An internationally recognized academic program has been reinstated by a school board two months after it was abolished for a curriculum that critics called anti-American and anti-Christian.
Under the vote by the Upper St. Clair School Board on Monday night, parents will shoulder some of the costs of the program known as International Baccalaureate. The decision ends a lawsuit filed by 10 families against the district and five board members who voted in February to cut the program.
Board members said they cut the program primarily to save money but cited a number of reasons, including the International Baccalaureate Organization's relationship with the Earth Charter, a collection of global principles created in France in 2000.
Critics have said that the program's multicultural themes promote values that conflict with traditional Judeo-Christian values, and some have said it smacks of Marxism because of the link to the Earth Charter.
As part of the settlement agreement, plaintiffs are required to donate $45,000 to help with next year's funding. The district has said the program costs about $85,000 while board members had put the figure at nearly $200,000.
AP
1 comment:
I'm with the critics on this one.
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