Now What?

Well now that the BOE voted to demagnetize Root, Olds, Lincoln Heights, and Wake Forest Elementaries what's the next step? Obviously they will be looking at other schools at which to place the magnet programs, but how will they decide which schools? Beverley Clark has suggested Fox Road as a school to consider and it indeed has had a rocky history. Its doesn't have one of the highest F&R percentages in the county, but it has had trouble retaining its higher income base families. In the most recent reassignment plan, several nodes from North Raleigh were moved in to Fox Road, partly to lower the F&R percentage there. Many of those families objected to the move and it will be interesting to see how many will actually attend the school. In addition, I think that Fox Road is fairly underenrolled at the moment (I am operating without my laptop right now, which has all of my spreadsheets and documents on it).

It seems like a logical place to put a magnet program. Offer special academic opportunties and not only will the middle class base families will attend but more middle class families will enter through the magnet process. It's a win-win situation, right? It appears so, but it gets me thinking of other, unintended consequences. What does it say to the lower income families at the school? That the school is good enough for them but its only good enough for the middle class families if there are 'extras' available? That they don't deserve extra programs unless its to attract middle class students?

Perhaps all magnets should only have a low income base and then the rest of the seats can be filled by magnet applicants. That way, we won't have some groups of middle or upper class parents who get the magnet programs for 'free' while somebody who lives directly across the street from them but is in a different assignment node has to apply and hope that they get in. Of course it also begs the question "Why does anybody deserve the programs for 'free' while the rest of us must sacrifice"?

Removing the magnet programs from the 4 above mentioned schools was the right thing to do and it is a good first step. I'm not sure what the next step should be but I am hopeful that the decision process will open up the door for some honest discussion about fair access to magnet programs for all students in the county.