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It is time for that magnet lottery and I looked up some schools for my daughter. However all the schools I looked at except one all were given bad school ratings in greatschools.net
I thought the whole point of magnet TD schools were supposed to be for high achievers? I remember where I used to live that it how it was. Plus there was a few magnet schools to choose from in each district so it wasn't a far drive.
But here in south charlotte, there is only 2 school within a 15 mile radius that was partly magnet.
Maybe magnets are different here? How do they work?
And my daughter's school is rated 10 in great schools, should I keep her there rather a much lower graded magnet TD school? Is there a big difference?
You have to realize that ratings from websites such as greatschools.net are a reflection of the socioeconomic status of the students who attend the schools, as test scores and income level are directly related. So when schools in South Charlotte with very few students who come from poverty have very high test scores, it really shouldn't surprise anyone.
In addition, there is a good deal of research that shows that test scores predict very little about how a particular student will perform at a school.
There are some really good magnet programs in CMS, but keep in mind that their test scores and ratings may be lower than some of the schools in South Charlotte because they reflect a more diverse student population. I can promise you that there are some great students at some of the TD mangets, such as Barringer and Villa Heights, and they would thrive at any school.
My suggestion is to visit the schools that you might be interested in -- statistics cannot replace actually going to the school and seeing it for yourself.
If the school is only partly magnet, is the review only about the magnet school or is it a reflection of the entire school. that may make a huge difference.
There is a magnet I would LOVE to get my 5 year old in for next fall, but we live in UC and it is in Meck. County.
I got a little more information that shed some light. I am still not happy but it makes sense.
What I was told was those test scores are on both magnet and non magnet students. They don't break them down between the both. The only pure magnet school is Villa Heights and they interestingly enough are rated the highest and on par with the scores of my daughter's school. But they aren't zoned for my area.
They also said that they had a magnet review process meeting and does realize that there is a need for a magnet school in the extreme north and extreme south. (me) They also want to expand the Language Immersion and Montessori programs.
So it doesn't help me in my situation and I am going to keep her here locally. I do love her TD teacher and she said that next year they will be putting all the TD and High Flyers in one classroom. That will allow her to dedicate more time in going there instead of pulling them out.
I just don't feel comfortable sending her so far away from here. The school she is zoned for is north of uptown near the airport. They get out at 3:30, which means she probably won't get home till almost 5. We normally eat dinner at 5:30.
I will just keep her here locally till they open a closer magnet school or wait till middle school and hope there are more options.
As someone unfamiliar with magnet schools and who went through school in Florida, I'm having trouble understanding the concept here.
If I'm reading everything correctly, people send their kids to a different school than what they'd typically be zoned for due to their academic achievement. These magnet schools offer specialized teaching to get the kids ready for a career or even higher education...am I right?
Two things:
1. Why would you want to send your kid to a school where their friends from elementary and middle school will not be going?
2. Why do we want to specialize and narrow track kids while they're still in High School?
I didn't decide what sort of career to pursue until the summer after I graduated from high school. If someone asked me what I was going to be as a freshman (heck, all the way through my senior year), I'd have told them a pro baseball player or a Naval Aviator (both of which flopped). So my point is, what if I had a slightly more "realistic" aspiration of say a computer technician...and I was shipped away to a high school in 9th or 10th grade to go start learning computers? Then come graduation, I'd have a more specific knowledge rather than the well-roundedness of my colleagues who stayed at the normal high school. Not good.
Am I way off target here with my understanding of the magnet thing?
My child is going into the third grade. She will be in a general Talent Development immersion which is more challenging and based on her knowledge. There is no "narrow" track for her. It will be well rounded. Her problem is that she is bored to tears. The other kids are reading Magic Tree House books and she is reading Harry Potter. She complains that she wants to be homeschooled as everything is too easy and boring. I will be working closer with her TD teacher she has this year and make sure she is more challenged. I supplement with her at home as well.
And I am not sending her to a magnet for one of the reasons you posted, she will be far away. I thought there would be a local magnet school that is within a few miles. But there isn't.
Now in Junior High, I am hoping that there will be one locally.
I do have an opinion on narrow track. These kids are often tested for their aptitude in certain areas. So kids that are really bright in mathematics will go to a mathmatics oriented school where they can learn even more but they are also still expected to take regular classes as well. So it isn't so narrow track.
In Florida if I remember correctly through it was different. I think there you can go to your "specialty" class for 2/3 of the day and then they halfheartedly give you the basics in other subjects crammed in one or two periods. That I don't agree with.
Metallisteve -
It sounds like you are thinking of a vocational/trade program, that isn't the same thing. CMS has elementary, middle and high school magnet programs.
From the CMS website
Quote:
What is a magnet program?
The simplest way to explain similarities and differences between a magnet and non-magnet school in CMS is that it is not what is taught, but how the teaching is done.
In North Carolina the NC Standard Course of Studies (NCSCOS) specifies the standards, goals and objectives to be taught to students at each grade level for each subject. The content taught in any NC public school classroom, therefore, is going to be very similar regardless if the student is in Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington or any point in between. The NCSCOS provides the "educational blueprint" for all NC public schools and teachers to follow in planning and delivering instruction at each grade level.
Magnet programs are theme-based to promote students' interests, abilities and talents. In CMS, the NCSCOS curriculum is organized and taught in magnet schools using the magnet theme as a catalyst to deliver instruction. CMS offers various curricular themes or instructional approaches such as Visual and Performing Arts, World Language Immersion, Montessori, International Baccalaureate and many others. Parents are encouraged to consider their child's abilities, aptitudes and talents when considering the magnet theme offerings in CMS. If parents find a magnet theme that is a good fit for their child and enroll their child in a magnet school that uses that theme, then their child is apt to find the learning experience more pertinent to their interests and will be more engaged in the lessons. Researchers have noted that magnet programs promote innovations in teaching and learning, increased parental involvement, greater student engagement, diverse student bodies that, when added together, can lead to higher student achievement.
Magnet Programs for the 2009-10 School Year (http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/programs/magnet/magnetthemes.asp - broken link)
Thanks for the info NCGirl. I certainly wasn't trying to dog the kids, parents, or schools with the "narrow track" comment. Just trying to get a grasp on what these magnet schools are.
So my understanding now is they still teach a minimum curriculum of all subjects, but somehow use the specific magnet subject to accelerate the normal studies. Am I going in the right direction? If so, this sounds interesting. Do the schools still have sports teams and all the stuff that a normal high school offers?
My worry still remains about separating the kid from their friends. No, the purpose of school is not to support a kid's social life, but let's be honest, your life is set in motion by your grade school experience...including who your friends are. The last thing I'd want to do is send my kid through school and allow them to make friends for 8 years, then ship them to the other side of Charlotte into a whole new crowd. That's been known to scar a kid for the rest of their life! It's no different than moving during a kid's senior year.
Thanks for the info NCGirl. I certainly wasn't trying to dog the kids, parents, or schools with the "narrow track" comment. Just trying to get a grasp on what these magnet schools are.
So my understanding now is they still teach a minimum curriculum of all subjects, but somehow use the specific magnet subject to accelerate the normal studies. Am I going in the right direction? If so, this sounds interesting. Do the schools still have sports teams and all the stuff that a normal high school offers?
My worry still remains about separating the kid from their friends. No, the purpose of school is not to support a kid's social life, but let's be honest, your life is set in motion by your grade school experience...including who your friends are. The last thing I'd want to do is send my kid through school and allow them to make friends for 8 years, then ship them to the other side of Charlotte into a whole new crowd. That's been known to scar a kid for the rest of their life! It's no different than moving during a kid's senior year.
I think you may not quite be seeing the whole picture Steve
For one thing, when you have a child whose particular needs will be better met in a magnet than in his neighborhood school you owe it to the child to check that out.
Additionally, not all kids who make the move to a new high school are "scarred for life", lol. I think you are failing to see that these kids who make the move WANT to make the move. They are high achieving, motivated kids who realize what going to a magnet like Myers Park High School can do to help them prepare for college and even be accepted into the colleges they particularly want to get in to.
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