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We are moving to the area soon. I know that the lottery for magnets and charters is already over. Doesn't seem like I have that much control over where my elementary and middle school kids go since some areas we move to may be capped for their grades.
Anyway, in looking at the criteria for the magnets I noticed that they are weighted in favor of kids who live in what is considered a high socioeconomic area with a school considered to have a majority of high socioeconomic students.
I always thought that these types of admissions polices were the other way around, favoring the kids who may not have an opportunity for a quality education based on their address.
Any insight? Just seemed odd to me. Maybe I'm missing something.
I always thought that these types of admissions polices were the other way around, favoring the kids who may not have an opportunity for a quality education based on their address.
The magnet schools are generally already located with low socioeconomic status (SES) areas as their base population. The idea is that the special programs will attract high SES students, who will I guess rub off on the low SES students and improve the performance of the school overall.
The lottery is weighted to balance the economics of all the schools involved. So high SES nodes in high SES schools are favored to go to the magnet schools, since they boost the magnet schools with minimal detriment to the school they are leaving. High SES nodes in low SES schools are low priority in the lottery because moving those students from one low SES school to another is a wash for the school system overall.
I'll take a swag at this, at least at a high level for the magnet case. First off, note that there are different categories of magnet schools in Wake Co.
In most cases you've got schools in lower economic areas, and the base school grades/scores were low. You change them to magnets and try to encourage (via more electives and such) kids from higher economic areas of coming. This boosts the schools scores, and the thought it is that "raises all boats" in the process. You also free up seats in popular/crowded schools in wealthy areas (and increase the amount of bussing from low economic areas some).
In other cases, you have some highly sought after middle schools in wealthy areas, such as Martin Middle. In cases like that, a portion ("up to 30%") of the seats are reserved for lower economic area students, and they get the priority.
In other cases, you have some highly sought after middle schools in wealthy areas, such as Martin Middle. In cases like that, a portion ("up to 30%") of the seats are reserved for lower economic area students, and they get the priority.
Do they reserve magnet spaces for that 30%, or is it that 30% of the student population is bussed in from lower economic areas?
The magnet priorities have always seemed like opposite world to me as well. It seems like lower economic area residents would have the most trouble transporting their kids to a school in a wealthy area. They're also the most at risk to getting lost in the system. If they make an effort to select a specific school to enhance their kids chances, shouldn't they be given the highest priority?
Joyner, Brooks, Underwood, Daniels, and Martin are all located in wealthy areas and in relative close proximity to each other. If you locate Magnet schools in wealthy areas, and give highest priority to students living in wealthy areas, it seems like you run the risk of increasing the disadvantage in the lower economic areas. In my opinion it looks like there's one set of magnet schools for the wealthy, and another set for the poor, which negates the entire priority system.
If you look at the base maps for those schools, you will see that they do bus in some low SES students. Same for some of the year round schools outside of 540. I think those schools were designated magnets before, because they were under enrolled due to the demographics of the neighborhood. However, I agree that magnet schools that are at capacity or capped should have their magnet status re-evaluated.
If you really want to get into a magnet school next year, I would recommend trying to live in an area zoned for a high SES school and living in a high SES neighborhood. It will give you the highest priority to get in, but your chances will still be limited unless you're applying for Kindergarten.
Charter schools have a true lottery, so I don't think they take SES into consideration.
Do they reserve magnet spaces for that 30%, or is it that 30% of the student population is bussed in from lower economic areas?
It's 30% of 90% of the magnet spots, not base school. There's a 90/10 split of priority vs lottery. The 90% is broken down to 30% where the low/low SES have the highest priority after joining a sibling. The other 70 of the 90, there's a bunch of priorities before you get to socioeconomic, and the first one of those is high/high.
The magnet schools are generally already located with low socioeconomic status (SES) areas as their base population. The idea is that the special programs will attract high SES students, who will I guess rub off on the low SES students and improve the performance of the school overall.
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And it frees up a seat at a high SES for a low SES kid....so if a kid from Green Hope goes to a magnet the kid from the magnet school's base zone can go (theoretically) to Green Hope.
It's interesting how charter schools are viewed in NC. They are almost like free private schools. In other states I've lived, charter schools are usually in the worst part of town and have some of the worst students. No one in a more affluent area would register their child for a lottery to be accepted into these schools.
The charter lottery is random and open to the entire state they do priority or teachers and siblings.
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