Valley Interview : Coordinator Explains the Attraction of Magnet Schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District’s highly respected magnet school program offers students a specialized curriculum in subjects such as math, science, law and the arts. With smaller class sizes, as well as teachers specially selected for their expertise, the magnet schools have developed a strong reputation in an era of declining confidence in public schools.

The magnet program was developed by a court order to better integrate city schools during the battle over mandatory busing in the late 1970s. It has grown to 42,000 students at 132 campuses citywide, with a waiting list of more than 30,000 students.

The district limits enrollment, based on strict ethnic ratios, because of finite numbers of classroom seats and compliance with the original court order. Transportation is provided for free.

The application brochure, called “Choices,” is expected to be available at all district schools by week’s end. Applications for the fall semester are due April 17. Richard Battaglia, the district’s magnet coordinator, discussed the program.

Question: What is the purpose of the magnet schools?

Answer: The original purpose was to provide integrated experiences for district students. They weren’t created to raise test scores or for academic reasons. They were developed to provide voluntary integration options. When the court order ended busing, people thought that would be the end of the magnets. But by 1981, the idea that magnets could provide a good education had taken hold in people’s minds. We increased the number of applications from 10,000 to 13,000 the first year after the court order, and we’ve been increasing every year since. This past year, when I would have predicted a leveling-off because of the earthquake and the economy, we saw a 20% increase in the number of applications--and that was before we added 24 new magnet schools. Now we have about 45,000 applications a year.

Q: What is the current ethnic ratio used to select students to the magnet schools and centers?

A: Most of the magnets are 70% Hispanic, African American, Asian and other (minorities) and 30% are white; about a third (of the magnet schools) are 60% minority and 40% white. The perception of people is that an integrated classroom is about half and half, but the court gave us some leeway. Most of the new magnets are 70% to 30%.

Q: The court order requiring integrated schools has ended. Why is the district still sticking to it in terms of magnet school enrollment?

A: We follow the letter and the spirit of the court order. We believe we should continue to maintain integrated magnets. Also, if we are ever brought back to court, we can show we are still following the court order.

Q: When the demographics of the school district have changed so much--whites now comprise just 12% of the district with Latinos making up 66% and African Americans making up just 14%--doesn’t one group have an unfair advantage over another for acceptance to the magnet program?

A: Generally speaking, there is a slight advantage for whites to get in because 30% of the seats are reserved for them. For other students, the African Americans, Latinos, Asians and others, the court said we couldn’t set quotas for them. But it’s true: You’re going to have a harder time integrating a program in East Los Angeles--not because it isn’t a fine program but because it’s a far distance from some areas that typically serve white or Asian or other students.

Q: But that was the original point of the magnets--to draw students from white areas, for example, to minority schools. Is that purpose being defeated?

A: It became apparent pretty quickly that (integration) wasn’t going to happen everywhere. We went back to court after about three or four years to talk to the judge about this but he felt that the schools should be maintained as magnets. . . . They still addressed the harms of racial isolation.

Q: Of the 45,000 applications, how many are from white students and how many are from minority applicants?

A: About 20% to 25% are from whites, the rest are predominantly Latino, African American, Asian and others.

Q: Some have criticized the magnets for being a way to keep white, middle-class students in the system. How do you respond to that criticism?

A: It’s a way of keeping not only white students but minority students as well. There are a lot of minority parents who could go to private school. Shouldn’t the district be providing programs to keep all children in the district?

Q: How many bilingual and limited-English-speaking students are attending magnets these days, and have you had any success in recruiting those students and teachers?

A: Three thousand, five hundred and thirty-three. . . . We’ve increased those numbers and the number of magnets that provide specialized programs for limited-English-speaking students. We don’t want to structure a program that excludes anyone. Magnets are not just for gifted kids or white kids or minority kids. We’re trying to widen the access as much as possible. We’re trying to reach out to those parents. It’s harder to attract bilingual teachers. They can’t get the same pay differential if they work in magnets as they could if they work in regular schools.

Q: Last year, 24 regular schools became magnet centers--the largest group in decades. Why do you think there was such a big increase in the number of schools?

A: The perception out there--largely true--is that magnets provide students with an enhanced curriculum and educational opportunities. We were fortunate last year in having extra money to help those schools open magnets on their campuses. This is a very expensive thing to do. We’re living in a climate of parental choice, and this is clearly a way for parents to choose schools. Our principals also believe they are losing students to magnets. I think magnets are a demonstration of market forces at work--in controlled ways. Schools recognize that a magnet center has a halo effect on the whole campus. And another 20 schools have submitted proposals to become magnets next year.

Q: Why isn’t there any money this year to open new magnets when there appeared to be so much last year?

A: The district had realized a windfall in the health benefits fund. Of that savings, the integration budget got $9 million. We used about $5 million for new magnets and the expansion of existing magnets, $3.9 million for replacement buses and we received $1.6 million . . . through the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Guard to be used for the new math, science and technology magnets.

Q: Are there any wildly successful magnets and others less so?

A: Yes, there are some. All five gifted and high-ability centers in the Valley are excellent programs. But some don’t get the same number of applications as Balboa High Ability/Gifted Magnet, for example. Vena Gifted gets fewer than Balboa. It could be a factor of their locations. (Vena is in Arleta and Balboa is in Northridge.) But there are many magnets that are exceptional but don’t get the high numbers of applications. These schools are safe and their programs are good.

Q: What are the major costs of magnet schools?

A: The major part of our expense is not in the classroom--unfortunately--it’s in transportation. We’re spending $1,200 to $1,500 per child per year. Our funding is finite. That’s what drives a lot of the decisions to create new magnets.

Q: Magnets have been attacked as an elitist program, often taking the brightest or the most motivated students out of the regular schools. How do you respond to that?

A: I’d want all students to be given an elite program. I believe the magnets . . . are increasing academic excellence in the schools. Kids have a focused curriculum. There’s a great deal of parental support. Teachers are also applying to teach in the magnets. Last year we had 10 applications for every opening. Rather than being criticized for being elitist, I’d rather bring that program to all schools. Why can’t all schools decide to have special centers and offer different programs?

Q: What can a parent expect when applying for the first time?

A: A lot of people believe it takes several applications before they’re accepted. It depends on the school, the grade and the ethnicity. There are first-time applicants who get in. On the other hand, there are people who apply to very popular magnets who might have to wait three or four years. But this year for the first time we are letting people know (in the application brochure) how many applicants there were for each magnet and how many students were accepted.