So my school gets a grant from Bill Gates to create "Small Learning Communities." Basically, from now on, students choose certain focus areas they will study in (Liberal Arts, Health and Human Services, Technology and Science, and Global Visions). The idea behind these communities is to try to make the school into 4 small schools. Students and parents get to choose where they would like to study and each community has specific requirements.
Despite these changes, the rest of the programs in school will remain the same (athletics, extracurricular, International Baccalaureate, etc).
What's the International Baccalaureate program (which I am in)? IB is a very intense program college prep program with 5 core areas: English, a world language (like Spanish), history, science, mathematics. There are also optional courses in the arts and computer science, etc. depending on what your school can provide. In 11th and 12th grade students can test in the subject areas they?ve taken classes in to earn certificates recognizing the work they have done, or to work toward the IB diploma (I?m trying to get mine, w00t!). The idea behind IB is to help students become well-rounded students with high academic achievements.
Now, if IB is going to continue to exist within these communities, where does it go? It doesn't fit in any particular community, so shouldn?t IB be its own community? That would sound like a good idea, but apparently those that participate in IB are ?elitist?. Somehow it is our fault that IB students meet each other in IB classes, become friends, and stick together as friends. Of course, IB students meet ?other? people in elective classes and there?s no reason why we can?t be friends with people in there, and IB students do in fact make friends with non-IB students. The only difference is that IB students take harder classes, which are open to anybody who wants to take them. But still, IB students are looked upon as snobs and denied a place in the communities.
So how is IB going to work within these communities? All students are allowed to take any classes they like, as long as they meet credit requirements (4 years of English, history, you get the deal). Well, if anybody can take any class they want, then what?s the point of the communities? ?They?re supposed to be like an IB program for those that do not do well in school, those that need help in focusing their academic abilities,? they tell me. Why are they trying to apply a program to an entire school there are many that don?t need it?? Also, don?t you think high school?s a little early to start determining a future career? People do that when they?re in college! If you don?t like a particular community and want to switch, how can you make up all the ?focused? classes that you missed?
Well, I?ve ranted for way too long. I?m sure I left out important parts, I know there?s more that I would like to complain about (my school basically has no money, thanks to budget cuts, not like we ever had much to start with ? read: $1 per student), but yeah.
I need to go blow off some more steam
. If anybody actually bothered to read, I appreciate it.
