Recently the Star Tribune published, what to some, may be misleading information about International Baccalaureate (IB). Here is the rest of the story.

IB students in Minnetonka presented their experience to our school board a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed listening and sharing in their excitement for their experience. They were particularly excited about focusing on a subject in great detail, being expected to research, debate and discuss the subject, and doing all of this while remaining with the same cohesive group of students and teachers for two years. They also explained that none of them would have been ready for this intense focused learning approach at an earlier age. They felt the current two-year, 11th and 12th grade availability is the correct level to offer IB, although they said it maybe appropriate for some 10th grader learners. I support there observations conclusions, and excitements about learning.

Let's be clear, they were excited about the same things that any group of young developing adolescents would have been - structure, focus, familiarity, great motivated teachers, and small learning communities. In fact, some would suggest that it is similar to what we currently find for other student focused learning communities featuring directed learning such as 504's, IEP's, Mini School, Industrial Art or PSEO. Some call this differentiated learning.

AP (Advanced Placement) on the other hand, is concerned with what most students will experience in college. A compelling question begs to be asked. If IB is a good delivery system, could AP be delivered in the same way without an agreement with a foreign country that has a global agenda?

In history the defeat of the city of Troy involved a gift of a Trojan horse. IB is the Trojan horse of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) & International Baccalaureate Organization to eventually and substantially infiltrate the nationalistic view of the world in our public education in the United States. In 1996 UNESCO formed a "partnership" with IBO to form what it called a universal "curriculum framework for peace education." This is a long term, very patient, war on our country's founding. It will be another 10 to 20 years or more before this is completely implemented.

None of the students in IB schools today are part of this agenda, none of the parents are part of this agenda, and I would suggest that none of our teachers are involved in this process. They only see the Trojan horse, a learning concept delivered in a small learning community. At only the IB administration in Geneva Switzerland is the world agenda discussed in detail. (Implementing the IB Diploma Programme, Cambridge Press, London, England.)

Yet some in Minnetonka desire to expand IB philosophy into our elementary and middle schools. If accomplished, IB becomes a transformational system of education that will exist to promote internationalism. It is structured to eventually change the attitudes, values, beliefs and behavior of its students in the United Sattes to conform to the world government system. This is made clear by Dr. Ian Hill, past deputy director of IBO, who said that the primary goal of the IBO is the promotion of "world citizenship." No one at Minnetonka at any level is invested in this agenda nor would anyone condone this action. They only see the Trojan horse.

The IBO Organization is motivated by the primary goal of this agenda. "If you are going to change the world you need to get to the children."

It is important to point out that IB is not the United States College Board Advanced Placement (AP). In fact, AP also has The Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID) which is a globally recognized certificate for students with an international outlook without promoting a global agenda. For IB advocates AP has just become a convenient host to the IB program for the time being to get a general association with funding and resources (children and tax funding) to feed the expansion of the IB program.

In summary, the "good" IB is the delivery system the "bad" IB is the world agenda to conquer/discredit the United Sates and our nationalist view of the world without firing a shot. Therefore, we need to talk about two "IB's" without AP which, when separated, may lead to clearer understanding the concern and debate. It is very clear that people across the United States and in Minnetonka are learning about the "bad" IB.

There is so much more...this is just a primer.

This commentary originally appeared in the Chanhassen Villager on July 6, 2006.