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IB Schools of Michigan hosts Grand Rapids symposium

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Pixabay | CC BY 2.0
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Pixabay.com

The International Baccalaureate Schools of Michigan recently held its Spring Symposium at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center. WGVU asked about the IB program and if the new U.S. Department of Education secretary supports its standards?

The mission statement of the International Baccalaureate programme is “better world through education.” Its essence is to become a lifelong learner.

“We’re probably the only organization that provides a framework that’s interconnected.”  Phil Evans is a development specialist with the International Baccalaureate. “The theory of knowledge in the diploma programme is designed to ask big knowledge questions across subject area, build transferrable skills and help students to be aware that yes we have methods that fit within a discipline but sometimes rules can be broken to solve big problems. I think that’s where the 21st Century skills are really, really well developed in IB programmes and really it starts from the very beginning with that pre-K to five programme in the Prime Years programme. Students are thinking critically and asking great questions and naturally curious and bringing that through when we have a continuum program.”

“Magnet schools are often referred to as the original school choice option.” That’s Betsy DeVos in one of her first addresses as U.S. Education Secretary. “In my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan City High-City Middle School is nationally recognized and is ranked as the 3rd best school in the state. Forty-five percent of its students are minority students, and 98-percent of the students are enrolled in IB programmes. In conversations with some of the parents and students who are part of that school, it’s clear to me how much they appreciate and value the opportunity that school provides them and their children.”

Evans describes his reaction, “Even while we’re still kind of finding out what the agenda really is and how that’s all going to play out, I think she recognized that the IB is a way of engaging students, the most advanced academically motivated students, and also students that are struggling, that really it’s about best practice. That’s perhaps why, I’m guessing because I haven’t spoken to her personally, but I think that’s really the appeal. And we do hope that policy across the board, whether it’s state or federal, is going to be favorable to a learning experience that’s engaging students in meaningful learning and not holding them to a measuring stick as much as really celebrating the things that they can bring to the world in diverse ways and how they engage in the community which is a major part out of the IB continuum is the action and service part is authentic.” 

There are more than 80 schools in Michigan offering IB K-12 programmes.

Patrick Center, WGVU News

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.