the hurry to rush through de-leveling?" Osborne briefly went into a discussion of the data from the 7th grade de-leveling which have been the subject of much debate since they were unveiled in October. Said Osborne, "I do think it tells a positive story but we are working on a more detailed student by student analysis."
Later he added, "I think it's a pretty good showing and evidence we didn't slip, and there are kids in Level 4 in 8th grade now who would not have been there — while not doing harm to others."
Osborne also said that he felt that ending 6th grade "micro-leveling" in math had not done the predicted damage but had resulted in the strongest increase in the percentage of advanced proficient scores in math in the 6th grade.
Other questions submitted asked why IB could not be rolled out faster — and also, why it could not be a five year program, as opposed to a three year program.
Osborne focused mostly on the second part of this question, saying that implementation of the IB Middle Years Program into grades 9 and 10 was "an open question" and "no decisions have been made."
"If we want to go to grades 9 and 10, we need to make that decision by the 2013-14 school year to have it in place." He added, "We have no intention to supplant the AP program with the diploma program [in grades 11 and 12]. He noted that a decision would need to be made by 2015-16 to implement the IB program for grades 11 and 12.
Osborne stated more than once during the meeting that he felt that the IB MYP program roll-out plan was as "aggressive" as it could be. If approved by the Board of Education, teacher training for 6th grade would begin in the 2012-13 school year so that the program could be rolled out for 6th graders in 2013-14. An additional grade would be trained and added each year for a seamless transition for that grade as it moved up. Osborne said he didn't "see much of an increase in the course of the year" in teachers being pulled out of classrooms for training.
One question noted that the one school district in New Jersey that had implemented IB (Cherry Hill) was moving away from the program. Osborne said that he was "no in close conversation with Cherry Hill," but that he was in close contact with other districts that were seeing "great results." Those districts were Rockville Center, MD; Arlington, VA; and Montgomery County, MD.
After the prepared responses and a period for questions submitted during the evening on index cards, a brief public comment period was opened.
The majority of the speakers seemed to be supportive of IB and de-leveling. Andrea Correll, who had run the afterschool enrichment program at Seth Boyden School, said that "time after time I saw students leveled up" in the varied group of children brought together for afterschool enrichment. However, John Davenport took exception to earlier comments by MMS Principal Jeff Truppo defending the lack of an accelerated course for science and social studies in the middle schools. "I would say that Truppo's answer does not persuade me. Acceleration in science and social sciences would also open up opportunities as well."
One speaker said he had been in an IB school in New Delhi, India in the 70s. "Kids went on to NGOs and foreign service," he said, noting that many were the children of state department personnel and ambassadors.
Marian Sender — a former Board of Education member from the 1990s — said she has been teaching 8th grade in an IB school for the past 6-1/2 years at Renaissance Middle School in Montclair. "We continue to have some of the problems you want to solve," she said, "But we have a sense of community." She said that students did not divide into groups by intellectual ability as she saw elsewhere.
A young woman who graduated from Columbia High School in 2005 said that she felt property values in the towns would be better maintained if the proposed changes were adopted. "Students who feel valued and respected have a better chance to do better."
A new parent in the district said that she was impressed with the treatment that her son — who is African-American — had been receiving in his middle school. "I'm seeing dedication to my son at the middle school." She added, "I'm fully confident that this district is going to do right by our kids and the parents need to stand behind them."
David Simmons, CHS '06 and a graduate of Swarthmore College, said, "Either we have a tracking system that is an effective measure that believes that white students are more deserving. If not, we've got a tracking system that reflects a legal system of white supremacy in this country." He added, "This isn't about your child and your children. It's about your community and your neighbor's child and facing racism."
Lisa McLoughlin
9:30 am on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Not "unduly costly", eh? I think that might be the opinion of an IBeholder, not the average taxpayer.
Application fee: $23,000
IB Teacher training: $60,000 - $75,000 during application process, approx $25,000 every year thereafter
New IB Coordinator position (.5 position, approx $45,000 including benefits)
IB materials - $15,000
Annual Membership fee - $8,500
IB Conferences and consultants - $15,000
MYP PP and subject moderation by IB - ($640 per subject, $60 per student) = min. $15,000
I come up with $196,500, dang close to my consistently stated estimate of $200,000 per year, per site.
www.truthaboutib.com
Donna Nitzberg
10:29 am on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Lisa, I don't yet have an opinion about IB, and appreciate getting all points of view about it in this information gathering stage. And thus, your many anti-IB comments are interesting counterpoints to the school district's intriguing proposal. BUT, I would like some clarification on your background so I can evaluate your information in context. Are you actually a member of the South Orange-Maplewood Community? Or are you, as I suspect, an anti-IB person who comments whenever/where ever the program is being considered? And if that's true, are you getting paid to do that? Or are you really angry about this program for more personal reasons? Or both? Just curious, and trying to get a handle on the political landscape here.... Thanks.
John St Croix
2:34 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
"A subdued crowd" was being Delphied by fancy talk.
FACTS: IB is a fad, based on social engineering, reducing leveling, dumbing down academics and promoting ONE MISSION, that of the www.ibo.org which is to teach the children they are now subjects of the ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT. This is Unesco's dream. How many of you parents are going to sit there and let your tax dollars be used to pay for this treason? Wait til you see what your kids will be doing -- ALL POLITICAL ACTIVISM FOR THE FAR LEFT!!!
"Critical thinking" is a buzzword for social indoctrination.
You are going to pay big bucks to basically a socialist, non-governmental organization from OUTSIDE the country to dumb your kids down and give them a EUROPEAN VIEW of how government should work? NUTS!
This is a fad program and the kids will be ill-prepared for college.
Your officials have given you the worst fleecing I have ever seen while selling you a bill of goods.
Your teachers will have to sign a mission stating they promote world government and so does your school and the children.
John St Croix
2:34 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Neither Lisa nor I have been 'paid'. We simply want to warn parents about this egregious program because it's not what you think it is.
I was a teacher for 40 years and this nonsense is being integrated into our schools even without IB -- but someone UNESCO has figured out a way to make you PAY FOR IT?? Gimme a break.
It's a fad, it's bogus, and it has one purpose -- POLITICAL AGENDA.
Lisa is the national expert, she has done her homework. She runs a website all by herself... there is no one paying her, nor me.
I just know what I saw in the schools. I let teaching because I refused to teach this NONSENSE. You should see what the kids do all day in grade 2, it's like Hitlers Germany -- their attitudes are checked, their parents are spied upon.
JUST SAY NO!
John St Croix
2:38 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
@Donna: I find it sweetly ironic that while IB claims to be needed to teach kids about other cultures in other countries and become open minded and risk takers, you are worried that someone from another state in the country might be imparting his or her knowledge on the subject by posting here.
IB proponents always seem to show this hypocritical side.....
Lisa McLoughlin
5:38 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
"Others with their differences, can be right." ~IBO mission
Others with their differences can be right, except those who dare to expose IBO's real agenda, in which case they shall be labeled heretic, troublemakers and lunatics.
Lisa McLoughlin
5:36 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Donna:
John St. Croix responded accurately - my citizen activism against IB in American public schools is completely voluntary. The readers of my website kindly make contributions to cover the cost of the website and a scholarship we awarded last year. If a citizen group would like for me to address a meeting in person and do a presentation, I would ask for my travel costs to be covered. I live in NY.
Jay Mathews of the Washington Post has called me "the most intelligent IB critic in the country." I have gone head to head with Jay since late 2004 and you can find me in Chapter 45 of his book Supertest; How the International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools.
This is my Press page: http://truthaboutib.com/press.html
I don't know what conveyed "anger" in my post to you. I am passionate about liberty and despise tyranny. I also detest liars, phonies and globalist scam artists.
Donna Nitzberg
7:09 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Ok. Thanks for chiming in. Still trying to figure out what's going on, and what this all means to be able to sort through it.
For me, Figuring out political agendas tend to clarify issues somewhat - for example, knowing that your comments are from someone with an all-encompassing passion to negate the IB program makes me view your comments differently than if you are a parent searching for the best educational experience for your in-district child. But obviously, it wouldn't necessarily mean your facts are wrong. Just that yiu have an agenda different from mine. And I'd want to get second sources to confirm them. Also, Mr. St. Croix'S bold and bizarre comment comparing the IB second grade curriculum to that of Nazi Germany throws up all kinds of red flags for me. Don't know what the curriculum is, of course, but REALLY? Unless its truly fascist, and it's hard to believe this to be so, that's just a throw-away line, often used by fear-mongerers on the extreme pollitical ends of the spectrum. So I guess the question is: how is the IB curriculum Nazi-esque? And why are we discussing second grade when the issue is middle-school?
Lisa McLoughlin
8:34 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Hi Donna,
You sound like a very reasonable and concerned parent. I applaud that. For the record, IB was implemented in my own district when my daughter was in 10th Grade. It was at that point in time that I began researching IB because frankly, and I was an involved parent, we were under the impression that IB was just another "enrichment program" option that some kids might choose. THEN, as soon as the school was authorized, the HS eliminated ALL AP and Honors courses in 11th and 12th Grades. So that was the first "deception" I personally experienced by those who supported IB. It was all downhill from there. ;-)
The MYP is not a curriculum. It is a "framework" of globalist "themes". The PYP is the same, however with the PYP, IBO mandates that the program be implement "schoolwide". In other words, your only way to "opt-out" is to change elementary schools. IBO "recommends" that the MYP be implemented schoolwide, but has not mandated it as yet.
Donna Nitzberg
8:43 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Okay, thanks. That information is important too. Would certainly not want the honors and AP courses replaced. I thought a lot of districts gave students a choice of AP or IB, which sounded good. Will check with friends in those districts to see what the experience is like.
Lisa McLoughlin
9:54 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Just out of curiosity, how many students are there in your MS and HS?
Lisa McLoughlin
8:46 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Let me just add that for my own child who happened to be an outstanding artist, after an audition, she was accepted into a county Performing Arts HS for 1/2 day and attended her home school the other 1/2 day. She attended NYU on partial scholarship along with numerous local scholarships, was awarded the Deans Travel Colloquium (a week in Greece) and the Rudin Scholarship. She was nominated to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship which she declined and she graduated last May Summa Cum Laude.
Providing our children with the BEST education we can always has been my top priority. My son graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2005 and is a successful senior lighting designer in NYC. My job for my own children is done. As an American taxpayer, I'm looking out for the future of the REST of the kids in U.S. public schools. I want to see your taxdollars and mine, spent on quality education that results in better academic achievement, not on a philosophy promoted by a UNESCO affiliate that openly states its goal is to create "global citizens."
Rebecca Rojer
9:24 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
I am the CHS '05 graduate quoted in this article. I just want to slightly correct the record. First, the direct quote is "Students who feel valued and respected are more apt to learn."
More importantly, the thrust of my argument is not that de-leveling will raise property values (though, implemented properly by our committed administrators and talented teachers, I find that likely). Rather, the point I was trying to make is that the very presumption that heterogeneous grouping will degrade education (and thus property values) is part of the problem. Expectations are important. The attitudes prevalent in this community, and implicit in our tracking system, are something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The evidence, both anecdotal and academic, suggests that holding all students to the same high standards, with ample, additional support for those who are struggling, leads to better performance across the board.
My full comments are available here: http://rrrojer.net/blog/2012/01/remarks-on-proposed-middle-school-de-leveling/
I also recommend this paper, for an in-depth and well-cited discussion on the merits of heterogenous grouping: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/universal-access
Lisa McLoughlin
9:51 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
With all due respect, the passe' "all boats will rise" philosophy Rebecca Rojer promotes is why our public schools have failed to increase reading and math scores for the past 30 years. This is nothing new or 21st Century. In realistic terms, what this heterogenous grouping really means is teaching to the lowest common denominator and depriving the most academically advanced students of meaningful educational opportunities.
It is unrealistic to believe that every child learns the same way, or that children with special needs and perhaps lower reading levels are capable of digesting advanced curriculum. By law, public schools must provide an APPROPRIATE education. Laws regarding gifted students vary from state to state. Some states have no law or policy governing the gifted. But the days of everyone getting a trophy for simply being marked "present" need to be put to bed.
Thomas Puryear
3:47 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
I greatly appreciate your link on the research on
heterogenous grouping.
Tom
Lisa McLoughlin
10:02 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012
Since your Superintendent didn't seem to know much about Cherry Hill, here is the info I have on it:
http://truthaboutib.com/usschooldisputes/ibcherryhillnj.html
Also, Hoboken and Bernard HS in Somerset Hills have dropped IB:
http://www.kidsfirsthoboken.com/2010/04/no-new-taxes.html
John St Croix
12:02 am on Friday, January 13, 2012
http://www.newswithviews.com/guest_opinion/guest85.htm
Mary Mann
10:49 am on Friday, January 13, 2012
John and Lisa,
Thank you for your comments and the information. I'm going to ask you to refrain from further commenting on this thread however. Maplewood Patch is meant to be a LOCAL community forum. I want to ensure that local voices are heard here and not drowned out by voices from outside the community.
Lisa McLoughlin
5:33 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Mary Mann,
It is most unfortunate that you have chosen to adopt the NIMBY attitude of some of your fellow Patch editors. Allow me to share with you an editorial the ONE open-minded Patch editor invited me to write:
http://concord-nh.patch.com/articles/op-ed-international-baccalaureate-in-the-merrimack-valley-school-district
I am from NY. I traveled to NH for the meeting. Jersey is in my backyard. I'm not sitting on anyone's hands preventing them from posting, nor do I see anything in Patch's terms of service restricting comments to only those who reside in Maplewood.
Mary Mann
6:33 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Lisa,
You have nine comments here. You have expressed your view clearly and at length and I thank you. Clearly, comments are allowed from outside the community or your comments would not reside here.
I would now like to hear members of the Maplewood and South Orange community debate this issue amongst themselves.
This is a private website and I have wide latitude in managing the comments as editor of the website. I made a respectful request.
Thank you for your contributions.
Mary Mann
7:16 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Just to be clear: We're very interested in hearing a debate on the pros and cons of the IB program. We just want to give everyone in the community a chance to check out all the links provided and then comment. Thanks to John and Lisa for their perspectives and for the links.
John Davenport
10:58 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
Mary is quite right -- this is not the place for national crusaders to wield their swords.
The thing about "one world government" is utterly nuts, as crazy (and almost as offensive) as the comment about "white supremacy" at the last BOE meeting.
I'm not saying this because I'm a huge fan of IB; I suspect the costs will be considerable. I say it only in the name of sanity. Thanks Mary.