Marion Board approves magnet school plan

Marion Board approves magnet school plan

Progressive education model will be adopted for 2018- 2019 school year

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Marion School Board has given their approval to district administrators to adopt a magnet school model for three of its schools starting in the fall of 2018-2019 school year.

Magnet schools are innovative programs that offer a specialized curriculum based on different themes such as science, technology, engineering and math; fine arts; world languages; international studies; and career and technical education.

They are open to students regardless of where they live and attract children of various socio-economic backgrounds and race.

Superintendent Dr. Glen Fenter said the move toward magnet schools is a major turning point and direction change for the district.

“I think this is a tremendous thing for our schools,” Fenter said. “The magnet school movement across the country has numerous examples of success in every state in the union.”

There are more than 4,300 magnet schools in the U.S.

enrolling about 3.5 million students.

Fenter said they looked closely at Jonesboro, which has five magnet schools, and has seen its enrollment add over 1,200 students over the past 12 years.

“It has reversed the path of Jonesboro’s schools significantly,” Fenter said. “If you talk to the Jonesboro superintendent, she will tell you it is the main reason they are continuing to grow.”

Students will continue to learn the same things mandated by the state curriculum mode, but 10 to 15 percent will be the “flavoring” that comes with the theme that each school will offer that will make it unique.

Avondale Elementary School will offer a curriculum in Visual and Performing Arts; Marion Intermediate School will offer Math, Science, and Technology; and Marion Elementary School will align its courses around a Global Community theme, where students will have an opportunity to learn a second language. Marion Elementary School Principal Adam O’Neal said the biggest advantage to moving to a magnet school model is that it gives parents and children more choices of where they want to attend school — the location, administration, and even the theme of the magnet school.

“The opportunities that each school will provide will be impactful to our district,” O’Neal said.

Fenter said the magnet school model also allows the school district to better utilize the talent of its faculty

and staff.

“Lectures and the old ‘drill and kill’ model just doesn’t work any more,” Fenter said. “Kids learn differently today. This frees our teachers and administrators to bring more creativity into the environment and the freedom to do some things that are more appropriately aligned with how students learn today.”

School Board Chairman Jan Thomas said there is excitement among the teachers, students, and parents about the direction change.

“This means a lot for our school district,” Thomas said.

Fenter said the school district will be sending out more information on each school and the registration process to parents regarding the changes later this year.

“It is a significant change for our district and it is going to require a lot of work, a lot of communication,

and a lot of planning

between now and next fall,” Fenter said. “But we are confident we can put all those pieces in place.”

By Mark Randall