Magnet schools were created to attract gifted students and meet federal desegregation bills. Parents should consider whether their child would benefit from an accelerated pace and advanced techniques. Magnet schools generally have higher education levels and funding, but there may be logistical and financial considerations.
Decisions regarding a child’s education are always serious and parents should always weigh their options before placing their children in a specific type of school. There are no compelling arguments against enrolling a child in a magnet school curriculum, for example, but there are some things about magnet school programs that deserve careful consideration. Some children excel in accelerated school programs, but others may find the pace too challenging.
One issue to consider is the historical and political origins of the magnet school curriculum. Many school systems found themselves in potential violation of federal school desegregation mandates in the 1960s and 1970s, so school administrators tried a number of controversial methods to desegregate students. This included forcibly taking minority students to predominantly white schools, often located far from their own neighborhoods. It quickly became clear that involuntary transfer of students was not a popular solution.
The magnet school program was originally designed to attract the best and brightest students from all the mainstream public schools in the area. In essence, the first magnet schools were geared specifically to the needs of gifted students, who would otherwise remain academically unchallenged in ordinary public schools. Magnet Schools received additional funding, hired or relocated top instructors in the district, and offered advanced or alternative classes.
The fact that these magnet school programs also met federal desegregation bills also didn’t hurt. Since students were selected primarily based on academic rather than racial criteria, magnet schools appeared to be an ideal fit for both gifted students and administrators. In the intervening years, however, the emphasis has largely shifted from exclusively gifted or accelerated programs to a more cosmopolitan mix of professional education, creative arts, and math science curricula.
A parent may want to consider whether a child would really benefit from the accelerated pace and advanced educational techniques found in a magnet school curriculum. If a child has above average intelligence but performs poorly in school, he may need more of an academic challenge. If he seems satisfied in a traditional public school, however, it may be easier to allow him to stay with peers than to transfer to a magnet school.
Students enrolled in magnet school programs have a better chance of graduating and are often sought for a college scholarship. In general, fewer disciplinary problems are reported in magnet schools, and the level of education and funding is generally higher than that found in traditional public schools. However, this is not always true for every single magnet school program in the country, and parents may want to consider private or parochial schools and public magnet schools if they feel strongly about the disadvantages of traditional public schools.
There are also some logistical and financial considerations associated with a magnet school program. Financially constrained school systems may not provide regular bus service to attract schools outside a student’s district. Parents may need to transport their children to and from an alternative or magnet school, along with additional trips for extracurricular activities. While a public magnet school may be cheaper than an equivalent private or parochial school, there may still be some hidden charges that a family should consider before enrolling a child.
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