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Education
Teacher Jeanette La Fevers Will Travel the World Helping Other Schools To Establish International Baccalaureate Programs
Jeanette La Fevers is the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program in the McAllen Independent School District. The system’s IB program was the first in Texas and the only one of its kind in South Texas.
McAllen’s upcoming loss will soon be the gain of school systems throughout the United States – and beyond.
Jeanette La Fevers was teaching physics at McAllen High School in 1999 when she was asked to participate in an International Baccalaureate feasibility study for the McAllen Independent School District. Indeed‚ the IB program eventually was set up in the McAllen ISD for the 2001-2002 school year‚ with La Fevers serving as program coordinator.
Now‚ in June 2008‚ La Fevers will retire from the successful IB coordinator post in McAllen to travel part-time throughout the nation and parts of the world to set up IB programs in other communities.
“I have enjoyed my time in McAllen‚ and working in the IB program was the best experience of my 34-year teaching career‚” La Fevers says. “It’s just time for me to help spread the good message of IB to other school systems that don’t yet offer this amazing program.”
The International Baccalaureate program originated in Switzerland in 1968 to provide a worldwide high school curriculum based on rigorous international standards. IB classes include advanced English‚ math‚ science‚ art and foreign languages‚ with qualified high school juniors and seniors taking these courses that are equivalent to classes they would take as freshmen and sophomores in college.
Juniors and seniors who successfully complete the two-year IB program receive an International Baccalaureate diploma at their senior graduation‚ along with their regular high school diploma. Approximately 150 students in McAllen have received IB diplomas to date.
“Recently in McAllen‚ parents with kids in the lower grades started asking if an IB program could also be implemented in middle schools and even in elementary schools‚” La Fevers says. “I’ve been working on that initiative during the last couple of years.”
As a result of the efforts of La Fevers and others‚ today an IB philosophy is being implemented in six McAllen elementary schools (Bonham‚ Fields‚ Garza‚ Gonzalez‚ Milam and Rayburn) as well as three middle schools (Cathey‚ DeLeon and Travis).
La Fevers says the IB program for elementary students simply offers a framework for students to become good learners‚ so that teachers can devote energy to teaching instead of dealing with discipline and motivation.
“Meanwhile‚ the middle years program for grades 6-10 begins developing specific academic skills that will ultimately help students be successful once they enroll in the IB diploma program in grades 11-12‚” she says. “The International Baccalaureate program is something I strongly believe in‚ and soon it will be time for me to take the message to other school systems that want to better themselves.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Wes Aldridge
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