School Magnet Programs: What Every Parent Should Know

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Chances are if you’re a parent or guardian with school age children in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), you have heard something about the Magnet Program.  While the magnet network first begun in 1976 as a result of a court-ordered desegregation plan, the program continues to exist, despite those who oppose it.  With these programs offering a variety of disciplines that attract well over 60,000 applicants a year, it makes you wonder, what is there to oppose?  The answer to that question is only part of the reason why school magnet programs are constantly in jeopardy of losing necessary funding. 

Although the following information focuses on a specific elementary school magnet program in LAUSD, it still provides what every parent should know about school magnet programs in general.  It will also help you better understand and appreciate the benefits your child can gain from a magnet program.

Seventy-Fourth Street Elementary School is nestled between Crenshaw Blvd and Western Avenue. It is located only blocks from the Florence and Normandie intersection where incidents sparked the 1992 L.A. uprising. For all intentional purposes, 74^th Street School and Gifted Magnet is considered to be in a “bad” part of town. To those who don’t know any better, they look at the surrounding area and see a population of economically disadvantaged people, with low achievement and low expectations. The parents, students and faculty of 74^th Street School, however, know that this view and assumption about their community couldn’t be further from the truth! If you’re skeptical, all you have to do is look at the school's recent Mandatory Test Scores.  The scores for the school’s general population, has now reached 828 out of a possible 1000.   As for the score for the schools magnet students, it is a whopping 980!

Are most parents aware of these scores and their significance? Probably not. How could they be, when the officials in charge of scoring and data keeping barely acknowledge this achievement themselves. Instead of students, parents, staff and faculty at Seventy-Fourth being visibly recognized for their combined efforts, they instead are LAUSD’s best kept secret!

While 74^th Street School offers an exceptional magnet program, it is not a Magnet School that encompasses the entire student body. Like most of the magnet learning that is done in the LAUSD system, Seventy-Fourth Street Gifted Magnet consists of several classes containing children who have been identified for the program. Classes are devoted to high achievement and educational excellence and are tailored to student’s needs and interests.

It is the curriculum, along with a great staff of instructors that made the test scores spike up 78% from last year’s scores. This was in spite of recent budget cuts and loss of seven magnet program teachers. While obviously proud of his magnet students and their amazing accomplishments, Dennis Hatmaker, head of the 74^th Street magnet program says it’s not just about the magnet students. According to Hatmaker “We’re all here as a family. They’re all important to us”. This is a statement many faculty and staff take to heart at 74^th Street School. The evidence is the fact that many of the faculty’s own children and family members attend the school right along with them. Could this be the reason that the website: Great Schools – Involved Parents, Successful Kids gave the school a four star rating (out of possible five) in the following areas:

• · Principal Leadership
• · Teacher Quality
• · Extracurricular Activities
• · Parent Involvement
• · Safety and Discipline

It's always a good sign when parents take the time to voice how they feel about their child's education. Another website that gives reviews and feedback about schools had this to say about : 74th Street Elementary School

PARENT REVIEWS

My daughter graduated with honors from the magnet program at 74th Street School. We now live out-of- state, but the memory of exceptional teachers and students and a dedicated, caring administration will forever be in our hearts. 74th Street School, helped prepare my daughter to excel and compete anywhere she goes. We love 74th Street.

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I'm glad I picked 74th street school to send my daughter to. She has improved in her reading, math and other learning skills. 74Th st. School and there teachers really care about there students and like to keep there parents informed about the school and what's going on there. I feel safe and my daughter does, as well.

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Seventy-Fourth Street is an excellent for any student K-5! My daughter (Tessalyn) had a wonderful 4th grade experience. Her world was broadened by the exposures outside of class. Also, our fabulous 4th grade teacher (Ms. M) emphasizes reading and excellence in all areas. I applaud 74th Street!

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These evaluations bears out the fact that 74^th Street School is, as Mr. Hatmaker says, “A diamond in the rough that nobody knows about”. Also not to be ignored, are the various programs that the school provides to all their students. These activities are geared to help parents and children on a number of levels. Some of these programs include the ones you see to the right. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It would seem that the success of the 74^th Street Gifted Magnet Program has had a positive affect on the whole school overall. Since this is the case, it leads us back to our original question. Why would anyone oppose the program, and why are the magnet programs in jeopardy.

Misplaced Opposition

A lot of the opposition to magnet programs still center around the whole racial and integration issues. Critics don’t believe that the programs have done much to integrate students from other areas into the various inner city schools. Some of the inner city magnet programs have actually had trouble filling the seats that they have. For example, Washington Preparatory, a middle school located in South Los Angeles, has three magnet programs. One in science/technology, one in music and their communication arts program. There was a time, not long ago, when only 46 of their 90 available slots in the music academy were filled. The other two magnets just barely reached their capacity, having only a few more applicants than openings. The new charter schools that are popping up everywhere are also a reason the magnet funds are getting hijacked.

Uninformed Parents

Probably the biggest reason for loss of funds to the highly effective magnet programs have to do with parents not being informed. They are not aware of the importance or the value of these programs to their children’s education. Even when a child is not enrolled in a magnet program, just attending a school that offers the programs can boost the overall morale and achievement of the school in general. Seventy-Fourth Street School is a prime example of this line of thought. If this is the case, then why the budget cuts?

No Waiting – No Need For Funds Philosophy

Officials in charge of doling out the funds for necessary school expenses (like the magnet programs), look at waiting lists to determine a school’s needs. Schools who have a waiting list of students looking to get into a particular magnet program are targeted first for funding. It seems to stand to reason, if no one is “waiting” to get into a program, the need for that program must not be so great, right? Wrong! Some parents don’t have their children on the waiting list, because they are not aware of the procedures and deadlines surrounding the magnet program. The end result, some magnet programs get way more applicants than they are able to accept, while others have relatively few applicants.

In conclusion, it is crucial that parents not only stay informed themselves, but help other parents to appreciate the need for the continued existence of the magnet programs.

If you would like to do more to support the magnet program at your child’s school, contact the magnet coordinator and see what you can do to get involved. Make a point to stay alert to details and deadlines that relate specifically to the following:

Identifying Potential Magnet Students

Identification of potential magnet students is often done by the school’s psychologist, sometimes as early as kindergarten. Ordinarily, the first signs can be recognized in the child’s primary years (typically first and second grade). Evaluations are made based on class work, problem solving skills and vocabulary, among other things. These identifiers have helped to place many children into first grade magnet classes, thus giving them an early launch into the magnet programs they’ll be eligible for later on.

By grades 3 through 5, the children’s test scores play a substantial role when it comes to proper placement into magnet programs. By that time, students have been so successfully identified, that teachers and parents should begin giving thought to various specialized programs. A variety of disciplines are available to middle school and high school students. At that level, the parents and students “Choices” begin to come into play.

Enrollment Into The Magnet Schools And Programs.

The “Choices” application comes out not long after the beginning of each school year and typically has a deadline just prior to the dismissal for winter break. It is this application that parents need to read over carefully and get familiar with, if they want their child to attend a magnet school or program via the open enrollment process. Children above the fifth grade level will have to join the “lottery” of student applicants and hope to get into the magnet program of their choice. Those, however, who entered programs at the lower first through fourth grade level, will automatically roll over into the upper grade magnet programs. The lottery like circumstances involved with getting into the school you desire is the reason parents should get their Choices applications in early.

It is important for parents to check and make sure they know the exact deadline for turning the Choices application in. For those who may have trouble with completing the form, they can usually refer to the school’s magnet coordinator or other faculty for additional information. Changing your mind about a “choice” that you make on your application is discouraged and will cost you to have to start the process over again. This will likely prevent your child from getting into a magnet program for that school term. For this reason, parents are encouraged to check out the program they are interested in, by visiting the school and speaking to magnet their magnet teachers and coordinator.

For more information about the LAUSD magnet programs, please visit:: LAUSD.