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.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shot back at protesters who last week temporarily blocked her from entering a public school in the nation's capital, saying Wednesday that the incident showed how "hostile" some are to change. "The protesters' behavior is a reflection of the way some seek to treat our education system – by keeping kids in and new thinking out," DeVos said during a keynote address to a policy and training conference for the nonprofit association Magnet Schools of America. "Friday's incident demonstrates just how hostile some people are to change and to new ideas."
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.
In 1968, the United States launched Apollo 8, the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon and return safely. In that same year but with much less publicity, Tacoma Public Schools launched the nation’s first magnet school, McCarver Elementary School, in an attempt to diversify its segregated school system.
LA Unified’s former and current superintendents and several school board members have all recently made laudatory statements about the district’s magnet schools, touting their performance and highlighting their importance to the future of the district.
Based on the spring results of the California Smarter Balanced assessments, the Los Angeles Unified School District recently announced that 55 percent of the district's magnet students met or exceeded state standards in English/language arts, compared with 39 percent in charters, 33 percent in the LAUSD overall, and 44 percent in traditional schools statewide. The breakdown of math results followed a similar pattern.
"What Would It Take to Integrate Our Schools?," The answer should include more magnet schools, the original form of public school choice. By offering theme-based curriculums - science, math, performing arts, world languages and more - these elementary and secondary schools promote school diversity and innovation.
It is one of the oldest, most heartwarming stories in literature. A young writer, born to a hardscrabble existence, chooses a path where his brilliance is recognized, encouraged, mentored, and catapulted towards greatness.
This is the path that playwright and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney took. He grew up in a tough part of Miami, with a mom who struggled through drug addiction until losing her life to AIDS. Tarell's path took him through New World School of the Arts (NWSA), a magnet school that is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
When John first came to my school, he was a sixth- grader who missed 68 days of school in the previous year and was reading at the second-grade level. We tried all the conventional ways to keep him in school - home visits, police visits, court appearances - but nothing worked.
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.
