Something stinks to high heaven. Since when is a "Special Board Meeting" with an agenda dealing with personnel, confidential concerns, meeting with an attorney and security concerns held in an Italian restaurant at 8:00 AM and re-packaged by Patch as a "5 Yr. District Review"?

yours truly,
'Fat Tony'

Interesting that our Superintendent sits front and center at a board meeting while our board representatives are shoved into the corner. Just who is running the show any more? Certainly not the constituents!

BOE Meeting August 22nd; rumored International Baccaluareate information night at Echo Hills August 30 at 7PM. Supposedly, parents and teachers will be offered the opportunity to determined the fate of IB. Better make yourself
clear- whichever way you would vote. Because it's difficult to be heard from the corner...and impossible to be heard from home!

What the heck is going on in SMF? Special Board meetings galore in the summer, an unannounced, not scheduled on the calendar parent meeting on IB ONLY at Echo in less than 2 weeks .... what about Indian Trail? This is the most amazingly dysfunctional district I've ever observed. One would think in light of the shellacking the district just took on the levy vote they would consider TRANSPARENCY to be of the utmost importance!

Apparently NOT!

http://truthaboutib.com/usschooldisputes/stowmunroefallsohio.html

Can't help but wonder why this meeting was held in this way when the next Board meeting is this coming Monday. Couldn't theyhave discussed this issueor issues then at a more appropriate time so more could attend , OR WAS THIS THEIR INTENT NOT TO HAVE THE PUBLIC THERE????

Thanks Lisa for the info. According to Ms. Matthews, Echo parents will be afforded a vote on IB (along with teachers) but Indian parents were not even given an opportunity to debate IB? What happened last November when the teachers from Indian requested to end IB because they thought it wasn't a good "fit" for their school? What is wrong with this Board? I'm sure that "behind the scenes" they are
diligently gathering parents and teachers in favor of this controversial Programme. Will this meeting present both sides of the debate? Will they provide ALL documentation relating to the monies paid out thus far and what has been allocated specifically for IB? I received an email "debunking" the myths of IB....anyone out there seen that? How honest will this presentation be if it is only one sided? Why not leave the decision to the taxpayers since it is their money that will eventually fund this Programme? Dr. Jones, do you plan on seeing this Programme through or will you be leaving our district while we struggle to pay the mounting bills from the International Baccalaureate Organization?

Dear Pat,
All of your questions are terrific and reasonable. This behavior involving deception, obfuscation, intimidation and non-communication by Board Trustees and your Superintendent is not an anomaly - it is the norm when it comes to implementation of IB in an American public school system. This behavior is the reason I started the Truth About IB website three years ago because it is infuriating, unacceptable and anti-American.

IBO issued its "Myths vs. Facts" propaganda sheet back in 2005 following Jay Mathews' release of his book Supertest; How The International Baccalaureate Can Strengthen Our Schools - as a direct response to the growing opposition to IB in the U.S. I have written a rebuttal to IB's nonsense here: http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2011/08/truth-or-consequences.html

There's a very good chance that both your Superintendent and Treasurer will be tendering their resignations once SMF is audited. Based on everything that has been exposed by a number of your concerned citizens thus far, their actions rank among the most egregious I have witnessed to date. Prior to Stow, Incline Village, Nevada, took the cake in terms of forced implementation of IB. The Superintendent out there still remains, but the Superintendent in Greenwich, Ct, resigned rather than answer questions about IB.

Help me out with the cost of a rental car and a place to stay and I'll be happy to come to Stow to present the truth about IB. ;-)

Pat and Lisa........I've watched this debate unfold all summer long and this is quite a mess. Without accusing, it appears that IB was brought to our district in the "middle of the night" so to speak. The parents that have tried to voice concerns regarding IB have been vilified both publicly and behind "closed doors" on Allen Road. I am disgusted with the actions of the BOE and how they are allowing Dr. Jones to push forth his agenda at the cost of the taxpayers! Our community needs to stand strong and take a stance (since the BOE refuses to)...if anyone out there thinks IB is only coming to Indian Trail and Echo....think again. These schools are what IBO calls "feeder" schools. IB will be district wide if we the community do not speak up now! I think we should take up Lisa's offer and bring her here for this parent meeting on the 30th......anyone else that is knowledgeable on the inner workings of IB, please come to help put an end to this debate!

I think it is important to note that the "5 Year Plan" was not even mentioned on the agenda:

http://truthaboutib.com/images/81711_BOE_Agenda_1_3_.pdf

This being the case, should the Board vote to "adopt" whatever was discussed in the back room of an Italian restaurant, I would strongly recommend a complaint be filed with the Commissioner of the Ohio Department of Education, the School Boards Association and the Attorney General's office to void the decision.

Thank you for your vote of confidence, Kim. I want to state publicly that my advocacy for retention of local control of American public schools is not motivated by profit, or candidacy for any public office. The IBO should be free to sell its product to private institutions and American parents who want an international values based education for their children and they may choose to pay tuition to receive it. However, this UNAmerican, outrageously expensive, proprietary, impractical, tyrannical, Swiss/UN governed and superfluous programme should NOT be forced upon our children in our American public schools, nor should we the taxpayers be forced to pay for it.

If you want to see a brief video of the board meeting aug. 8, go to stowidiocracy and see how this board relates to the public. Attend the meeting Aug 22 at 6 pm at the high school library and see for yourself about these elected officials and their attitude to the public.

Snapshots taken in the dark cannot reveal a true picture.

How could a 5 year plan be discussed without mentioning IB?

Hi All
Thank you for your interest in Stow Munroe Falls' schools. To answer your questions about the Administration Retreat/Board meeting. It was just that. Once a year our school administrators meet to evaluate the 5 year plan developed to continue fostering the best in education. We have to also declare it a board meeting once a quorum (3) members are present. The meeting was open to the public as are all board meetings. We decided to meet in executive session following the presentation to discuss negotiations thus saving tax payer dollars if we would have called another special meeting to do this. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the dedication and professionalism shown by our administrators as they lead our district. I wish each and everyone of you could have been present to witness the results of their hard work. Please note we follow the Sunshine Law and only have open meetings.
Pat Matthews
President of Stow Munroe Falls School Board

Interesting article about the IB funding problem in Wooster last year. I wonder how they faired raising more money for the program. Evidently, it's not all federally funded. Is that correct?
http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4861753
"Future of International Baccalaureate program depends on funding."
A few excerpts:
"I don't know how we can take a hit of $210,000," board member James Butler said.

Linton expressed his personal disappointment in the potential termination of the International Baccalaureate Degree program.

"I've spent a lot of time on this, and the last thing I want to do is see it fold," he said.

"How do we have a choice?" asked board member Janice Grim. "If we can't raise the money, and we're not in a position to fund it, what choice do we have?"

Board member Esther Welch said it is a good thing senior participants will be able to earn the degree and acknowledged juniors counting on the program would be disappointed.

In order to offer the IB program to incoming juniors, "we have to have some assurance that we're going to raise (the money)," Linton said, setting a deadline of Aug. 1.

Two years from now, if the program is not sustainable, Linton said, the question would be, "Is it not right for this community?"

James,

The following is from Catholic Families:

Volume 13, Number 49
November 18, 2010

Internationalist Curriculum Infiltrates U.S. Schools
By Seana Cranston, J.D.

NEW YORK, November 18 (C-FAM) A sign nailed to a tree trunk in a family’s front yard reads, “NO IB, Stop Wasting Money, Keep the UN Out of Our Schools.” Across the Arizona town, a school board member criticizes a curriculum she says surrenders local control to a foreign organization that promotes world government.
The debate means one American community has awakened to the International Baccalaureate, a study program quietly embraced by nearly 1,000 U.S. campuses and 139 countries worldwide. While found mostly in public high schools, the curriculum has touched middle and elementary schools, and even a number of Catholic schools.
[cont.]

[cont]
“IB is the biggest educational scam perpetrated on American schools today,” says Lisa McLoughlin, a Long Island mother and leading critic. She says schools shouldn't spend tax dollars on the program, and questions if Catholic schools are aware of its underlying, liberal internationalist philosophy.
“IB students learn diversity, multiculturalism, and international-mindedness, but can they do math? Do they learn grammar? Can they write a paper?” says McLoughlin.
The IB comes from a non-profit educational foundation of the same name founded in Switzerland in 1968. Its early money came from the United Nations, as well as the 20th Century Fund and Ford Foundation.
[cont]

[cont]

The baccalaureate foundation maintains close ties to the UN through its cultural and education agency, UNESCO. It regularly participates in UNESCO meetings and comments on its proposals in education. UNESCO still funds some IB projects, as does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Despite its direct relationship with the UN, IB denies any UN influence on its curriculum.
But critics say IB is anti-American, undermines national sovereignty, and promotes radical environmentalism. Until recently, IB endorsed the Earth Charter, which supports population control and socialism. The Earth Charter argues that all nations should implement its principles in an international treaty.
Some also criticize IB’s non-traditional curriculum and lack of transparency. To discover the actual curriculum, outsiders must buy course guides from the foundation itself. But even then the course guides are vague, McLoughlin says.
McLoughlin became interested in the curriculum after it arrived at her family’s public high school. She created the website, www.truthaboutib.com, described by a Washington Post column as “remarkably fair” despite its clear anti-IB agenda.
She says IB promotes moral relativism and undermines familial values. An IB director, for example, said in a speech that questions about ethical obligations, human rights, beliefs, and moral responsibility have “no right or wrong answers.”
[cont.]

[cont.]
A document on IB’s website contains a curriculum model that emphasizes “Sharing the planet.” It promotes world citizenship, and says students need a greater understanding of internationalism because of the “prevalence of discrimination, racism in all its forms . . . and environmental destruction.”
Whatever its official relationship to the UN, the IB's personal ties run deep. The foundation's chair is Carol Bellamy, who formerly led the United Nation’s Children’s Fund. During her tenure, UNICEF promoted abortion rights, sex ed for children that encouraged promiscuity, and a radical feminist agenda.
And its close relationship to UNESCO draws the IB into another education controversy. As recently reported by the Friday Fax, UNESCO promotes sex education for children of all ages. UNESCO also supports legalized abortion, homosexuality, and the abolishment of traditional gender identities.

[END]

Read this article and study the links before you make any decisions on IB,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/07/31/what-all-parents--students-should-know-before-enrolling-in-ib.aspx

Thanks John and I recommend everyone out there read that link. I know it is going around in an email and I also saw it posted on truthaboutib.com. I think as a community, we should invite Lisa McLoughlin to our little community and have her included in this presentation at Echo Hills. Ms. Matthewa, would you please extend that invitation so that both sides could be heard?
In regards to this 5 yr. plan meeting, was IB discussed? Why aren't these retreats
video tapped or recorded so that the taxpayers could view if they are not able to attend?

Definition of RETREAT
1a (1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable (2) : the process of receding from a position or state attained

Kim: I think part of this meeting was public and could have been taped---the 5-year Review. The other part would have been an executive session: private. The weird thing is that the public part seems to be the "retreat". I think this is why lay people are confused. As usual, the local government may have the purest of motives, it's their communication that lacks. They understand what they do---they just fail to make the community understand. I'm guessing...

I think it's about time that the citizens of Stow demand that the entire school board tender it's resignation. President Matthews, Members Spangler, Wright, Mariola and Powers, you have lost all credibility with the citizens of Stow. You need to leave and let others take up these responsibilities.

Sorry to say I'm working at the time of the Board Mtg.
Not sorry to say that "Boy am I so into participating in the upcomming elections". Jeanne F. you can depend upon that.

Hats off to you concerned Stow citizens! You know, school board elections vary in scope from state to state, for example, in CT, candidates are endorsed by the Democratic or Republican parties. In NY, candidates run without party endorsement, but I'm curious about this "primary" of which you speak. Could you elaborate, please?

Also, I noticed that SMF seems to be lacking a District Clerk and a Business office. Is that actually possible?

Has anyone thought about the fact that Ms. Bulgrin can end this IB controversy just because of the fact that we CAN'T pay for the process and certification? is she not the CFO? Has she not stated publicly that our district is in dire straights and it was imperative to pass the 6.5m levy so much as it is added to the ballot in November? I understand we are using stimulus money but when that runs out is it really fair to use Title I to continue funding this program? Ms. Bulgrin, you want us to believe our district needs the levy passed in order to sustain our budgets however you continue signing checks to the IBO? Can you justify this prior to our next vote? Since you have no problem spending our money.....can you please purchase a plane ticket for Ms.McLoughlin to come and give her presentation on IB? There is a BOE meeting Monday, can YOU address the money issues associated with IB? What is the TOTAL dollar amount spent thus far and how much is still allocated for training, libraries, additional staff, certification and application fees? With this debate going on for so long, I'm sure you can develop a report rather quickly that you could share with the public, can you not?

Many districts initially give a very low estimated cost for IB. Here is some information from several districts about the acutal IB costs. For the record Wooster disputed the $932,000 per year for IB, but after several requests never gave an accurate cost for IB.
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/02/06/ib-cost.aspx

All this taxpayer money to implement a programme that will NOT improve student performance,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/03/01/ib-does-not-improve-student-performance.aspx
But will introduce and ideology that some people object to,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2010/07/16/even-jay-matthews-admits-colleges-give-more-credit-for-ap.aspx

Tami..would be interesting if any of these people in the school administration would come forward with the cost of IB. These should be accurate expenditures from ARRA, TITLE 1 AND GENERAL FUNDS. Also explaining expenditures put on the First Merit Bankcard. It would be TRULY ENLIGHTENING "IF" they are forth coming with this information...??? It hasn't been so far. I wonder where the parents of these school children are to ask questions about what their children are being taught and especially how their tax dollars are being used when we are being told the horrible shape our district is in. Voting is not enough, although it shows them how you feel, people need to get involved in every issue of this School Board and administration.
Strictly my opinion, WHAT'S YOUR'S??

All this controversy and expense for a programme that will not improve student performance,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/03/01/ib-does-not-improve-student-performance.aspx

Too much controversy for Dr. Jones and Ms. Bulgrin to keep so quiet. If Ms. Bulgrin would report the finances regarding the continuation of this Programme and the current Board would indulge the community by answering a few public questions and then enter into a vote, we could feasibly end this discussion, could we not?

IB MORATORIUM NOW!

Please show up on Monday night, August 22, and make your voices heard. November will be here before you know it. And 3 of your trustees have the nerve to run for re-election and the district is putting the failed levy up for a re-vote? Ha! What is it about NO don't your representatives understand?

What exactly is this issue with IB, the cost or the curriculum? It looks to me that if they could somehow teach the " philosophy" and avoid the fees associated with it everyone would be ok with it?

Carrie Ann,
IB is not a curriculum it is a framework, here are some of the issues with IB,
http://myinclinevillage.com/2011/07/31/what-all-parents--students-should-know-before-enrolling-in-ib.aspx

Here is what international teachers say about IB,
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1322&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Dear Amanda,

May I inquire as to why you are removing Mr. Eppolito's comments?

Amanda,

These two comments appear on the Patch Home page but not here:

John Eppolito commented on:
Stow Snapshot: District Reviews Past, Next 5 Years
In my district the PYP application was submitted on 3/29/10 stating the board approved IB, (paragraph 4C) http://www.…

06:21 PM

John Eppolito commented on:
Stow Snapshot: District Reviews Past, Next 5 Years
Mr. Bettio, In my district the PYP application was submitted on 3/29/10 stating the board approved IB,

5;42 PM

I hope this interest in how the district is making decisions (i.e. IB) on how our taxpayer's dollars are being spent and that we demand that a Finance Committee be reinstated to allow those who are interested continue to study these things in detail!

Thanks Lisa,

Don,

In my district the PYP application was submitted on 3/29/10 stating the board approved IB, (paragraph 4C)
http://www.truthaboutib.com/images/PYP.pdf

Finally on 9/28/10 the board approved IB,
http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/docs/Trustees/Agendas-Highlights-Minutes/2010/09_28/2010-09-28_Minutes.pdf

http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20100929/NEWS/100929920&parentprofile=search

What was the reason the school gave years ago for eliminating those who had financial oversight?

I really don't think an official reason was given. The then new treasurer and a couple of the new boe members came a few times and were asked hard questions that they had no answer to. My opinion is they wanted a group of cheerleaders who okayed whatever they asked and wanted us to be a levy committee which was not the intent.
Before this treasurer was hired, whatever information that was discussed the treasurer always provided documentation to demonstrate what the districts intentions were in spending it's money wisely. Believe me, it was not easy for the treasurers and the boe member who attended the meetings, the two for 6 years were always on the hot seat, but because of this they were able to deflect a lot of misinformation because they were honest with Finance committee members. It also required time "after the business day" from the treasurer (to acommodate the community members) also the monthly meetings often lasted more than an hour. They were hardworking group.

Thank you for this information. Was the finance committee being paid for this extra service to the community and school or were they volunteering their time?

They were not compensated for anything. Just a group of dedicated people who were willing to do their homework and give their time to learn about school finance.

Scroll to 4:32 Saturday Aug.20, not quite a third of the way up. I responded to a question from Lisa, it will give you a better understanding re:finance committee.

Was there any discussion of the IB program? I was unable to attend the meeting

Patty,

Obviously I was unable to attend the meeting but I got a full report. First of all, Ms. Matthews was not present, so Ms. Powers ran the meeting. A policeman was present. I understand a number of people questioned why IB was being forced on the district when people don't want it and SMF needs a levy passed to support it. I also understand that a few young men from the HS debate team were treated very rudely by the Board. I believe all of the comments were videotaped and I will work with the good folks at Stowidiocracy to make those videos available for public viewing. I think the Patch reporter was there as well, so there should be a story within the next few days! Word is there were approx. 50 people in the audience, standing room only.

Hi Jeanne!

Haha! So I made the SMF Board meeting's discussion? Gosh, I should have bought a new dress .... LOL!

I live 8 hours due east as the crow flies from you good folks, in Bayville, NY. My little village on the north shore of Long Island is part of the Locust Valley School District which was invaded by IB in 2004. I have been fighting IB ever since, as I view this organization and its program(mes) as anti-American and a complete and total waste of taxpayer money.

.....and please excuse my NY rudeness for forgetting to thank you for your kind words, Jeanne. ;-)