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Baccalaureate leader heads to NYC offices

The head of the program at St. Petersburg High will spend a year at the group's North American offices.

By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published August 31, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - A Pinellas high school soon will have a good friend in the International Baccalaureate office in New York City.

The worldwide organization has selected Linda McPheron, IB coordinator at St. Petersburg High, as the new diploma manager for its 621 schools in North America. McPheron reports Thursday for an assignment that runs through August 2006.

"When the question came up, "Who would be the best person in the United States to come here for a year?' Linda was my first thought," said Ralph Kline, deputy regional director for IB North America. "She is a woman of remarkable energy and talent."

Kline would know. He worked closely with McPheron when he was IB coordinator at Palm Harbor University High, the other Pinellas school that offers the rigorous academic program.

"She knows the ins and outs of the diploma program as well as anyone," said Kline, who left Palm Harbor for New York in 2001. "We are excited to have her."

McPheron said her biggest concern after accepting the offer was deciding what to bring with her to furnish her studio apartment in Manhattan.

"I'm excited and a little bit anxious," she said. "I think when I go into the New York office, I'll find out how much I don't know."

McPheron, 59, earned a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University and a master's from the University of Tampa. After completing a doctorate at Illinois State University, she came to Pinellas County and taught social studies in what developed into the IB program at St. Petersburg High School.

She worked with the district's executive internship program before coming back to the school as a psychology teacher. She was named the IB coordinator in 1994. During the past 10 years at St. Petersburg High, McPheron has trained other IB coordinators and has mentored schools that are applying for IB membership. This past year, she assisted two schools with their applications, including Clearwater Central Catholic High.

As the diploma manager for the International Baccalaureate organization, McPheron will oversee the application, authorization and evaluation process for schools throughout North America and the Caribbean. She also will help IB teachers with training and professional development.

She sees the New York appointment as a way to further enhance her experience.

"I'm getting this terrific opportunity to learn about IB programs all over North America and the kinds of techniques they use that make them successful," she said. "I can bring that back to Pinellas County and to St. Petersburg High School."

Christine Lowry, McPheron's counterpart at Palm Harbor University High, said McPheron already has been a vital force in shaping IB programs in Pinellas.

"She's been a friend for many years, but has now become a mentor for me," said Lowry, who came to Palm Harbor in January after serving as director of the district's magnet and fundamental programs. "She has the credibility and the reputation that will make her just perfect for the job."

The International Baccalaureate program was developed in 1967 for members of the international community who recognized that their children were receiving dissimilar kinds of education when they moved from one country to another. The program has expanded to 130 countries and has a reputation for providing universities with competent, well-prepared students.

St. Petersburg High became Florida's first IB school in 1984. When Palm Harbor University High opened in 1996, it housed the district's second IB program. Each school serves 540 students, who must have at least a B average in all subjects to apply. Students also must score in the 90th percentile on a standard achievement test and must complete honors algebra I and a year of a language other than English prior to ninth grade.

To receive the diploma, students must complete specific assignments called internal assessments. They must write a 4,000-word essay, take a "serious knowledge course" and complete 150 hours of community service. They also must sit for at least two examinations in each of six subjects.

"When you're in an IB program, you're in a program of study that is very purposeful," McPheron said. "The key word is progress."

Kline, the deputy regional director, said it is not unusual for IB North America to bring school-based administrators to the New York office on temporary assignment. It helps the organization remember who their clients are and adds depth to the coordinators' experience, he said.

"She will indeed have her eye on St. Petersburg High School, monitoring the school's progress," Kline said. "When she gets back, she'll have insight she wouldn't have been able to gain otherwise."

[Last modified August 31, 2005, 01:22:13]