Reply to Is it good or bad that MCPS placed Magnet schools in the lowest performing schools?

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[quote=Anonymous]The original history of the magnet programs was to accomplish "pull" integration.  They were placed in high minority schools (which also happen to be poorer performing for a variety of reasons like segregation) in the hope that people would willingly integrate these schools by applying to magnet programs.

This happened in the late 70s and early 80s.  It is somewhat shocking that MoCo was still pretty segregated even then.  But as MoCo officials were trying to decide how to integrate, they had to consider how efforts at "push" integration worked around them.  In DC, there was white flight out of the city.  In Prince William, VA, the county shut the public school system down entirely.  In Boston, there was a lot of protesting of busing.

MoCo decided to use magnets as "pull" integrators until a Suprem Court case barred the use of race as a factor in transfers btwn schools for magnet programs.

Magnets were also used to assuage the white fears that integrated schools would be weaker academically.  The perception of weaker academics could spur white flight. So magnets became a white retention strategy, even though admission was by supposedly neutral testing.

Also, there used to be more magnets - for example, Chevy chase, North Chevy Chase and Rosemary Hills all used to have special math, science or technology programs.  This was done to retain families when those schools were changed to split articulation in order to integrate with the "black" elementary, Rosemary Hills.

I remember this because I was a student in the system when it happened. 
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