Magnet schools are designed to promote voluntary school desegregation and to enhance
educational quality through thematic teaching of uniform curriculum (www.magnet.edu). Partially
funded by the federal government through grants and assistance programs, magnet schools essentially
provide choice to parents and students across America to gain a more specialized education.
Intrinsically, magnet schools allow students from many different districts to unite in one school in
hopes of creating a racially diverse learning environment. Despite the attempt made by the federal
government to desegregate schools, Jonathon Kozol points out that, in fact, the magnet schools have
even further isolated the poor urban student and that magnet schools have indeed failed to meet initial
expectations as a desegregated environment. Yet desegregation is apparent in the areas of philosophy
and purpose, admission and entrance to the schools, and curriculum.
The initial proposal of the magnet school as a means to create racial equity among schools has
been unsuccessful despite its statement of philosophy and purpose. “By shifting focus toward academic
interests…magnet schools are attempting to bring together students who have common interests
regardless of race” (www.liberalparty.com). However, despite its attempts, the system of magnet
schools has failed to overcome racial segregation. Kozol notes that “very poor children, excluded from
this [magnet] system, says the Chicago Tribune, are ‘even more isolated’ as a consequence of the
removal of the more successful students from their midst” (Kozol 59). According to Kozol and the
Tribune, the magnet system is further segregating the school systems by worsening the regular public
schools in neighboring areas. What must not be forgotten are the existing schools that the less
successful and less motivated students are left to attend, and the damaging effects that they face as a
result of the magnet school system. In addition, in an evaluation of the Magnet Schools Assistance
Program between 1989 and 1991, researchers “Steel and Eaton discovered that only half the schools
met their desegregation objectives” (www.eric.uoregon.edu). Another study providing evidence that
racial equity has failed to be realized through the use of magnet schools is in a recent statecommissioned
evaluation of New York State’s magnet school program for 1993-94. The study “found
that schools did not completely achieve their academic or desegregation goals” (New York State 1994-
www.eric.urogen.edu). Legal critic Kimberly West has also concluded that “magnet schools are a
‘desegregation tool that backfired, are rife with racially segregated classes,’ and minority students are
too often ‘treated as inferior by the very system that was designed to help them’”
(www.eric.uoregon.edu). In support of Kozol’s premise that magnet schools lack success in their
purpose and philosophy, research studies and a legal critic provides further evidence that
desegregation attempts have failed through the institution of magnet schools. Despite its effort and
claim to create racial equity among schools, magnet schools have failed to do so, both within the
magnets themselves and in the surrounding communities’ public schools.
According to the definition of a magnet school, which shifts the focus toward academic interest
and away from the typical entrance criteria, these schools unify students of similar interests regardless
of race. However, as Kozol argues, “‘those [children] the system chooses to save,’ according to the
Tribune, ‘are the brightest youngsters, selected by race, income and achievement’ for ‘magnet schools
where teachers are handpicked’ and which ‘operate much like private institutions’”(Kozol 60). Kozol
describes the admission process almost as if it is game, and only those who fit a certain criteria are able
to win admission. In order to enter into a magnet school, one must be of the highest class, where only
the best are admitted and the rest are left behind. Furthermore, admission to a magnet school is based
upon the initiative of the parents. Kozol points out that “the magnet system is, not surprisingly, highly
attractive to the more sophisticated parents, disproportionately white and middle class, who have the
ingenuity and, now and then, the political connections to obtain admission for their children” (Kozol
59). It is thought that admission to a magnet school is not based upon entrance criteria; however, as
Kozol notes, it most certainly is: “even when a magnet school has no such highly selective admissions
criteria such as test scores most of the students are select: with very few exceptions, students with
failing grades, or records of bad behavior or truancy, do not get selected in magnets”(www.ed.gov).
Kozol also points out that preschool and education at a better elementary school offer a great advantage
to those who may be admitted, but he finds that “an even more important factor seems to be the social
class and education level of their parents” (Kozol 60). The article Magnet Schools: A Positive Attraction
describes the steps necessary for entrance to any magnet school as an experience where “parents
should visit the school of interest to the parent and child, review admission requirements, making sure
that the child meets all entrance criteria by the school, and complete the application form”
(www.isis.ebrps.subr.edu). It is the parents’ responsibility to locate the school, assess its offerings, and,
from there, make sure that the student fits the criteria to win admission. Interestingly, “another study
by researchers Yon and others (1998) found that parents of low socioeconomic status could not
participate as often as middle-class parents, due to commuting problems and inflexible work schedules”
(www.eric.uoregon.edu). Kozol touches upon this issue of low income parents’ involvement when he
points out that “school boards think that, if they offer the same printed information to all parents, they
have made choice equally accessible. “However, in some instances, the printed information won’t be
read, or certainly will not be scrutinized aggressively, by parents who can’t read or who read very
poorly” (Kozol 62). Parental involvement as the means for children to enter the magnet school is not a
reliable tool. Resting solely on the initiative of the parents, admission has meant only the best and
brightest are chosen and the rest are left behind, in isolation. The system’s admission process has failed
to achieve desegregation and has even, in most cases, created further segregation.
Designed as a thematic approach, the curriculum of a magnet school generally focuses on the areas
of math-science or performing arts programs (www.ccsd.net). Magnet schools that draw upon the most
successful and highly motivated schools are also thriving on their creed to provide better and specialized
education that cannot be attained in an ordinary public school. Given the hopes that these highly motivated
children will produce test scores that will attract more dedicated students, it is important to note that the
magnet schools have failed to do this. In an investigation by ACORN (Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now) in 1997, of 86 middle schools and 14 New York City districts … “only a few
middle-school students have the opportunity to master the material needed to perform well on entrance
exams” (www.eric.uoregon.edu). Another “study of career-magnet schools and programs in New York
City found that career-magnet high schoolers had slightly lower test scores than kids attending regular
high schools and similar reading test scores” (www.eric.uoregon.edu). Because magnet schools focus
primarily on one major theme or topic in their teachings, children are segregated from a well-rounded
education. Unfortunately, magnet schools have directed their focus toward one subject, grouping similar
students, but because they focus on the this one major topic, students are failing to gain an education that
is equivalent to that of a regular high school regardless of race (Hill et al. www.ed.gov).
Despite the attempt to create an environment that focuses on its academic prowess and providing
students with an education that is specialized and unique regardless of race, magnet schools fail to meet
their expectations in the main areas of philosophy and purpose, admission and entrance to the schools,
and curriculum. Magnet schools have been unsuccessful in their plans to desegregate and have further
segregated the system when viewed as a whole. While the magnets may offer great opportunity to a few
select students from segregated urban school environments, [the mandate] accomplishes nothing for the
non-magnet students, and this is the serious flaw in the magnet approach. After assessment of the entire
system surrounding the magnet programs, one may conclude that magnet schools are better defined as
another segregated school within a segregated system.
Works Cited
Inger, Morton. “Improving Urban Education with Magnet Schools.” ERIC/CUE Digest 76.
Online. Internet. http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed340813.html
Klauke, Amy. “Magnet Schools. ERIC Digest Series Number EA 26.” Online. Internet.
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed293225.html
Kozol, Jonathon. Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991.
“Magnet Schools: A Positive Attraction.” Online. Internet. http://isis.ebrps.edu/~rculpepp/faq.html
Online. Internet. http://www.liberalparty.org/F1992Page1.html
Online. Internet. http://www.eric.urogen.edu/trends_issues/choice/magnet.html
Waldrip, Donald. “Magnet Schools of America.” Online. Internet. http://magnet.edu/history.html
“What are Magnet Schools?” Online. Internet. www.ccsd.net/schools/special/magnet.html
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