By Robert Brooks, Ph.D., and Gladys Pack, Ph.D.
As this first issue of Distinct by Design makes clear, American public schools are facing a range of challenges, from dwindling federal funding to dizzying and disruptive technological advancements to entrenched segregation. In our book, Magnet Schools: Public Schools of Choice in a Changing Education Landscape, we explore the unique facets of magnet schools that position them so well as potential solutions.
In discussing funding obstacles, for example, Magnet Schools notes that demand for magnet schools outpaces supply, a fact that contrasts with reports of declining public-school enrollment in many parts of the country. Likewise, our book provides numerous vignettes outlining the use of cutting-edge technology in magnet schools, suggesting that these schools will be among the leaders in successfully integrating and exploiting advancements in artificial intelligence. And, of course, Magnet Schools discusses the history and continuing commitment to the essential cause of desegregation, an evolving but ever-present battle that takes on special significance this year as we mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Today’s magnet schools provide both equitable and excellent schools for children from a range of different backgrounds, using theme-based programs that develop multiple talents. integrate the core subjects, celebrate diversity, set high academic standards. and offer parents choices. As we face the many challenges and opportunities ahead, we know that magnet schools will continue to rise to the occasion.
Robert Brooks, Ph.D., is an editor of Magnet Schools: Public Schools of Choice in a Changing Education Landscape and is a past president and past executive director of Magnet Schools of America.
Gladys Pack, Ph.D., is an editor of Magnet Schools: Public Schools of Choice in a Changing Education Landscape and a founding member of Magnet Schools of America. Learn more and obtain a copy of Magnet Schools: Public Schools of Choice in a Changing Education Landscape here.
Raise the level of performance consistent throughout school districts nationwide and creates a platform from which all magnet schools can flourish. Magnet Schools of America’s national certification process is designed to recognize the hard work of the best magnet schools in the nation and to help them as they grow.
