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Bringing new educational opportunities I
remember the feeling of anxiety as I scoured the Alachua County Public Schools website, created a schematic of potential magnet programs for my son and finally compared my findings with other parents at every possible opportunity. This was our experience when helping my son apply for 6th grade Magnet school programs. The experience was reminiscent of applying for college. We experienced the highs and lows that are a part of any selection process – from the excitement of attending the open houses, the euphoria of the on-site shadow opportunities, to the anxious but resolve submission of the application and the lows of rejection and finally the relief of acceptance. At times, the process felt confusing and we asked ourselves as parents constantly, ‘are we doing everything we can to help our child succeed? After all our effort and tireless analysis, we took a deep breath and submitted our application. During the process I didn’t dare to confess my anxiousness to other parents. I was afraid that there was a secret code to unlock the mysteries of Magnet program application and selection process. A code that everyone had access to
except us. Afterwards, I did comically confess to my ‘mom friends’ my experience and to my surprise, I found that I was not alone. For many African American families, the educational landscape for their children can seem even more daunting
Story by: Cherrie Hughes
than my experience and impossible to navigate. As a result, African American families are less likely to consider their children for magnet programs. The consequence of this is a significantly lower rate of minority students in these programs.
