One of the key missions of Magnet Schools of America is to raise public awareness of the benefits and accomplishments of magnet schools. Our organization proactively engages major media outlets to share this good news. Below are examples of this work.
Betsy DeVos' confirmation has stoked fears about undermining public schools, in large part because of the secretary of Education's full-throated support for school vouchers. But if the last few days have been any indication, DeVos is trying to put a friendlier face on the idea of school choice. So far, she hasn't mentioned vouchers as a priority at all — and today she spoke to a trade association for magnet schools.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday pledged support for magnet schools in a bid to repair ties with proponents of public education in the wake of a bruising confirmation battle, but also slammed her critics for rejecting innovation and change. In one of her first public speeches since taking office last week, DeVos praised magnet schools for showing strong academic results, combating segregation and striving for equity.
Education secretary Betsy DeVos will speak to members of Magnet Schools of America this afternoon in her first public address as secretary outside of the Education Department. DeVos and President Donald Trump have vowed to expand so-called school choice options for students, explicitly naming magnet schools as one of those options.
Arguably the most important part of magnet school programs is that students can dive into a subject they are interested in at a young age. To many teachers, keeping students engaged in a learning environment is among the biggest challenges. A 2015 Gallup Student Poll of students in grades 5-12 determined that only 50 percent of students were engaged in school.
For a group of five Vine Middle Magnet School students, the dream of being fully-fledged scientists isn't too far off. By the end of the week, the group will be in Cape Canaveral touring the Kennedy Space Center and watching a real-time NASA launch.
Kathleen Decker, principal at Walter Bracken, Walter Long, and Hollingsworth STEAM Academies in Clark County School District, (CCSD), located in Las Vegas, Nevada, is not new to success. She was named MSA Principal of the Year in 2013 for her vibrant leadership skills and ability to turn around Walter Bracken, which in 2001 was a failing school. Since her initial MSA recognition, two more schools have been placed under her leadership. One ingredient of her success with all three schools is her use of the empowerment method.
Maya Rhodan grew up in the Southside of Chicago, Illinois. She began her magnet school career in elementary school at Murray Language Academy, a K-8 magnet school offering French, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish Language studies to its students.Immediately following her time at Murray Language Academy, Maya attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. Maya shares her alma mater with another esteemed alumna, First Lady Michelle Obama.
For the past four years, the Marine Science Magnet High School (MSMHS) of Southeastern Connecticut received an average of 400 applications for its incoming freshman class. Like every magnet school in Connecticut, it used a lottery process to randomly select the 73 students who get in.
District Five Magnet School Program Director Sara Wheeler has always had a passion for building relationships and for making a positive difference for teachers and students. Her latest opportunity gives her a chance to expand her influence on a national level as she embraces her new role as President of Magnet Schools of America (MSA).
Magnet Schools of America, representing approximately 3,800 magnet schools and 2.6 million students nationwide, expresses its strong opposition to the House FY 2017 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill that would entirely eliminate funding for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), despite being reauthorized in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Raise the level of performance consistent throughout school districts nationwide and creates a platform from which all magnet schools can flourish. Magnet Schools of America’s national certification process is designed to recognize the hard work of the best magnet schools in the nation and to help them as they grow.
