Some enterprising Broughton High students are mobilizing to save the school's International Baccalaureate magnet program.
Working through Facebook, students have organized a protest that will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday on the school's front lawn. The protest was originally going to be held at the school district's Central Administration Building on Wake Forest Road.
The theme of the rally is "fight redistricting not our program." That's in response to people who hope that removing the magnet program will mean they won't be reassigned out of the school.
The protest was relocated to the school because, ironically enough, there was concern about not enough parking at Wake Forest Road. While parking is still a problem at Broughton, even with the addition of more spaces on the lawn, the students will at least have their spots from that morning.
Students say they're holding the protest after school on Tuesday because they can't attend Wednesday's school board meeting. The special meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. during school hours.
Even though any elimination of the magnet program would likely be phased over time to cover current students, they say they're thinking of those who will come after them.
"In reality, Broughton is a healthy school BECAUSE of the IB Magnet Program, not in addition to it," wrote Hooper Schultz, a Broughton junior, on the Facebook site he organized. "If the program is revoked, the courses and opportunities that have drawn magnet and base students alike to its doors will vanish, and sooner rather than later, so will the excited and involved students that make Broughton High School an institution worth fighting for."
Comments
IB Enrollment
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 12:27 — KnightdaleParentThanks shank56.
Based on the 20th day numbers for 2008-2009, there are 538 11th grade and 445 12th grade students. I guess the next question would be how many of those 983 students could be enrolled and chose not to enroll?
Also, what is the maximum number of students that the IB program can actually enroll, if there is a maximum?
Enrolled in IB
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 12:05 — KnightdaleParentIt could be that I have missed it, but I was wondering how many 11th and 12th graders are actually enrolled in the IB Diploma program.
Think I have read and heard
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 12:13 — shank56Think I have read and heard somewhere around 180 ? Could be wrong though.
Good for these kids! No
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 10:52 — vsheehanGood for these kids! No matter my position on Broughton at least these kids are standing up and taking a chance.
I always thought the only thing the BOE would listen to would be the parents just refusing to send their kids to school in July. If a majority of parents did it and showed up on the first day of traditional school things would change. There would be no choice. But we are to complaint and fearful of the BOEs consequence for said act. I know of a group of kids from the poorer section of Raleigh ,who just did not show up on the start of the Modify year but showed up on the start of Traditional, graduated without negative consequences for missing 6 weeks of school. Therefore maybe WCPSS would not give out negative consequences for protesting. You would think there would be nothing WCPSS would do. Look at GHE the kids who were slated to be bused in from Raleigh just did not show up and now GHE is going back to a traditional schedule.
But the question is when you have something to lose unlike these students will you dare to stand up to the BOE and refuse to go? You know the first thing they would do is label you racist, selfish, lazy parents who don’t want the Raleigh kids coming in to the suburbs schools. They did it to the first protesters in Leesville and to the Mayor of Garner.
Smart kids
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 10:19 — JGSAnd aware and involved. THIS is the result of a program like IB. These kids are confident and engaged and actually care about their world. Gone is the exclusive country club that was once Broughton. In its place is an inclusive and very impressive student body.