What is a "magnet school"?
lcyiu
Hi, there,
Can anybody tell me what a magnet school in America is? Besides,
I would like to know if there are any American high schools which have
"quarter" system rather than " semester system"? Thank you very much!
Linda
Ron McDermott
lcyiu wrote:
>
> Hi, there,
> Can anybody tell me what a magnet school in America is?
The idea behind magnet schools is to promote a theme
which will encourage parents to send their child to
the school. It might be a "technology" school, or a
"fine arts" school, etc. The curriculum would be
essentially the same, but some emphasis would be
placed on the theme along the way... One reason for
the development of magnet schools was to promote
desegregation...
Eric Lee Green
>I would like to know if there are any American high schools which have
>"quarter" system rather than " semester system"? Thank you very much!
Last things first: a "quarter" system: The closest that we come in
American high schools is what is called 'block scheduling' or '4-by-4
scheduling'. Students take four courses at a time with 90-minute
class periods during 9-week 'quarters'. Each 'quarter' is worth a
semester's worth of course credit (1/2 credit). This system is
becoming more popular because it has more time in class (less
'movement time' between classes, less time taking roll and getting
started and putting away books and such) and allows students to take
more courses in the same amount of time (16 semester-hours each school
year rather than 12 or 14 semester-hours under the 'traditional'
system).
Now for your first question: A "magnet school" is a special school
intended to keep white Americans from fleeing school districts with
large numbers of minority students.
The idea is to offer something special to attract students whose
parents would otherwise move five miles down the road into a
majority-white school district. So one school might be the Math and
Sciences magnet school, another may be the Vocational Arts magnet
school, one may be the Arts And Crafts magnet school, etc. So, for
example, Byrd High School, a couple miles away from here in the middle
of a black neighborhood, is now a Math And Sciences Magnet School.
They offer math and science courses that most of the local high
schools can't offer for lack of students, and can accept students from
other neighborhoods. They do, of course, have a waiting list. The
federal judge overseeing the desegregation order has decreed that
positions will be allocated in a way that reflects the racial
composition of the school district. So they toss the applications from
qualified students into two piles, one for whites, one for blacks, and
draw the appropriate number of slips from each.
Note that magnet schools exist not for educational reasons, but for
race relations reasons. A very few magnet schools existed before
federal judges mandated busing and school desegregation, e.g. the
famous Bronx school for Math and Sciences, but almost all current
magnet schools owe their existence to the era of forced busing. It's a
nice side effect that these schools have allowed some diversity of
education for a chosen few in the public school system, but that is
not why magnet schools exist.
--
Eric Lee Green ex...@prysm.net Executive Consultants
Systems Specialist Educational Administration Solutions
"We believe Windows 95 is a walking antitrust violation" -- Bryan Sparks
Charles Lin
I don't know if this is an official definition or not, but I
tend to use "magnet schools" to refer to public schools that
require an examination for entrance, with the purpose of getting
the most talented students to go to the same high school. The
reason is that, in a big city, not all bright students live in
one area. Some may live in a location where the local school
is of fairly low quality. By having special high schools, where
better students can go to, they can offer more challenging courses.
In the US, children typically attend schools based on where
they live (at least public schools), though there are some exceptions.
"Magnet" schools, at least, as I'm defining it allow for students
who do well on an exam (of some sort) to attend special high
schools.
In New York, for example, I'd consider such high schools
as Bronx Science and Stuyvesant to fall in that category. I
could also concur that high schools with special themes (like
more emphasis on music) might count as a magnet school.
Typically, they appear in large cities like New York City,
since there is enough students to justify creating such a high
school.
--
Charles Lin
cl...@cs.umd.edu
Seveigny53
a magnet school is a public school (elementary, middle or secondary) which
specializes in one or more specific areas of instruction. my daughter
currently attends a "magnet" elementary school which specializes in science,
technology and dramatic arts. special instruction is provided in those areas
by teachers who are especially proficient in those areas. for example, the
students regularly engage in hands on science experiments and have guest
speakers who are work in various scientific areas
i'm not sure what you mean by quarter versus semester system. the high
school i teach at, as well as all the high schools i am familar with have two
quarters within each semester. the point are calculated quarterly and a grand
total is calculated at the end of each semester.
hope this information is helpful..
Seveigny53
>Note that magnet schools exist not for educational reasons, but for
>race relations reasons. A very few magnet schools existed before
>federal judges mandated busing and school desegregation, e.g. the
>famous Bronx school for Math and Sciences, but almost all current
>magnet schools owe their existence to the era of forced busing. It's a
>nice side effect that these schools have allowed some diversity of
>education for a chosen few in the public school system, but that is
>not why magnet schools exist.
>
>
I disagree with your explanation. In California, the state which I teach in,
magnet schools are seen (and work as) a part of the high school reform
movement. By specializing in specific areas of instruction, the schools can
concentrate scarce resources in a more efficient manner and serve the needs of
students in a more comprehensive manner. The California Department of
Education assigned a task force to create a "vision of new California High
School". They produced a booklet called "Second to None" which outlines the
need for high school reform--magnet schools are an essential part of their
vision. While it is true that magnet schools are used to promote voluntary
desegregation, it is not their primary intent.
BillSta
<<Now for your first question: A "magnet school" is a special school intended
to keep white Americans from fleeing school districts with large numbers of
minority students.>>
How do we explain Brooklyn Tech HS school then?
I think a more considered answer would be that magnet schools offer parents
choice in a school system that normally draws students from a neighborhood
(zoned school). If you look at a directory of schools in NYC , for example,
there are numerous schools that are magnets in music, math, health sciences and
even schools that focus on the environment and one that is the HS for
Teaching. I think magnet schools try to answer critics who say that parents
have no choice about what schools they can send their children to -- whether
they are white or black.