About MSA

Magnet Schools in America: A Brief History

In the 1960’s in the United States, some options to traditional public schools sprang up as a protest against racially segregated schools. The history of magnet schools is tied to the 1960’s protest over school desegregation and the educational reform model of public school choice as a way to address educational inequity.

In the 1980’s, Magnet Schools of America (MSA) organized as a for-profit organization, incorporating in the State of Texas, sponsoring conferences. In the early 1990’s, a small group of magnet leaders met and organized an Association of members. In 1994, MSA was approved by the IRS as a 501(c) 3 not-for profit, professional educational association. Originally located in Houston, TX , MSA relocated its office to Washington, D.C. in 2000 and today MSA represents approximately 2,000 magnet schools nationwide.

What are Magnet Schools?

Magnet Schools plan and develop programs using local, state, and federal funds, including the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), Title I, Voluntary Public School Choice, Advanced Placement, and Smaller Learning Community grants. MSA works most closely with MSAP. Congress recently reauthorized MSAP to support the continuation of this program that provides students with a valuable educational and personal experience, prepares them to function in a diverse society, and helps to eliminate, reduce or prevent long-standing patterns of racial isolation. Magnet schools continue to serve as models for school improvement efforts. They provide students an opportunity to succeed academically while learning in a racially diverse environment. Magnet schools will serve as a public school choice option for many LEAs throughout the Nation and support the policy under No Child Left Behind to promote public school choice for students in low performing schools.

More About MSA:

In 1994, MSA was approved by the IRS as a 501(c) 3 not-for profit, professional educational association. Originally located in Houston, TX, MSA relocated its office to Washington, D.C. in 2000 specifically to promote desegregation, equity, and excellence through the expansion and improvement of magnet, theme, and public choice schools. The Association advocates the passage of national and state legislation promoting school desegregation, theme-based/specialty education, and public schools of choice. MSA supports and serves the leaders and teachers of magnet and/or specialized schools, while promoting the development of new magnet and public schools of choice. MSA conferences provide a forum for leadership, school reform, and innovation in magnet education.

What Were the Beginnings? What is a Magnet School?

In the late 1960’s, school districts across America were being torn apart by resistance to forced desegregation of the schools. Many parents would move to a suburban school district to keep from having their children bused to a school away from the neighborhood. Others would choose private education for their children. School administrators and boards of education began to try to find a voluntary way to reduce racial isolation. Court Orders, followed by Voluntary School Desegregation plans would become common place in urban school districts to address minority group isolation. In the early 1980’s Magnet schools eventually were helped by the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) which provided the impetus for thousands of magnet schools, which required districts seeking these funds to develop and implement a voluntary desegregation plan or are part of a court order to reduce racial isolation.

What are the Benefits of Magnet Schools?

Specific achievements in Magnet Schools include: improved academic achievement; diverse student enrollments; higher attendance rates, graduation rates, and lower drop-out rates. Magnet schools boast more parental involvement, more personalization through theme-based education, and specialized programs providing a sense of a safer environment for learning. Teachers are better prepared through planned professional development.

What is the Mission of MSA?

Magnet Schools of America provides leadership for innovative instructional programs that promote equity, diversity, and academic excellence for all students in public school choice programs.

What are MSA’s Guiding Principles?

We believe that MSA through it national and regional structure is uniquely able to provide support, advocacy, and leadership for all magnet schools and other public schools of choice.
We believe that MSA must develop strong group and individual leadership to accomplish the goals and mission of the organization.
We believe in providing equity, excellence, and high academic achievement for all students.
We believe that communication is a process by which MSA will educate our stakeholders to the values of equity, diversity, and academic success.

What are MSA’s Goals and Objectives?

To promote goals of desegregation, equity, excellence, and the expansion and improvement of magnet schools;
To encourage America's businesses to become actively involved in magnet schools and to support them both conceptually and financially;
To encourage the federal government to finance magnet schools as entitlement programs rather than as competitive grants, and to increase the amount of this support;
To encourage the passage of legislation at both the state and national levels that will promote the development and improvement of magnet schools;
To provide parents and community members information on the benefits of magnet schools as schools of choice;
To act as a National Clearinghouse for information dissemination on magnet schools and promote legislative advocacy for magnet schools and programs.

Magnet Schools of America Staff

Executive Director: Dr. Robert G. Brooks is the Executive Director of Magnet Schools of America, located in the National Office in Washington, D.C. He is a past president of Magnet Schools of America (1998-2000) and served as the Association's first Secretary-Treasurer when the organization became incorporated in 1994. Dr. Brooks is an author/edidtor of: Definitive Studies of Magnet Schools: Voices of Public School Choice (1999); Author/Editor, Blueprint for Understandiing and Operating Successful Magnet and Theme-Based Schools (2000) and 2nd edition (2004); and Editor, Magnet Schools of America quarterly newsletter, CHOICE. He may be reached at 202-824-0672 or e-mail: executive.director@magnet.edu.

Marketing and Communications: Andrea Mastrobuono is the Program Manager of Marketing and Communications for Magnet Schools of America, located in the National Office in Washington, D.C.. She focuses on the marketing and promotion of Magnet Schools of America membership and conferences. She may be reached by e-mail at communications@magnet.edu.

Events Coordinator: Judy Shen is the Events Coordinator for Magnet Schools of America, located in the National Office in Washington, D.C.. She handles all conference-related work, including registration, payments, and on-site planning and preparation. She may be reached by e-mail at events@magnet.edu.

Office Assistant: The Magnet Schools of America Office Assistant can be reached by e-mail at membership@magnet.edu.