PYP: Trustees got it right

I attended the Coeur d’Alene school board PYP meeting. This is what I observed: The room was divided about 50/50 proponents vs. opponents of IB/PYP. If you took the Hayden Meadows teachers out of the equation, the speakers were also pretty evenly divided. The trustees listened attentively to every speaker, giving considerable leeway to speakers on both sides who went past 3 minutes. There was no 3-minute timer on the wall. Opponents railed against having any state-imposed values at public school, let alone IB’s “global citizenship” values like environmentalism, redistribution and moral relativism. Proponents liked those values, but also liked the “inquiry learning” method used by PYP. Opponents pointed out that you can have the method without the controversial values.

PYP supporters argued that if the trustees did not put off a decision and allow a public vote they were not doing due diligence, but I recognized many of the PYP supporters were also McEuen supporters who were against a public vote. Opponents said that with state-imposed values being involved, the decision should be on the merits and not on a popularity vote.

It was obvious the trustees had done their homework and were knowledgeable about IB/PYP. No one disputed the facts they cited, like the fact that the controversy over IB/PYP is nationwide, and New Hampshire is taking steps to ban the program legislatively, or the fact that schools around the country are dropping IB/PYP, or the fact that while our other magnet schools have long waiting lists, Hayden Meadows does not.

More than anything I was impressed by the emotion of the supporters. It’s clear they like the program, but they weren’t able to explain why “inquiry learning” can’t be taught without globalist values, or why their “choice” was more important than those who wanted their neighborhood school back.

Ms. Bauman’s compromise suggestion was not thought-out. The extra cost to the district of having another school would far outweigh the speculative loss of state funding if the PYPers start their own charter school. How do you think they’d raise the $1 million or so needed to start a new PYP school anyway?

There was no indication that the trustees lacked sufficient information to can the program. The reasons it was canned — unacceptable values and community divisiveness — are there even if a majority of Hayden Meadows parents like the program.

After three years of bitter controversy, the facts about the IB/PYP agenda really were undisputed. It’s clear that the supporters were generally from the “left” side of things. Proof? How about the fact that Adam Graves, a Moveon.org member, created and promoted the “keep PYP petition” through Moveon.org? Yes Mr. Patrick, the mask IS off! IB/PYP RIP.

KEN MAYO

Coeur d’Alene