We asked readers what they thought of the Upper St. Clair school board's decision to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program. Below are some of the responses.

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Feb. 24, 2006

I absolutely agree with the majority of the "comments" on this great article. If we do not begin thinking "global," soon, we may as well go back 5,000 years. You can see what a lack of education has done in the Arab nations that have not know civilization outside of their own countries since the beginning of time. The embracing and knowledge of everything in this world, and the acceptance of everything, keeping our own values to ourselves as a priority, and living them privately, is not bad, but we must look at the whole world from the eyes of the Creator. He made us all, and He wishes us to know one another, and "love one another as He has loved us."

Gloria L. Gizzi Hassett, South Side

Say Hello to the Thought Police.

After reading your Feb. 22, 2006 article, "St. Clair school fight is similar to others," I found much of the reasoning given for ending the International Baccalaureate program to be absurd.

First, the idea that U.S. public schools are there to teach Judeo-Christian values is a ridiculous assumption. Churches and Sunday schools are the place to teach religious values, not public schools. If they really took the time to think about it, I do not think that the people making those types of comments would want public schools to be teaching their children religious belief. Which of the myriad of Judeo-Christian sects and denominations gets to choose the curriculum? There are plenty of parochial schools if you wish your children to have a religious-based education.

Secondly, let us look at the idea that the program is somehow un-American. This, of course, stems from the myth that I have heard repeated by more than a few Christian conservatives that "Our forefathers founded the U.S. as a Christian nation." They most certainly did not. How can I say this so emphatically? I refer you to "Article 11, Treaty of Peace and Friendship between The United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary," (1796-1797), which states in part, "As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion--as it has itself no character of enmity against the law, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims], ... ". It was written during George Washington's administration, then ratified by the Senate and signed during John Adams' administration. Upon signing the treaty, John Adams commented, "Now be it known, that I, John Adams, President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the said treaty do, by and within the consent of the Senate, accept, ratify and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof." There it is recorded in the very words of our forefathers. The U.S. was not founded to be a Christian nation, and it is not adverse to other religious viewpoints.

This country was founded by enlightened men for whom individual freedom was paramount. Freedom of the press. Freedom of speech. Freedom of thought. Those who seek to quash this program because it does not fit into their personal world-views are the ones espousing un-American values, not the educators who seek to teach their students to have open minds and the ability to look at things from the other man's point of view. Censorship of thought is one of the guiding tenets of the very socialist/Marxist systems that the IB dissenters are arguing against. It is the censorship of ideas that is un-American.

And before someone writes in to say that I forgot freedom of religion, I did not. Freedom of religion means that each and every American is free to believe as he or she wishes without the threat of coercion or punishment from others. It does not give anyone the ability to force their own religious views or values on anyone else. Are we free to discuss in our schools the differences and similarities in the various political and religious beliefs? Yes, we are. You are not free to tell someone that you must believe only as I do. Perhaps it was best summed up by Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on the State of Virginia (1787), in which he said, "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

If the decision to drop the curriculum was based solely on fiscal reasons, then that is is one thing. But, based on comments made by some of those involved, their decision was at least partially swayed by their biased personal views and that is not OK.

John Love, Green Tree

It is wrong for school districts to stop their participation in the International Baccalaureate program. Those favoring such action confuse what is American with what is right-wing religious culture. It is not anti-American to work toward world peace with fairness and respect for all people's values. Right-wing extremists seem to claim that most Americans fit their narrow cultural mold.

Ray Daniel, Pleasant Hills

As an Upper St. Clair resident, both of whose children have been involved in the IB program, I was proud of the manner in which our community came forth in an effort to prevent the reckless and ill-considered action taken by the USC school board on Monday night.

Business and academic leaders, parents and grandparents, concerned homeowners, and USC's own students defended the program with eloquence, dismantling the flimsy justifications put forth by the board to terminate this highly-regarded educational curriculum.

Unfortunately, the majority faction of this board appeared deaf to the overwhelming opposition. It was frankly disturbing to observe these school board officials act in direct contravention to the community will expressed at this meeting.

In the aftermath, I came across a collection of testimonials by numerous university admissions deans expressing how IB student admission packages are put on the top of the stack. One expressed astonishment about the USC school board's action -- "Why would a school board want to lower it's academic standards?"

Good question. I've heard several motivations mentioned, not one of which passes the least muster when weighed against the benefits derived by our community and our children. Make no mistake about it -- the USC school board delivered a substantial blow to our township on Monday night.

Dr. Sean Gallagher, Upper St. Clair

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Feb. 23, 2006

Ms Law asks in her letter where we were before this week's decision by the new School Board majority to kill the popular and widely acclaimed Upper St. Clair IB program. Some were truly fooled by the words of some of the Board members that IB was not a target of their budget-cutting focus. Others actively campaigned against them. As Dr. Iracki has admitted, it is precisely because some IB students exercised their First Amendment rights to participate in that political process that IB was cast onto the chopping block. Many have been attending School Board meetings. But we were all ambushed by this virulent, jingoistic attack on educational choice and IB.

I do not believe that this seemingly surreptitiously planned plot against the IB program will save Upper St. Clair taxpayers any money. There will still be costs involved in educating the 650+ students who have engaged in this course of study. The budget proposed for the coming school year, which included the costs for the IB program, already requires no tax increase whatsoever, at least satisfying the new Board Members' other promise to the community.

There is no rational economic rationale for terminating this growing program. However, there will be costs to the community, in terms of lowered property values and tarnished reputation. There are already costs being paid by the students, who anxiously worry which program will be next. We should all worry when precious choices and freedoms are attacked by those who imperiously wield power without insight or compassion.

Karen N. Moellenberg, Upper St. Clair

How do I feel about this decision?

To be quite blunt, I feel that the school board's decision in some measure validates my own decision to leave Upper St. Clair years ago. I feel that those on the board who decided to remove this program have brought nothing but shame to the community they claim to represent. I feel that their shortsightedness in the name of the almighty dollar has given Upper St. Clair -- traditionally reputed as having a strong educational program -- a black eye from which it will take a long time to recover.

If I may quote the P-G's own article on the subject: "Some Upper St. Clair school board members contended the program goes against traditional Judeo-Christian values, could be considered anti-American and is associated with groups that support Marxism".

If accurate, this statement is appalling. First, suggesting that the United States were founded on "traditional Judeo-Christian values" betrays a shocking ignorance of the fact that our nation was founded on values which were expressed first in the Code of Hammurabi, and supported by laws based on the English system of common law. The accusations that the IB program is "anti-American" and "support[s] Marxism" do not deserve a dignified response; instead, I will ask whether the late Senator McCarthy has resurfaced to serve on Upper St. Clair's school board.

It is things like this that make me ashamed to admit I am from Upper St. Clair.

Balaji Sarpeshkar, San Mateo, Ca.

I read the comments from the PostScripts and if you have never been in the program or never had a child that was in the IB program you don't now what you are talking about! My son was in the Schenley H.S. program. It is a wonderful program and is the perfect stepping stone to prepare High School Students for College. Teachers are motivated to teach, students are motivated to learn. It is what school was meant to be.

Ian R. Frankel, Pittsburgh

I would have to agree with those whose view it is that the Upper St. Clair school board decision to end the IB program was not motivated by financial considerations, nor by the belief that the curriculum at USC is so stimulating that the IB program is redundant.

I would be surprised if it were not a credible assertion that this is motivated by the (moral right/fundamentalist) agenda of a few, succeeding because of the silent complicity of the majority. In my experience of going to events at USC, I have been shocked at the very obvious acceptance, if not endorsement, (by parents and the school personnel), of religious concepts woven into a public school setting.

For example: I attended a holiday choral concert that was held in a church (because the school was under construction) when they could have found a more general setting, and the program included songs that were very religiously Christian in nature. Throwing in one Dreidel song does not make it a religiously neutral holiday music concert. Jingle Bells is one thing -- Ave Maria is another.

I am shocked that no parent or community group has taken issue with what I would think of as clear violations of the separation of church and state at USC. A few years ago suburban communities similar to USC in SES, general values, etc. (e.g.: North Allegheny) were forced to comply with the wishes of parents who were not afraid to stand up and insist that certain practices be stopped, which is the law.

If one wants to send their children to parochial school that is one's right, but if one does not then public school is no place for any religious ideas at all, or any group's agenda. Even in the recent cases related to "intelligent design" the courts found that regardless of whether you change the name of it, it is still the story of creation..and you cannot teach it in public school.

While this conflict was going on, even clergy who were interviewed, noted that teaching evolution in school does not conflict with teaching about G-d at home or in church/synagogues. It seems to me that the issues brought forth related to IB are only symptoms of more global issues that should be addressed at USC.

Myrna Pollock, Squirrel Hill

What angers me the most about Monday's USC school board meeting is the blatant disregard displayed by the directors for the concerns of the majority of parents and students in attendance that support the IB program. How can these directors claim to represent the residents of Upper St. Clair? The fact that a vote was taken by the directors, in spite of overwhelming controversy, and without any additional study or debate is far more anti-American than any obscure allegations regarding the IB program's anti-American teachings. How incredibly ludicrous to use the excuse of fiscal responsibility; IB represents .016 of one percent of the total school budget.

One of the concepts of IB is facilitate learning by focusing on the process as a means to the solution. In this respect, IB students are well equipped to handle the exposure to the radical idea "that global citizenship is contrary to what it is to be an American citizen."

I will join with the IB parents in their fight to overturn the school boards decision because I have seen the positive impact it has had on my son, who opted out of the program after his sophomore year, and for my daughter who had planned on taking IB courses next year. These students deserve the opportunity to continue in IB as well as children new to the program.

Cathy Friend, Upper St. Clair

WHOOPS!

You, the Upper St. Clair School Board's "Gang of Five," in the quiet of your home or office, must be saying, "What have we done"? What you have done is render yourselves and the rest of the school board useless. The black cloud of your decision in the face of super majority opinion (both students and parents) and the school district's own superintendent will handcuff you for the rest of your term.

Enjoy! It will be sad to watch and even sadder for our district and its beloved students.

Ray Buehler Jr., Upper St. Clair

Being a graduate of the IB program at Schenley High School, I take great exception to the charges being levied against the IB program in Upper St. Clair and elsewhere. My experience with the program was outstanding, and the writing and critical thinking skills I was taught gave me a great advantage throughout my studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

The comments about the IB program going against "Judeo-Christian values" and that it "could be considered anti-american" are the most surprising to me. If anything, the IB curriculum should be criticized for being too focused on European and the American values and not giving enough attention to places with differing values like Asia, Africa, and South America.

The sharpest criticism, however, should go to Julie Quist, the director of EdWatch. Her statement about the IB program teaching "a sense of global citizenship contrary to what it is to be an American citizen" is frankly frightening. If American citizens, members of the most powerful nation on Earth, do not also consider themselves to be citizens of the world, then I am very worried about our collective future.

Brett Wiewiora, Pittsburgh

I am an Upper St. Clair resident with 3 children in its school system (none in the IB Program). Although I have not attended the recent school board meetings, I have been following the board's activities in the local media.

It appears to me that the board's stated economic reason for terminating the IB Program (i.e. termination would save the district about $85,000) lacks any semblance of logic, since those students who otherwise would be in the IB Program will, in the future, matriculate into the other school programs which would have to "foot the bill."

This lack of logic in the board's stated reasoning, coupled with some earlier board member statements to the effect that the IB Program was Marxist, un-American, and anti-Judeo-Christian (which to me represents the board's true rationale for ending this program), leads me to believe that those who voted in favor of terminating the IB Program were motivated mainly by a sense of fear born, strangely, out of true ignorance of the Program's content and goals. I doubt, seriously, that these members really know or understand the details of this Program; rather, they seem to be reacting, negatively, to something which seems different, and therefore scary, to them. And I have seen not one shred of information from the board which might support its claims of Marxism and the like.

Unfortunately, over the years we've seen far too much of this irresponsible behavior by our school board. The board has become the poster-child for those who would advocate doing away with elected school boards and replacing them with a more intelligent and honest method of educational oversight.

Brian M. Albert, Upper St. Clair

My name is Vincent Gullo and I am currently a junior in the civil and environmental engineering department at the University of Pittsburgh. I attended Vincentian Academy-Duquesne University and participated in the IB program during my junior and senior years, upon which I earned the IB diploma.

Before I comment on the Upper St. Clair school board's decision to drop the IB program, let me first say that my decision to participate in it was perhaps the best decision I have ever made. For one, the IB program prepares you for college like nothing else can.

The level and depth of the material that is taught far exceeds that of any traditional or AP class (while I did not take AP classes, I did take a few AP exams, and I can tell you that the IB exams are much more challenging). Furthermore, the rewards to participating in the IB program can be immense, both financially and psychologically.

From a financial standpoint, success in the IB program can earn a student credits in college for classes that he/she has proficiency in as a result of the program's breadth and depth. Seeing as how some colleges charge hundreds and even thousands of dollars per credit, this can save a substantial amount of money.

At the very least it gives a student the ability to graduate early or take additional classes of interest. In my case, I received 13 credits at Pitt as a result of my IB test scores. Psychologically, the program gives students a sense of calm and self-assurance during the freshman year of college, as they know that they are well prepared for the environment that they are entering into.

As the only college attendee from my family, I did not know what to expect entering my freshman year, but knowing that I could pass the IB course gave me a sense of belonging and encouragement in college. While a lot of my fellow engineering colleagues struggled during this time (somewhere between 10 to 30 percent of the freshman class dropped engineering), I knew that I could not only make it in engineering, but that I could succeed.

Having said all that, I do not feel the need to delve further into the worthiness of the IB program. I sincerely believe that the Upper St. Clair school district is making a mistake in eliminating this program.

While I cannot comment on Dr. William Sulkowski's statements that the money spent each year on the program could be better used for the school since I am unaware of the district's finances, I can respond to the claims of Dr. Daniel Iracki and Dr. Mark G. Trombetta that the IB program conflicts with Judeo-Christian values and is associated with Marxism. Vincentian Academy is a private, Catholic school that holds the teachings of Jesus Christ at its very core. Vincentian is more than just a place to learn, it is a place to grow both mentally and spiritually. Along with the fact that it is affiliated with Duquesne University, a private and Catholic college, I doubt that the Academy would continue with a program that conflicts with its own Christian values.

As for the comment that the IB program is associated with Marxism, I honestly don't know how to respond. Perhaps ignorance of the program (or of Marxism, for that matter) prompted such a statement. All I know is that the IB program has done much more than just provide me with a good education. That should be evident in the fact that I am taking my time to write this email.

It would be a shame not to allow the students of Upper St. Clair to take advantage of the IB program. I can assure you that no matter what any of the board members might say, the programs benefits far, far outweigh any of its costs. Coming from a successful graduate of the program, I can assure you of that.

Vincent Gullo, University of Pittsburgh

As a recent graduate of Upper St. Clair High School, I am saddened and disappointed by the decision to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program.

I considered Upper St. Clair to be a step above the rest of the neigh-boring school districts because of its fine faculty and enriching academic programs, as well as excelling athletics. However, I believe that this decision by the school board has put Upper St. Clair back greatly.

I have read comments said by the people involved and I cannot be more outraged. The IB program is not Marxist or anti-christian at all; the program simply promotes awareness and critical thinking.

While I was not enrolled in the IB diploma program at Upper St. Clair, I did have the chance to participate in a couple of the IB classes. From my experiences with these classes, I can say that I am a better student because of them. The classes are not "self-taught," but you're not just fed information and expected to regurgitate it for one test. You are required to think critically and practically. Kind of like real life, if you ask me.

From my perspective, there is nothing wrong with the IB program at all, and I believe that cutting the program because of costs is very ignorant and irresponsible. The cost of having the program compared to the experiences that students are having is negligible, and I sure that the five members of the school board did not take that into account when they decided to vote against keeping the program.

Even though I am no longer a resident of Upper St. Clair as well as no longer a student, I still fell deeply for those students who are going to be missing out on a great educational and enriching experience. Upper St. Clair School District will certainly have some issues in the future.

Matt Butterfield, Penn State University

How short-sighted that the USC School Board has voted to disband the IB program. As an Upper St. Clair High School graduate, I can understand the outrage in a community that values education as a tool to understand the larger world in a truly global economy. What better way to do this than a program that facilitates cross-cultural discourse, critical thinking and reflection? Living in the one of the global centers of the universe, I can appreciate this.

Robert Carter, Washington, D.C.

Marxism has been notorious for forcing one mindset upon an entire group of people, whether it be a religion or a simple opinion. However, in the great democracy of Upper St. Clair, we have steered clear from Marxism and the IB Programme by instead demanding our township serve under only a Judeo-Christian faith and appropriately ousting any Eastern religions, and requiring, citizen or not, that we remain faithful to only America.

But the hypocrisy of the Upper St. Clair school board is only the beginning of my revulsion with it. After thousands of people campaigned for the IB Programme, this board which is meant to remain faithful to the wishes of the residents still abolished IB, as Dr. Trombetta cited what he found to be an inappropriate IB test question, which was found on an IB Anthropology test, a class that Upper St. Clair doesn't even offer in the first place.

Students testified that they received scholarships of nearly $50,000 and parents expressed their concerns that property value may go down, but the board insisted on shutting down this so-called anti-American program. They said they contacted universities and were told IB was not a factor in admission, which turned out to be a complete lie discovered from research by various students, and they said that IB was financially irresponsible -- even after a student alerted the board that he had found sponsors to pay for the program if the board decided it was too expensive.

Lastly, the school board chose to abolish IB because they didn't receive enough hard facts about the program, while the Upper St. Clair superintendent Dr. Lombardo offered to give them all the information they desired if they would only postpone the vote.

If you were unable to follow this incoherent rant of mine, my main point is that the Upper St. Clair school board is full of hypocrites and liars, much to the dismay of hundreds of IB students. I am /disgusted/.

Helene Schlein, Upper St. Clair

I think your school board made the right decision but perhaps for the wrong reason.

Chris Dixon, Pinehurst, N.C.

As a 1997 graduate of Upper St. Clair it saddens me that all this negative publicity clouds the district.

I was not a part of any of the advanced programs but graduated with a degree, went to college, and am now a civil engineer with a successful firm. I do not know much about the IB program, though from what I read and what I hear from the students involved it seems like a good program that the district can afford.

I think the reason for eliminating the IB program is the outrage. The school board claims it is eliminating it as a cost cutting measure. A simple look at the numbers would show that the cost of the IB program is a tiny blip on the radar of the yearly budget. The budget this year for the school district is 50 million dollars. The IB program per year costs 80,000 dollars. How is cutting this program going to make a difference from a cost cutting perspective????

I realize the district is in debt 18,000 dollars per student this year, but cutting programs, especially this one is not the way to go about doing it.

You must look at trimming major cost items, which would be the teacher's generous salaries and benefits. That is the bulk of the budget, paying the salaries, and giving all the teachers full health benefits.

Maybe I am simplifying this too much, but from the numbers put in the paper over the last few days it makes sense to me. I have been embarrassed these past few days to call myself an Upper St. Clair graduate.

Loren Anderson, Presto, Pa.

I been living in USC for the last 7 years, one of the main reasons for moving here was for the great school reputation.

I am an Army Officer and see first hand how the IB program benefits Military members children by providing them with continuity in education with the constant changing of schools due to deployments.

I have a daughter in middle school who is very fond of the program. It is disturbing that one of the school members that voted to elimate the program live a few doors down the street from me-I say legal action is in order.

John C. Rocca, Upper St. Clair

As a Mt. Lebanon resident, I suppose I could be glad that USC will lose an edge it may have had over the Mt Lebanon school district...but honestly -- ANY program that broadens thinking and opens minds should be celebrated. The children of USC have experienced an unnecessary loss (IB is only one-half of one percent of the total USC budget)....and so have the rest of us. Being denied the option of educating our children (and, yes, regardless of school district -- these kids are OUR next generation) in a thoughtful, global way that opens doors which intellectually, fiscally or otherwise may have been closed has done a great disservice to parents, children and the future of education. The elimination of this program communicates a culture of fear and isolationism....I hope as a parent that I never perpetuate this mindset. If I do, maybe it's time to move south along route 19.

Gina Niewodowski, Mt. Lebanon

As a former Pittsburgher, I never thought that Upper St. Clair would peddle backward. My daughter, Alyssa, is a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at King High School in Tampa, FL. Based upon this rigorous program, my daughter has received an acceptance letter to attend the University of Chicago in fall 2006.

As an instructor at the University of South Florida, I believe all high school students in the United States should be required to take the IB program. All students need to set high goals, to improve daily, and to believe the impossible.

King High School is located in a poor section of Tampa, FL. The school environment has empowered my daughter to be more considerate of the less fortunate, to understand the hardships faced by a poor community, and to volunteer .

My daughter graduates in May 2006. I plan to make a contribution to the IB program at King High School.

Theresa Price, Tampa, Fla.

It appears that the board members need to avail themselves to the IB program. They seem to be the ones who have the Marxist ideas. There actions demonstrate the censorship ideas of Marxism. A cliche comes to mind, "Glass Houses".

Being a high school teacher I am familiar with the nuances of school board politics. It is a shame that people run for the school board to achieve personal agendas. This practice only injures the kids and in this case can affect the future of over 800 students. If people want to play politics have the run for an office which doesn't directly affect kids.

I really don't think that 1.6% of the budget will effectively save the taxpayers of Upper St. Clair. This was truly a political vendetta. Unfortunately the voters of Upper St. Clair were not aware of this until after the elections. This is another example as to the lethargic position the public takes to voting. This fundamental right needs to be executed in an enthusiastic and informed manner.

Rick Stetzer, Kennedy

I have only been a resident of Upper St Clair for about 6 months. I have a child in the middle school and one in the high school, neither of whom is in the IB program.

I went to the school board meeting where the program was voted down and could not believe the unwillingness of those 5 board members to listen to the pleas of the people they are supposed to represent! I'm too new here to even know these people and I was moved nearly to tears. Shame on them for their lack of compassion and understanding. These are not people I want making decisions for my children. I would whole-heartedly support a recall of these board members.

Kathy Rodriguez, Upper St. Clair

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Feb. 22, 2006

We live in a democracy. I can understand why the parents of the Upper St. Clair School District are distraught over the school board's decision to eliminate the International Baccalariate Programs in their schools. My husband and I would be right in there with those fighting to reverse the decision. However, I have some unpleasant and tough words for those affected. Where were you before last night's school board decision?

Across the country, school board members who came to the job with one agenda or another have gotten themselves elected and are in the process of realizing their ideological goals. The problem is that the students, parents, and tax payers of the district haven't been paying attention. I'm sorry to break it to them, but we live in a democracy. The freedoms that we cherish don't come for free. They require participation. They require an informed electorate. This is true for school board elections and national elections alike. Every day we see the sad and upsetting results of a dumbed-down public too busy and too absorbed in their own daily tasks to meet their fundamental responsibilities as citizens. (Ask the parents of Derry, Pa.)

Perhaps the people of Upper St. Clair are fortunate. They, at least, have now gotten the necessary wake-up call. Their ambivalence and lack of attention to the agendas of those running for the school board in recent elections has reaped a disastrous decision for their children and their community. I doubt that future school board candidates there will escape probing questions about their agendas and their views of current school standards and practices. In this regard Upper St. Clair will have learned their lesson long before most of us emerge from our complacency.

For nearly 40 years the well-educated, middle-to-upper class citizens of the United States have been shrouded in the "political correctness" methods of public discourse. This was effective as long as they were talking about race, class and gender issues. After all, to a great degree it was about "others". Unfortunately, they must now come full face with the fact that this same modus operandi will get them into a heap of trouble, close to home, when it comes to dealing with the ultra right Christian movement. The destructive force of these well-intentioned, but extraordinarily misguided, souls must not be underestimated. They have the capacity to bring us down. A quick historical review of the societal impact of ultra-conservative religious movements is in order.

Many of us are feeling a little panicked when we read about the decline in American education relative to other countries. We'd better be careful. Inside our own country are forces that, if unchecked, will accelerate the downward spiral, not in the inner cities, but in the prosperous suburban communities of our nation.

Diane Law, Churchill

As a graduate of Schenley High School, where I took some, but not all, of my classes in the IB curriculum, I am deeply saddened by the recent decision of the USC school board to discontinue the program. In an ever evolving global economy and environment, it is increasingly necessary for students to understand the complex nature of a variety of cultures across our globe. Upon being accepted into an honors program at a reputable Catholic university with a substantive scholarship (due in much part, I believe, to the rigorous coursework I received at Schenley across the board), I was shocked to see how little exposure my peers had to great world literature.

In these trying times we must look critically at school boards who use their political power to push their own values on entire communities. It is not the responsibility of any school to teach Judeo-Christian values, but rather their responsibility to prepare students to be compassionate, contributing members of society, and able to understand the complex root causes that may lead others to question them. The terms "socialist", "radically environmental" and others are rhetoric and propaganda used by scared people who themselves lack the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate their own place in our nation and globe. Shame on them.

Cate Reed, New York City

I am an IB Middle Years Program Coordinator in Fairfax County Virginia. I grew up in Pittsburgh and often think about moving back there.

I am shocked and dissappointed at the decision of the Upper St. Clair school board. This seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to uninformed parents. The IB does emphasize Intercultural Awareness in the programs. However, understanding multiple perspectives can only be deemed "Anti-American" if one believes that being American means that we must all have only one perspective.

It would seem that our founding fathers in their efforts to ensure our freedoms of expression and religion would embrace the concept of learning the impact of various perspectives of individuals and communities. Personal values, such as religious beliefs, are the responsibility of the family. School curriculum should not teach religious values.

The IB curriculums do not teach religious values, but provide information about the existence of other religions. When we are exposed to different or challenging beliefs, it affords the opportunity for individuals to learn tolerance while affirming their own beliefs. We live in a country with a Constitution that provides for indivdual expression. Our individual rights require learning about the multiple perspectives held by individuals.

In order for our society to be productive, our students must learn that there are multiple perspectives on all issues and that tolerance of differences is a pre-requisite to success. Adults in our society need to learn that the world is expanding, and tolerance does not mean agreement of others' beliefs or ideas, just the acceptance that those people have a right to their ideas and beliefs.

Paula Meoli, Annandale, Va.

I think it's appalling that these people are playing politics with the education of children, but so goes America at the moment. I hope the parents organize and sue. I'd sure contribute to their cause.

Anne Geever Riconosciuto, Pittsburgh

I am outraged at the decision of the Upper Saint Clair school board to do away with the International Baccalaureate program by claiming it is Anti-American and is too expensive to offer. As a former student of the IB program at Schenley High School, I can tell you the curriculum does not promote anti-American viewpoints. On the contrary, I developed a greater appreciation of my American heritage by having the FREEDOM to compare and contrast my fundamental beliefs with those held by other countries and cultures. The IB coursework I took was rigorous and challenged me to open my mind to other cultures but never once persuaded me to forsake my American values and beliefs.

The claim that the IB program is too expensive to offer in the Upper Saint Clair school district is laughable when the median household income in that district is $90,593. Can the wealthiest suburb in the region expect people to believe the $85,000 cost of running the IB program really weighed in on the school board's obviously political decision?

The quality of the IB education has been globally recognized as superior by elite American universities such as Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. If our children have the dedication and drive to participate in the IB program, why would we not want to give them that opportunity?

Why would we ever want to limit ANY American child's educational options?

April Weitzel, Crafton

President Reagan on said: "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Recent current events seem to prove his words true.

Thomas S. MacKay, Leeper, Pa.

Perhaps the Township should consider a name change. Mediocre Saint Clair sounds apt.

John Koslosky, Akron, Ohio

Didn't the ancestors of those board members come from other cultures? Isn't the strength of America found in its multicultural roots? How can those board members who voted against this program deny the rich culture that all our ancestors brought to America? To deny the goals of IB curriculum is to deny the ambitions of the generations of immigrants who brought us here, and whose legacy makes this such a great country.

Ann McIver McHoes, Squirrell Hill

Eliminating the International Baccalaureate program has pretty much trashed Upper St. Clair's reputation for academics. The claim that the program was busting the school's budget is ludicrous. No, the IB program was eliminated because it goes against the narrow-minded, parochial and paranoid ideology of the five school board members. And they are too cowardly to be honest about it.

I truly feel sorry for the kids whose program was eliminated. It is a shame that they are at the mercy of a school board that places a higher value on jingoism and conformity than understanding and critical thinking.

I also feel sorry for residents of Upper St. Clair who are trying to sell their homes. A school district's reputation is a big factor in the price of a house. Families that value education are not going to want to buy in this district while the ignoramuses who voted against the IB program remain on the school board.

Nancy Ott, Pittsburgh

I believe that the suspension of the International Baccalaureate program at Upper St. Clair High School is the correct one to take. Usually, school boards don't take actions to eliminate programs such as this. I am relieved to see that the USC School Board had the courage to eliminate this controversial program from the school curriculum.

My feelings are that these types of "international" programs are nothing more than left-wing attempts to bash the United States, our morals, religious freedoms and foreign policy. Most of these types of programs are teaching socialism, or worse, communism, to our youth, as well as overboard environmentalism principles.

I think our youth should learn more about their own nation (the United States) first and foremost. Too many high school students know very little about our nation and its history. As the saying goes, "those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them". I couldn't care less as to what the rest of the world thinks of our country.

That is how I feel.

Richard Clark, Washington, Pa.

I am a former Pittsburgh native (North Hills High School Class of 1982) and Principal of Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va. Stonewall Jackson is an IB school. We were selected as Time Magazine's High School of the year in 2001, Newsweek's top 100 schools in the United States (twice), as well as many local honors. The IB program has raised the academic level and expectations of ALL students and ALL teachers. We are an inclusive program here at Stonewall. Any student can take a Pre-IB or an IB class. We encourage our students to challenge themselves and take the rigorous IB curriculum, even if it is just one class.

The AP and the IB debate has been brewing for awhile. An AP and IB exam may have the same question, however, IB will not be a multiple choice answer. IB students are well rounded students. The students must complete the requirement of Creativity, Action and Service (CAS). This can be completed by setting up a volunteer event in the community or in school with another club, participating in youth organizations, etc. IB students must complete a 4,000 word research paper as well.

This school year we have students attending Ivy League schools Princeton, Yale, Brown and Cornell. As well as University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and William and Mary.

It is a shame the students of Upper St. Clair will not be able to continue in the program. I would hope that local school board members did their homework and visited classes, talked to students, teachers and parents alike prior too making their decision.

David J. Huckestein, Manassas, Va.

The USC School Board has missed the point completely regarding the IB program. The "I" stands for "International", which means teaching a worldview, not an intolerant local culture. They should be ashamed of themselves for their ignorance. I wonder how many of them believe the Earth was created 10,000 years ago?

Roy J. Matway, Tarentum

As a long term resident of Upper St. Clair and graduate of the school system along with my three sons, I found Mondays school board meeting very disturbing.

The board heard from the community that included very well spoken and prepared students, business leaders, religious leaders and education professionals, all endorsing the program, most from personal experience. Only one person spoke against the program and all they said was to not be fooled by "the spin."

Given they diversity of the speakers that statement was at best absurd. They informed the school board how this program benefited their children, they spoke of the ability to recruit individuals to come to their companies because they could get their children an International Baccalaureate education in Upper St. Clair.

Speakers also raised the possibility of getting outside funding for the program if that was the major issue. None of the speakers had any influence on the decision of 5 board members who had already made up their mind. They admitted that they did not have all the information they requested. They could not agree on the real costs of the program. They ignored the superintendent's apology and acceptance of blame if the board lacked critical data. They rejected any study the program and the effects eliminating it may have on the community.

Nothing, other than more AP classes were mentioned to replace IB and nothing was said about programs for those students below the High School level. They have formed a committee to study renaming the high school Theater after President Reagan and this after the idea of renaming a middle school was rejected. I can not understand why renaming something warrants a committee, while study of the value of the IB program, that will have an effect on the perceived value of the school district and real value of our homes does not.

Decisions like these raise serious questions as to the board's decision- making process and the motives of these individuals.

Drew Hauth, Upper St. Clair

It is unbelievable to me that a school program can be ended because it does not necessarily reflect Christian values. Our government intsitutions (including public education) should not be considered a vehicle for any religion. While the people who have eliminated this program may say that it costs too much, say that it is "radical", etc, it is clear that the real reasons are that it presents a world view contrary to popular christian ideology.

Has our country become so conservative that it is now acceptable to openly support no separation between church and state? I wonder how the people that openly push for their religious view of the world to be taught would feel if they were in the minority and had to put up with a majority religion like theirs telling them what they should and should't be allowed to learn. I myself am not a minority and probably hold many of the same religious beliefs as these opponents to the curriculum, but it seems wrong to me that church and state have unapologetically come together.

Tait Tomb, Shadyside

Now that the Upper St. Clair School Board has cut its IB program, I've decided I want nothing to do with Judeo/Christian and/or American values.

Apparently, those values suppress critical thinking and/or the exploration of multiple points of view. Such thinking reflects an America that values sophistry over intellectual pursuit.

What would they have done to that "foreigner", Socrates?

Bob Hartley, Lawrenceville

I have one word to describe the Upper Saint Clair school board: xenophobia. I would encourage them to look it up, assuming they don't have am ideological problem with the dictionary.

The notion that the members of this school board would limit the ideas exposed to these kids because some of these ideas may be different from those that are reinforced within the confines our immediate culture is reprehensible.

The message they send is : we dont condone anything that may be critical of the way we live. Limiting the quest for truth based on ideology is a disservice to the kids in that school district. This school board appears to have some agenda other than educating those kids. I feel that this cannot be accepted.

Ethan Winograd, Highland Park

I am opposed to the school board's unilateral decision. I am a mother of two, although not in Upper St. Clair. Clearly, the school board members had their target set and gun pointed long before hearing from community members.

I have no doubts that this bomb was launched directly from the Republican camp, whose platform is most chilling when righteous and paranoid. The EdWatch leader quoted sneers at global citizenship and moral relativism. I would rather our childen learn the concepts of Socialism and Marxism than be dragged by these fear-mongers down a path to Fascism!

Alice Greene, Point Breeze

I cannot comprehend why Upper St. Clair school district would get rid of the IB program. I work in one of the head offices for a Swedish multinational, located for tax reasons in the Netherlands. Every day I work with people of countless nationalities, co-ordinating projects from Perth to Dubai, Reykjavik to San Diego. There are nine nationalities just among the 14 people in my department. Mine is certainly not the only company to operate this way. To be successful in the globalized workplace, one needs to be able to see issues through a number of lenses. Even when simply writing an email, effective cross-cultural communication and understanding is essential for success. Having English as a native language puts you at an advantage, as it is today's lingua franca. It generally puts you at the center of communication, and gives you the opportunity to control the discussion. But it also means that you are often the one who makes the communication work. This is the 'natural' edge that American students can grab on to support their future careers, provided they understand how to step outside themselves and get everyone's commitment.

The IB program gives today's students the skills and perspective needed for a strong American future. Those who claim the IB program is anti-American are short-sighted. The United States has always been at the forefront of multilateral progress, and will continue to hold this leadership position for years to come. Competent Americans who understand how to navigate the greater world will continue the tradition that dates back to when the United States was still a teenager and Thomas Jefferson spent considerable time building links with France and Prussia. Who will build links with our future partners? Who will keep editorial cartoons from spiraling into mistrust and aggression? Those who have the skills, naturally. And, looking at today's salaries, those skills will make paying off those student loans far less of a challenge.

Not every IB graduate will go live in Europe and work for a giant multinational, this is true. But anyone who says that the future will be less globalised than today is misinformed. The IB program is a shining example of how to prepare America's youth for a future where success will be measured by one's ability to connect with others. To eliminate it is perhaps pennywise, but certainly pound-foolish. It is like choosing a dial-up internet connection over broadband just because it's a little cheaper, even when you know that

Mathieu Ahlstrom, the Netherlands, Formerly Point Breeze

What irks me is that, when running for office, these school directors did not include in their platform their intention of eliminating the IB program. If they had, you can bet that they would never be in the current position of pushing their irrational agendas and ignoring the objections of their constituents, many of whom unwittingly voted for them.

Cathy King, Upper St. Clair

I'm wondering if the USC school board is aware that one of the provisions advocated by Marx in his Communist Manifesto is free public schools. Perhaps the board should now consider doing away with the entire school district.

Ronald R. Rubenfield, Moon Twp.

The Upper St. Clair School Board's vote to abolish the IB program reveals the destructive intentions of the recently elected directors who ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Abandoning the successful IB program -- such a small part of the budget -- is not fiscally responsible. Extensive effort, resources, and care have gone into making the program successful over the last eight years. The program is still in its growing phase and has clearly added to the strong reputation of Upper St. Clair Schools. There could be no financial reason to end such a positive program.

Apparently a number of the school directors are driven by an ideological view that prefers to constrain education rather than to encourage students to learn about the world and to think critically and responsibly. In a global economy, the insular approach is bound to lose.

Over the past four years I have guided two sons through the competitive college search process. We visited top-tier colleges and universities, and without exception, all admissions officers stressed that both IB and AP classes were preferred. Admissions committees were interested not only in grades and test scores, but in what classes students chose. IB and AP courses reflect a student's commitment to challenging academic work, a strong predictor of success in college. The issue of granting college credit was typically beside the point, and rules varied widely. More broadly, the college searches helped me understand that public high schools with the IB program are better equipped to compete with private schools in the intense world of college admissions. IB does add prestige.

My third son is a freshman at Upper St. Clair High School. What kind of message is he receiving from this misguided vote? What will the results of the vote and its publicity do to the value of our home? To the morale of students and teachers? As a citizen and parent, I find it sad and embarrassing to watch our school district become the laughing stock of Allegheny County and beyond.

Sara Kyle, Pittsburgh

As a resident of the district and a parent of a former IB student, I cannot be HAPPIER that the district decided to terminate the program. It promotes Marxist, extreme environmental thinking. While it may not be anti-Judeo-Christian, the program surely does not promote traditional Judeo-Christian values.

Academically speaking, the program is also weak when compared with the standard USC programs. In the IB program the students are expected to teach themselves. While self-taught curriculum may be fine for advanced high school students, it is completely inappropriate at the middle school level. This is particularly so when one considers that USC employs many of the most skilled (and highest paid) educators in the state.

Russell White, Upper Saint Clair

As a resident of Upper St. Clair who doesn't even have a child in the IB program, I am indignant over the school board's slimest majority decision to discontinue the program. The decision was made so abruptly without even the slightest review and in complete disregard of the well spoken arguments and pleas of the community and students the board was elected to represent. The sad irony of this situation is that the board majority's actions regarding this and other issues reek of the same communist principles they say they oppose. Before the issue of eliminating the IB program was made public, this majority of Iracki, Coliane, Sulkowski, Bluey and Trombetta, sought a motion to disallow students to protest politically on school grounds. Only after an informative call from the ACLU regarding the American right to free speech, did they decide against this limitation of civil rights. It seems as though they were trying preemptively to limit what was sure to be a huge public outcry when the decision to abolish IB was announced. Finally, the school board president, dentist Bill Sulkowski, instructed the videographer who was taping the heated school board meeting on the IB vote, NOT to tape the public comments. Therefore, when the board meeting is broadcasted over the local cable channel to all residents, the community arguments supporting IB will not be aired. Denying due process in decision making, curtailing freedom of speech and censoring criticism of public officials---are these not communist principles? Donna Gisleson, Upper St. Clair
Freedom to think globally, to walk another man's shoes, to put people before corporations, to care for our one and only planet --- all these are the enemy of the right wing ideologue. They fear these ideas, because they rock the foundation of the house of cards they live in.

In Dover, they tried to force everyone's children to learn creationism in place of science, in the name of what they call "Judeo-Christian values." This is yet another example of a small, well-organized, highly vocal group of extremists using the same justification to insure that their narrow-minded ideology of US hegemony remains unchallenged. Complaints that the program was "developed in a foreign country" expose a startling degree of xenophobia.

Parents who have a problem with the program have both the freedom and financial wherewithal to remove their children from this school and send them to whatever ideologically acceptable institution they choose. However, they should not have the power to opt out the children of an enlightened majority who are clearly outraged by this decision. That majority happens to believe that Judeo-Christian values stand for things other than hegemony and xenophobia.

In the end, I trust this will go the way of the Dover school district, and that Upper St. Clair will have a new school board after the next election.

Duane Galensky, Beallsville, PA

My older daughter graduated from the IB program here in Macon, Georgia. We were very pleased with the program and the opportunities that it afforded here. She and the other students in her IB class were well prepared for achievement as college students and as citizens of the world. She currently attends Georgia Tech where she not only does well in her classes but also takes takes an interest in the wider community and world.

R. Craig Fluck, Macon, Ga.

Thanks to the Post-Gazette for covering the IB story out of USC. I wish the parents of the IB kids good luck with their multi-faceted strategy. For a region that has been hit hard by globalization and outsourcing, IB gives the students tools for working in this new environment. Hunkering down in a traditional cirriculum that does not work very well, as evidenced by almost any measure, is not the one size fits all answer. The USC board is contributing to the problem, not solving it.

Setting up a separate school would be very difficult, but in line with true American values. Another just as difficult approach also in line with current American values, and one opponents would really understand, is to move out of USC to another district with an appreciated IB program. As the property values start to decline, many IB opponents would probably change their tune. In any event, this story has opened my eyes to the IB program and I'm thinking of getting my son into one. Keep up the good coverage.

Ron McCandless, Ellicott City, MD, (form Butler, Pa.)

The biggest concern among the students, parents and residents of Upper St. Clair is that the school board did not investigate the International Baccalaureate (IB) program before making its decision to discontinue it. They refused to consider any of the extensive hard data acquired by the U.S. Department of Education and presented to the school board by the school administration.

The five school board members who opposed the other four members have indicated in statements made both publically and privately that the International Baccalaureate program goes against their own personal religious beliefs. We are very nervous about having school policy legislated by a group of 5 school board members, several of whom were elected just a few months ago, who are ignoring the

desires of the school administration and the wishes of the community as a whole.

Asian, Latin American and European students comprise a significant portion of those students enrolled in the IB program in Upper St. Clair. One school board member has made pejorative remarks about the "anti-American" element of the program which appears to be a comment directed at the ethnic diversity of the IB students.

At least one of those five board members who voted to eliminate IB was elected on a platform that supported the program.

Garvin Livingston, Upper St. Clair

I think the decision the school board made was comparable to the failed attempt to get Intelligent Design onto the curriculum in Dover, PA: politically and selfishly motivated, with no regard to common sense and what was best for the people of the school district.

A cost savings of $85,000 was reported as one of the reasons for cancellation, but that rings hollow to me.

I expect that some members of that school board will soon be replaced by people who actually represent the views of the area.

Sam Burns, Freedom, Pa.

Once again, the intolerant and un-American christian right has reared its ugly head in its ongoing effort to stifle free thought. It is pathetic that such small minded and ignorant people can be in such positions of authority.

W. S. (Bill) Kaszycki, West Elizabeth, Pa.

I am an educator at West Virginia University who teaches International Relations and Global Political Issues. I push my students to think critically and outside the "US box" to better understand the world beyond our borders. Such a process not only enhances one's knowledge base, but it also allows people to understand their own values within a broader perspective. Moreover, if you shut out the world, the world will move on without you. Do I think IB is trying to imprint ideology upon young, impressionable minds? No, the program seeks truth as best as all humans can understand it. It does unfortunately appear, however, that those who seek to undermine IB are interested in imposing their ideology to remake the world as they wish it would be rather than pursuing an understanding of the realities of the world. February 20, 2006 was a sad day for Upper St. Clair, the city of Pittsburgh, and for those of us who believe the world can be made a better place by understanding, appreciating, and accepting the differences among all of us in the world.

David J. Plazek, Uniontown, Pa.

I can't believe the extent to which people will go to deny that the world is round. We live on a planet -- a rock with all sorts of elements and what not. And as we begin to understand more and more of it, I can't seem to understand why many of my fellow Americans are becoming so afraid of it. With all of the great communication and information innovations that we have today, it's simply counterproductive to reject the idea of a global education. Everything is a global issue -- our jobs, our clothing, our culture, our families, our wars. If we continue to deny that there are 5.7 billion other people on this Earth who eat, sleep, love, and die just like us, then we will never progress. In fact, if we shut our children off from the rest of the world (as the USC school board apparently is doing), then we will digress as a people. 200 years from now, when the great world historians are reviewing what went wrong with the American experiment, they will pin-point awkward situations such as the destroying of an IB program in the suburb of a dying city. Not only should USC reinstate the IB program, but more schools should promote such an education. We need to raise more young leaders who are connected to the real world -- the one with different languages, plentiful perspectives, and flavorful cultures. Teaching our children xenophobia and gross isolationism will only yield more poverty and violence for ourselves. The USC school board's decision to turn back the clock is indeed embarrassing. I too wish I could build a time machine -- only I would turn back the clock and get my education from a school with an IB program.

Brandon Cohen, Greenfield

Although I am deeply saddened by the school board's decision to cut the International Baccalaureate program, I was not surprised by their actions. To the best of my knowledge, not one of the board members who voted to kill the International Baccalaureate program has a child who participates in it. It is clear that the school board went into the meeting with every intention to cut the program, no matter what the community had to say.

As a graduate of Upper St. Clair High School, I don't buy the school board's insistence that they're cutting it purely because of financial reasons. If that was the case, then perhaps they should have considered not providing the teachers with personal laptops, or providing the high school football team with coach buses for their away games.

Instead of going of their options, the Upper St. Clair school board made a rash, biased decision. And in the end, it will be the students who suffer from the school board's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that maybe... just maybe, they were making the wrong decision.

Lynne Hughes, Upper St. Clair

I think it's sad that Drs. Sulkowski and Iracki and their colleagues on the Upper St. Clair school board decided to cancel such a great and popular program, especially in times like these. As a consultant to businesses worldwide, I travel regularly to Europe, Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Education levels in many countries have been rising quickly, and that means our young graduates (and many of their parents) must now compete for jobs that would have been taken by American workers just a few years ago. The engineers I consult with in Palo Alto don't worry that some professional from Pittsburgh will take their job-they're far more threatened by the smart kids graduating from schools in Bangalore India and Shenzhen China. We must prepare our children to compete in a global marketplace. They need a much broader knowledge of the world than we did to stay competitive and succeed. That's why I was especially disheartened to hear that the school board voted to terminate this program. My hope is that they'll reconsider or eventually be replaced by leaders with sharper insight into the playing field on which our kids must now compete.

David Huffner, Pittsburgh

It is bizarre any school board would want to eliminate an education program promoting a global perspective. This program and foreign language studies should be at the forefront of all school curriculums. They should be cherished because it prepares children to live in the 21st Century on this planet earth. If reducing costs are so important go after luxury items like sports. Start reducing the football coaching staff, maybe eliminate a couple of football games. Go after the non-education expenses. For those school board members who voted to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program I recommend they come out of their intellectual caves. The world is no longer flat!

Ronald Rosenberger, Pittsburgh

I am disheartened by the USC School Board decision to eliminate the IB program, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I believe that any academic program that focuses student attention on the need for global thinking and knowledge of international cultures and beliefs is a positive thing. The United States is not the only country in the world, Christianity is not the only faith in the world, and the sooner our young people realize this and learn to work with other people who may or may not share their experiences, economic blessings, or faith, the better off they (and we all) will be.

This decision, seemingly based on fear-mongering and closed-minded individuals with far right-wing agendas of their own, is a loss, not only for the students enrolled in the IB program, but for the community as a whole. Marxism? Anti-Americanism? Are Dr. Iracki and his comrades expecting us to take him seriously? Now that he has reclassified his issue with the program as "a budgetary matter," I wonder how $80,000 out of a mutli-million dollar budget can arouse this much ire and concern on the part of this faction.

I am a resident of neighboring Bethel Park, and have never been so relieved that my husband and I did not decide to stretch our budget to move to USC. I would not want my children's education to rest in the hands of a jingoistic group such as the one currently strangling the life out of the USC school district.

Chris Nolin, Bethel Park

Without knowing all of the details, it certainly appears as if the Upper St. Clair school board's action in cancelling the International Baccalaureate program represents nothing more than elected politicians making good on a campaign promise of fiscal responsibility. It is interesting to hear this act described by an Upper St. Clair student as "the death of democracy."

If nothing else, the International Baccalaureate program would seem to teach heavily the use of hyperbole. A student educated in critical thinking and international affairs might contrast what is taking place in Upper St. Clair with daily life in countless places around the globe where citizens have no voice in the actions of their government -- and come away with an appreciation of, instead of a eulogy for, our democracy.

Jason Burr, Bethel Park

Although I can no longer call the Upper St. Clair School District my own, as a current junior in the International Baccalaureate program in Tallahassee, Florida, I can attest to the fact that the IB program is offering me the finest, most innovating, and most challenging education available. The IB program promotes original thought and provides a world-wide perspective and thorough understanding of all subject matter. I condemn the school board's decision to end the program-- not only will it eliminate a world-class education, but also it will eliminate a world-class experience.

Jenna Nichols, Tallahassee, Fla.

Wow, I am stunned at the short sightedness and myopia of the Upper Saint Claire School board. My son is an eighth grader at Frick ISA in Oakland and when it came time to pick a high school, there was no choice. The IB program at Schenley stands as one of the best educational opportunities in the region. Educators recognize the program provides superior education and many colleges see graduating from an IB program as a bonus when they evaluate applicants.

I still don't understand why the school board did this, but it seems to me tantamount to the implementation of creationism or the banning of American classics because of who their authors were. In an age when education reform tops everyone's list of issues, to discard one of the educational innovations that actually works reeks of ulterior motivations. I feel sorry for the parents and students who lost such a gem of a public school. If I lived in the district I would be working to have the School Board members that voted against this program removed.

Jennifer England, Washington, D.C.

The Chinese government prevents its citizens from accessing Web sites that criticize its policies. Muslim clerics issue death decrees for people that defame Islam. And, members of the Upper St. Clair School Board cancel an International Baccalaureate program because they say it exposes students to Marxist and anti-Christian concepts. What do these groups have in common? They all betray a fundamental lack of confidence in the viability of their ideas in a free and open debate.

David M. Brown, Mount Lebanon

Although this may appear as just another strange development in the recent history of Pittsburgh-area school boards, the bottom line is that you can't make everyone happy all the time. Funds are not unlimited, difficult choices must be made. I would guarantee that if the school board kept the program at the expense of raising school taxes, the majority would vote it down as well, based on comparative amount of interest there is in this program among students.

Michael Rodi, Moon Township

Some of the comments made by those in opposition to the IB program remind me of those to whom Rosalind Russel refferred when she said her famous line in the movie "Auntie Mame".."They have braces on their brains"...

It is my considered opinion that the United States is in the current foreign situation precisely because our present leadership in government has 'braces on their brains'....

They have taken an uncommonly favorable world opinion, following the unprovoked attack on the World Trade Centers, and turned it against us with their questionable foreign world policies. I believe this is due in large part to the bunker mentality, "us against them"... currently in vogue in the White House at the present time.

Perhaps had they attended a course similar to the IB program this would not have occurred and unfetterred comservatism would not have shone forth in such a despicable manner.

I refer both to our government leadership and to the situation with the Upper St. Clair School Board.

James A. Hammer, Gibsonia

I'd like to type out a well-reasoned response to the IB program's critics, starting with the question: "what the hell exactly are "American values? But I learned long ago it is useless to argue with such people. It is these extremists and their arrogant and dangerous American exceptionalism who are paragons of "moral relativism". We must defeat them in whatever political forum they appear to spill their arrogant ignorance ,as the Dover school district's citizenry did to the creationists in both the courtroom and the ballot box. But, expecting them to respond to reason is useless.

I would only like to add that the phrase "Anti-American" which has become so popular over the past few years, has some pretty dark connotations. Historically, only in totalitarian states is such a phrase used. To use the phrase "anti-Italian" in Italy, or "anti-German" in (post 1940's!) Germany, anti-Canadian in Canada, and so forth, would only elicit either confusion or derision in these and most other countries respectively.

Paul Donahue, Bloomfield