In North Atlanta, the biggest way to challenge yourself would probably be to join the IB program your junior year. The IB program is a two-year program that takes dedication, hard work and many long nights. While some people see the IB diploma as an impossibility, others see it as a chance to bring themselves a step above others on their way to college.

Students who participate in this program usually have the same teachers for both years so they won’t have to take time to adjust to new teaching strategies. However, as students in the Class of 2017 started going through their class schedules, they noticed something different. Many of the teachers they had last year are not the same. “I want the old teachers back because we know what to expect from them. I don’t know what to expect from the new teachers,” said senior Leondra Freeman.

Students were expecting to have a new teacher for economics, an IB class they were taking for the first time, but when new teachers appeared in the other IB classes students got concerned. Some students are very unhappy with the way things have turned out. “We have been the guinea pigs all four years. New SAT. New building. It feels unfair to me,” said senior Lucy Gebhardt.

There have been several students that have raised concern to this. Many students even went to Danielle Costarides, who was an IB History teacher last year but has been promoted to IB coordinator. “I’m really disappointed Mrs. Costarides isn’t teaching anymore,” said senior Nicholas Wright.

Students are anxious that they won’t be able to adjust and that could reflect on their grades, or even worse their diploma.

While some students raise concerns, many are confident that the new teachers can rise to the challenge. Whether these new faces are an easy adjustment or take some time to acclimate to, these hurdles are sure to prepare the IB seniors for the many changes ahead in their future.