Magnet schools got a vote of confidence from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Heath Morrison when he spoke to the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club this week.
In response to an audience question, Morrison said his staff is thinking about themes and locations for CMS to add magnets (presumably in 2014-15 or later). Morrison, whose son attends the magnet Northwest School of the Arts, cited the Morehead STEM Academy as an example of a school that combines strong demand and an academic theme that will prepare students for college and careers. Morehead, a K-8 school specializing in science, technology, engineering and math, filled all its seats and had a wait list of 685 this year (see magnet lottery results here).
Morrison told the business networking group that magnets have potential to prepare students for high-demand careers, such as nursing and other health occupations. He also talked about doing a better job of "teaching to the top." In Reno, Nev., Morrison created new middle school magnets for gifted students.
Morrison did caution that he's not a fan of "boutique magnets" that are more about parent popularity than academic benefits. He didn't elaborate on examples.
An array of public-school offerings can make CMS the "option of choice" for the community, the superintendent said. He said he has no quarrel with families who choose private schools, but "I want to make it a difficult decision."
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Morrison wants more magnets
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37 comments:
And there is nothing wrong with magnets that teach trade skills like: Carpentry, Electrical, Heat & Air, Automotive technology, Hairdressing, Culinary, etc. Need to give kids a reason to go to school - stats show 70% of kids finish H.S. and under 40% of them attend college at all..... train them to do something useful.
South Meck Language Academy, 121 wait-list.
West Meck Language Academy, zero wait list.
Foreign language must not be that important to 121 parents.
Morehead STEM, 685 wait-list with no other choice.
Magnets are great, but inefficiently managed.
OMG! We just got through weeding out magnets!! Let's stop the Multi-Track Year-Round at First Ward first!
He has a "boutique magnet" in LIFT already. Wear all the lazy non supported kids go to feed West Charlotte. He can open Smith up again and a few others that are not rent producing facilities. Lord knows we have the schools just open them up.
For what I see so far, Dr. Gorman expressed a lot of concern for how the suburban students were in overcrowded schools, lacked textbooks and other basic resources and generally had 40+ to classrooms during his first year "PR tour". However, at the end of his first year, someone "got to him" and he changed his tune.
I will not grade Morrison on his PR tour. I've seen past ones and they never lived up to the hype.
At least if you are going to add magnets, please add them in the suburban schools. They are severly underrepresented with this opportunity.
As another poster has said, there is nothing wrong with creating a strong vocational trade program. Winston-Salem Forsyth County created a very strong program back in the 70's and then the elitists got hold of it and nearly ruined it.
... and another superintendent goes on another PR tour and tosses more poo at the wall to see what will stick.
*Yawn*
MAGNETS HAVE AN ACHILLES' HEEL...
....an expensive busing schedule.
This presents an opportunity for CMS to show some good sense. Were it to be that magnets were planned to be on major roads(and rails)the town could actually say it is finally using its public transportation system as other communities.
An example of a primo location for a magnet: Sterling ES. It's at the end of the Blueline and is at the corner of Westinghouse and South Blvd. Many parents who work Uptown use the CATS parking lot there.
It's technically a District 5 school but would wonderfully serve District 6.
Bolyn McClung
Pineville
Bolyn,
We'll never recoup the billions spent for 40 years of failed busing to achieve integration.
Having choices and opportunities in public education are worth the cost.
Or, we could save over $20 million and cut the useless Bright Beginnings program that is not mandated and use the money for magnet transportation and other mandated K-12 programs.
WC and Boyln, or return the money to the taxpayers.
I will add to that previous comment. As with BB, WWS and SSI have not delivered any portion of success they were sold to do. More tax money to return to the taxpayers.
Myers Park Traditional - "boutique magnet".
Northwest School of the Arts - "legitimate magnet".
Boyln, I would remind everyone of the Governors Village concept. IBM gave CMS a significant amount of property on the edge of University Research Park and CMS built 2 ES's, 1 MS and 1 HS. We could return that campus back to the workplace magnet that required hours of parents volunteering. This is in the midst of large workforce concentration with areas around University Place, UNCC and University Research Park.
Myers Park Traditional was one of the original "optional" schools that parents requested when CMS started toward other instruction techniques. When I was familar with it, its students had much improved academic performance than their home schools.
You use "boutique" as a slap in the face here yet it did produce improved academic performance. The slap in the face you should yell about is when CMS BOE sacrifices the top performing MS as a gesture to calm the closing of poor performing, high cost urban schools.
The magnet school I attended in high school prepared me to successfully get into every college I applied to in addition to paving the way for a full tuition plus stipend TA scholarship at George Washington Unv. as a graduate student. I also received a scholarship to study my subject at Harvard Univ. one summer and was hired by Wesleyan Univ. to work for a summer program for gifted high school students in the arts. My magnet school was all about the arts from a professional and academic standpoint. The "diverse" nature of the school was simply a by-product. It was about the arts. It was about creating an environment that inspired students with focused passions. It was about setting high expectations. It was about breaking down in tears sometimes because the work was so difficult and demanding. It was about accomplishing things you didn't think you could do. It was about teachers caring about their students and students respecting their teachers. It was about working side-by-side with other students who shared your passion and goals. It was never about race or class or sexual orientation because we were just young people doing what we loved in a supportive environment that facilited achievement and learning. It was a remarkable place that continues to shape who I am today.
With love and gratitude to the Educational Center for the Arts
New Haven, CT
Class of 1981
AD
Out of curiosity. What differentiates the ciriculum at Myers Park Traditional versus other "traditional" schools? Help me here.
Or, is MPT really about "diversity". Is this the school's unique "theme"?
Spelling. "Curriculum". How is MPT different?
Bolyn, Majority of the people who ride the "free light rail" are actually from SC. So a magnet school at that are would be mass confusion. Further I would never dare put a child under 18 on that rail line as it is not safe. We have empty schools we closed that we could make magnets tomorrow if CMS had a lobbyist to show our over crowding issues. Raleigh would come down with the money if we had the guts to go ask for it. The track record is just not evident and lacks motivation from CMS. Keith W. Hurley
MPT was forced to be a magnet and diversify by Judge Manning many years ago. Diversity was a key ingredient to the decision CMS was fed. A child from my neighborhood gets bused to that school daily by CMS as the bus passes 3 other elementary schools. Talk about saving money I never want to here CMS say they dont waste ! Thats 3 buses 5 kids 3 different schools. It would be cheaper to send limo service so your saving nothing as parents play the game.
Myers Park Traditional - science, arts, foreign language, military, auto mechanics, philosophy, montessori, gifted, WHAT?
WHAT differentiates this traditional school from the rest? What does CMS spend in magnet transportation costs at this school?
The traditional theme has come up the last couple of times the board reviewed magnets (pre-Morrison, obviously). Apparently when the traditional magnets were created, the structured day, phonics-based reading and character education were unusual. Then a lot of schools evolved to be more like those magnets, and most board members have agreed there's not a clear academic distinction. But they're popular and successful, so they've survived the last few rounds of magnet winnowing.
1:32, 2009-2010 school year, CMS spent $58,000 transporting one student, not a special needs student.
2:44 - my point exactly and I have even met with Morrison on this very issue (examples given) for him to fix. Has he taken action? NO He is full of hot Gorman air so far.
1:32, correction on MPT. Under a couple of superintendents ago, they created his large magnet program for the purposes of expanding diversity in schools. Seats were allocated by black versus non-black. MPTS and the other "optional" schools were rolled into this "magnet" program. In many schools, the black seats did not get filled. Thus was the basis of the Cappichione (?sp) suit that ended the federal court order to bus for diversity. The Cappichione child (non-white) could not get into a school because the non-black seats were filled but (black) seats still remained. In the early years, some (non-magnet) schools were overcrowded. The situation though soon resolved itself but the BOE was so slow, hiding behind the federal court order, they began diminishing the academic benefit of the magnets by allowing neighborhood kids to mix in. NWSA was one school that really suffered being held back of its original mission.
2:52, once the school year is underway, he has little leadway to do much. We will see if he can get these policy changes made by December so as to effect next year.
Seesm to me that the bottom line is that even if a magnet school costs a little more per pupil, the academic performance improvement over the home schools was significant to justify it. Magnet per pupil spending (including transportation) though was incredibly less than the home school spending some of the urban students were coming from and they benefited from the magnet program. However whenmuch of the magnet transportation ended, these kids had to go back to their home schools. There may be a year or two bump in their performances over the "home" kids but that will diminsh as we see BB does.
why dont we just have all white and all black schools.. that way we can stop reading "suburban whites" complain on every education blog about CMS we get it! you dont want to go to school with worthless black and latinos - now can we move on a fix the problems with our schools!
2:56 - IF MORRISON DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE A HUGE WASTE OF MONEY ISSUE YESTERDAY THEIR IS NO REASON FOR HIM TO BE IN CHARGE. HE CAN MAKE A CHANGE MONDAY AND IF THE PARENT DOES NOT LIKE THAT JOHNNIE FROM BALLANTYNE CANT GO TO MPT ANYMORE THEN PARENT CAN GO TO COUNTRY DAY LIKE HIS NEIGHBOR. STOP MAKING BABBIES OF THESE KIDS AND ACTUALLY LET THEM GROW THAT SPINE ITS OKAY.
4:26 anon- your correct all CMS has to do is a audit of schools like Eastover,MPT,Sharon and some others. What the results will show is numerous students are in the schools under the addresses of their grand parents,inlaws,cousins,pals. If CMS wants to grow some teeth send these kids to their neighborhood schools.
I don't think comparing magnet school transportation to a limo service is a strong comparison. As a student of a magnet school the transportation was provided by my school but it was privately funded by those who choose to use it.
Vocational programs are needed! Give kids skills to make a living. Magnet programs must be of such quality that they are selected because they fill an academic need, not for parents to avoid certain schools. Taxpayer money should not be spent busing kids across the county. Nor should it be spent on security guards assigned to monitor registered sex offenders as has happened in the past. (what does it take to get kicked out of school?)
Vocational Programs / Schools are what they are having success with in Clark county Nevada (Las Vegas)
NWSA is not a true magnet either. Many students are there to escape their home school. I taught there for 10 years and sat through countless "auditions" of kids with absolutely no arts background or interest. As a parent of a magnet student I am well aware of the huge expense for busing. We are suffering with the 9:15-4:15 schedule as a result of this expense. More magnets = more schools on the late bell.
www.change.org/petitions/change-cms-bell-schedule
HEATH
Keep your magnets. I need some computers. Twice the work with half the resources. This is not a conducive environment to entice and retain highly qualified teachers.
Annoy at Oct 3 @ 9:26 pm
Many non magnet schools suffer through the 9:15-4:15 bell schedule--we didn't choose it--you chose your magnet school.
And trying to bus students from South Charlotte to West Meck is ridiculous.
There are no magnet schools near my house that don't take 45 plus minutes to get to during rush hour. I don't work uptown, so magnet programs only mean taking away money and resources from my children's "suburban" school.
9:26
Myers Park IB has minimum academic criteria for admission into the program. NWSA has neither academic or artistic criteria for entrance into the program. You are correct, the school is often used as a method of escape from other schools in the area which only diminishes the intent, focus, mission and quality of the school. There are kids who attend for the right reasons and those who have no interest in the arts at all.
I don't think an arts magnet needs to exclusively cater to students with enough talent and skills to play at Carnegie Hall. However, there should be minimal academic standards for entrance into the program and a strong demonstratable commitment to an arts subject area. It's less about training the next Broadway star and more about training students who have a passion for the arts to think and learn and grow in their chosen art concentration. It's about learning to work as and think as an artist in a challenging and stimulating environment. It's shouldn't be about trying to rescue kids stuck at bad schools in the area who have no real interest in the arts. NWSA shouldn't be a "default" school because area neighborhood schools aren't a viable option.
For what I see so far, Dr. Gorman expressed a lot of concern for how the suburban students were in overcrowded schools, lacked textbooks and other basic resources and generally had 40+ to classrooms during his first year "PR tour". However, at the end of his first year, someone "got to him" and he changed his tune. I will not grade Morrison on his PR tour. I've seen past ones and they never lived up to the hype. At least if you are going to add magnets, please add them in the suburban schools. They are severly underrepresented with this opportunity. As another poster has said, there is nothing wrong with creating a strong vocational trade program. Winston-Salem Forsyth County created a very strong program back in the 70's and then the elitists got hold of it and nearly ruined it.
OMG! We just got through weeding out magnets!! Let's stop the Multi-Track Year-Round at First Ward first!
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