For MSA and our members, all eyes are on the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, and this year’s request includes $149 million for the MSAP, the same amount included in the fiscal year 2023 request. MSA believes that figure is insufficient to support the critical mission of magnet schools, and we urge the President and Congress to provide greater funding for the MSAP and to identify more opportunities to fund and prioritize magnet schools, in fiscal year 2024 and beyond.
Justin Patterson is the interactive media production (IMP) instructor and technology education department chair for Chesapeake High School in Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland.
Emilio Garza embodies the core values of Magnet Schools of America, according to the person who nominated him. When he arrived at Elysian Heights, he noticed that the school’s racial demographics did not represent that of the community.
Principal Lipp has made great strides in closing the achievement gap with regard to minority group isolation. In fact, three times the number of the school's minority students reach the benchmark on both SAT test than the district and state. Additionally, the Aerospace and Hydrospace Engineering School boasts a district-leading 98% graduation rate, as well as an 80% college readiness index.
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.
