If we were to walk through the halls of our high schools, we could remember precisely what classes we did not like and the classes in which we excelled.
Maybe you were an athlete, which was really only there for the one hour weightlifting class and the two- to three-hour practices after school. Maybe you were a science kid who knew all the blood types and took all the AP classes for science and math. Maybe you were the “woke” kid who had five news apps on their phone and were ready to vote since fifth grade. Nevertheless, we all had a place in school where we excelled.
The sentiment is the same for kids all around the world, and this is why I propose we create specialty schools for each field, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
We have already seen great success with this on a smaller scale. Fine arts schools all around the country are producing great talent. Sports academies like the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and the Evert Tennis Academy in Palm Beach, Florida, are grooming athletic talent while giving them the education they need in the classroom. Lest we forget, the shining stars, New York’s specialized schools, who are struggling to keep their diversity as their schools reach national acclaim.
The goal is to create a system where people with the same mindset about school can push themselves to the next level. It is understood when successful kids are accompanied by great teachers, they push themselves to better understand the course material and the goals teachers set. Such situations allow students to have role models they trust who push them to excel.
Allowing for this specialized school selection also allows for public schools to create more diverse student bodies.
A 2014 Propublica piece by Nikole Hannah-Jones dug into the segregation which has crept back into our school systems, or in some cases, never left. Most schools draw their districts from certain areas, and because of redlining and the discrepancy of income between the races, minorities are prevented from attending certain schools.
This led to the creation of a lasting effect, as more and more kids are attending apartheid schools, which consist of 90 percent or more of a minority. As a result, schools see less funding, less-qualified teachers and a continual downfall.
According to John Oliver of LastWeek Tonight, as the problem becomes worse because of isolation and white closed-mindedness, the local governments are trying to find solutions. This is because diversity positively affects and prepares students for a future guaranteed to have interactions with people of all ages, races, religions, etc.
Mimi Kirk of CityLab writes, “The benefits of an integrated student body are very clear for kids of color: Test scores and graduation rates increase, and as adults they earn more and enjoy better health.”
This fact does not overshadow the fear of some white families, who believe minority students will ruin their schools. However, a system of magnet schools could create enough incentive to make even the non-minority parent see they should switch to a different way of choosing a school.
Another incentive is the ability for teachers to pick who they would like to teach. Is your goal in life to help athletes excel, or maybe to help the next college professor realize her abilities? The teacher can decide for themselves.
The one downfall in my eyes to this magnet school system is transportation. However, I think if parents see the value, they will make many sacrifices for their children when they realize magnet schools are the best option for their children.
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Magnet schools are key to diversity and academic success
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