200-word response 2 references/intext citation Due 1/11/2024
Giles
Transforming Learning Within Political Forces
I currently serve as the principal of Floyd Middle Magnet School in Montgomery, AL. While the founding principles of magnet programs were based on providing students/families who could not afford private school education, but wanted their child to participate in a curriculum-focused program, this is not how magnet programs are/were used in the Montgomery system. Magnet schools in Montgomery provide wealthy and privileged families with an opportunity for free quality education, sometimes bypassing the use of the lottery system for selection. Moreover, traditionally, magnet schools are located in impoverished/low income communities. In Montgomery, magnet schools are being relocated to more thriving and upscale neighborhoods.
It is critical that this issue is addressed as there are a multitude of qualifying students/families that apply for magnet school and enter the lottery but are not accepted.
Political Forces and Stakeholder Groups
As asserted by Senge et. al. (2012), schools and school systems are organized and managed by politicians who often make decisions based on personal gain. The political forces of the city of Montgomery determine the location of schools and as a result, their children are accepted into the magnet programs, ultimately, the politicians provide more support to the magnet schools. Stakeholder groups are also crucial in magnet programs as they are usually influential with the school superintendent in deciding the procedures of the program and the programs’ administrators.
Political Issue Within the Organization
From 2018-2022, Ann Roy Moore served as the Superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools. She was an advocate for all students in the school district and was a proponent of fair practices for all. Her evaluation of the magnet programs/systems proved that the inequitable and was not represented in population by the larger Montgomery community. She was able to determine that favors were given to children of politicians, city officials, school administrators, and other prominent people of the Montgomery community. Dr. Moore knew that she would face resistance and adversity with the proposal of a new lottery system and process for selecting applicants for magnet program participation, however, she did indeed move forward with the proposal and was supported by the Montgomery Public Schools Board. In addition to the new lottery system, she also implemented a plan that include progress monitoring of the lottery system to include the development/creation of new positions to ensure students were selected in an equitable manner and provided with necessary supports. She required all inquires to apply using the same procedures. She ensured staff was appropriately trained and she monitored the systems herself on a regular basis.
Strategies Implemented Despite Political Forces
While the location of the schools could not be changed, Superintendent Moore ensured that a monitoring system was in place to allow a well-balanced representation of the Montgomery communities be represented in the magnet programs. She ensured principals and specialists of magnet programs were well trained on the established lottery system and that class rosters/enrollment were checked regularly against the lottery pull listing. During trainings, Superintendent Moore ensured principals and administrators of the magnet programs understood the purpose of their program and provided appropriate interventions and support for students in the program to ensure they were afforded every opportunity to remain and matriculate through the program successfully.