50 Redondo Union Teachers Say No to IB

About 50 teachers from Redondo Union High School attended Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting in opposition to the International Baccalaureate program scheduled for implementation at the high school in 2012.

The teachers, including department chairs, said they oppose the cost of the IB program during a time of continued budget cuts. They also said it wasn't needed at a school with an award-winning Advanced Placement program.

Several teachers who addressed the board told Superintendent Steven Keller that they reject his characterization of them as a small group of teachers who are afraid of change.

“My colleagues and I are most definitely not afraid of change,” said Amber Keller, who teaches AP world history and modern world history. “We know how to make change happen and are fully in support of it when we are convinced it would better serve our students.”

Julie Ferron, RU's social studies department chair, said IB targets “a student group whose academic needs are already being successfully addressed through a diverse and highly respected AP program, which has open enrollment.”

Bringing in an alternative diploma program like IB is ironic considering that Redondo Union was recognized this week for increasing AP scores and enrollment, teachers noted.

IB follows coursework mandated by the International Baccalaureate Organization. AP courses follow curriculum mandated by the College Board.

The students that need more attention are those who are not able to take advanced coursework such as AP or IB classes, said Ferron, who was critical that a collective discussion with all staff over IB has not taken place.

The Board of Education and the school administration support bringing the IB program to the high school because they say a demand exists.

For every student who attends a district school, the state pays the school district $5,500. Administrators have said that about 225 students from North Redondo choose to attend Mira Costa High School each year, and an IB program at Redondo Union, which decreased in overall enrollment this year by 50 students, would attract enough additional students for the program to pay for itself, and perhaps even make money in the long run.

The IB program costs between $100,000 and $150,000 a year.

About 15 teachers addressed the school board. The 50 or so teachers in attendance represented nearly half the instructors at Redondo Union, which has about 110 teachers. 

Mary Little, principal at Redondo Union, listened to the teachers' concerns about IB at the school board meeting. 

After the meeting, Little said, “I still believe IB would be an excellent program to enhance educational opportunities for the students at Redondo Union. And I acknowledge our teachers have some concerns about financial issues and perhaps some other issues. We’ll have to continue to evaluate and work on the process of implementation.”

Little said the first part of the application process has been completed. The second part is due April 1. Then an IB team will visit the school sometime in the next year before the program is scheduled to go into effect in 2012.

Cynthia Leathers, the foreign language department chair at RU, said that bringing IB to the school is not appropriate while increasing class sizes, proposing unpaid furlough days and requiring all district employees to contribute more to their health insurance.

“What fiscally responsible organization implements expensive programs when there’s not enough money for the basics?” Leathers said.

“I know that our board and our superintendent want Redondo to shine in every way and they think IB will bring more students here. This is a risky proposition, considering the cost and the impact on the school and the fact that the staff is not on board,” Leathers said.

Tim Baumgartner, a mathematics teacher at RU, chronicled course changes he has overseen and implemented during his career, as other teachers did.

“I am at a loss trying to understand the superintendent’s behavior in saying that IB is only opposed by a few teachers who are afraid of change. Dr. Keller, you owe us an explanation.”

Keller responded: “Sure, I’m happy to meet with you.”

During a brief recess of the board meeting, Keller said that the IB program enjoys strong support from other teachers in the district as well as parents “who see it as a good fit for their child.”