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Impact of School Choice on Student

Emmanuella Asieduwaa

Sport and Medical Sciences Academy

Senior Seminar

Mrs. Boutilier

March 17, 2023

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Impact of School Choice on Student

Parents do everything in their power in making sure their child is receiving the best

education they possibly can. There are many choices parents must choose from, it’s very

important a parent makes the right decision for their child but it is not easy, “The reason magnets

are still popular is because they provide choice within school districts that focuses on equity,

excellence and popular themes” (Mann, 2021). Schools vary from private to public to magnet

schools. In Hartford, CT there are several magnet schools across the district, so whether or not

you’re deciding on letting them attend a public, charter, magnet or private school, it's best to dig

deeper into finding which type school would be the best fit for your child and their education.

There are several different benefits for a child to attend a charter or magnet. Extracting the

benefits, advantages and disadvantages can help make the decision, an easier process.

There are various options when it comes to a parent choosing what school their child will

attend. In Connecticut there are 101 magnet schools, about 21 charter schools and 935 public

schools (citation). All three are good options but it’s best to dive in more into each one of them to

see what advantages and disadvantages that could possibly be faced. Wanting your child to enter

an environment where they feel comfortable and safe with their learning, you want them to be

open to high achievements and exploring themselves as a person and what they are capable of

doing. Going to school will be one of the most important things in their life, this is where they’re

able to enter a diverse environment, gain lifelong experiences, friendships and bonds. Choosing

the right school is a very important step into that experience. Faith (2020) stated the following:

According to Shere, ‘The emotional and social maturity of a child provides the important

underpinnings for child development in all other areas.When educators ignore children's

emotional and social development, this can often lead to adults who are very
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academically gifted but who struggle in their daily lives due to lack of self-esteem and/or

social skills. (para. 3)

What Faith is stating is when it comes to choosing a school for your child, remember that the

school they attend will play a huge role in their education, along with their social skills and well

being. The learning environment for a child is very important. If they are in a setting where they

are uncomfortable their focus will not be on learning it will be on trying to fit in. This is why it's

great we have these different options and types of schools so you will be able to see where your

child will fit in. In Hartford, there are 20 magnet schools that vary, from science to sports to

health; there are several schools in the district that can meet every child's needs and interests. n

Magnet schools are all about specialized courses and curriculum, it's a category of public

schools that focuses on specific areas in education and teaching methods. Knowing your child

will be entering into an environment like this is a very safe feeling because sending your child

off to school can be hard and scary since you never know what challenges they’ll end up facing.

Research studies have suggested that magnet schools tend to be known for an increased amount

of student achievements (Seigal-Hawley & Frankenberg, 2011). They notice a pattern of students

and parents, who would also have high motivation along with satisfaction with their learning and

school environment (Seigal-Hawley & Frankenberg, 2011). Seeing that they also have the

opportunities to explore the different talents, interests and abilities that they do have is also a safe

feeling. It is important that schools have the resources to give any child the opportunity to

participate in several extracurricular activities because that can lead to success and a good

self-image.

When comparing charter and magnet schools to public schools,they both have a larger

enrollment of latino and african american students , this may be due to the fact that the schools
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do tend to be located in urban areas. Seigal-Hawley & Frankenberg (2011) research studies

found the following: “Magnet students were slightly less likely than charter school students to

attend intensely segregated minority schools, where 90- 100% of students were nonwhite, and

also slightly less likely to enroll in intensely segregated white schools (0-10% nonwhite

students.” (pg.1). What they have found shows that diversity has been one of the biggest impacts

in magnet and charter schools. The Sheff v, O’neil case took place in 1989 but the case was

issued in 1996. The cause of this case was because Hartford public schools were not allowing

educational equality in schools. Milo Sheff attended Weaver School, In Hartford, his mother,

Elizabeth Sheff, sued the State of Connecticut due to the simple fact that her son was attending a

segregated school, with minimum diversity which affected his education. Elizabeth Sheff made it

known that on behalf of the black students, in Hartford , there was a pattern where they were

denied an equal education compared to suburban schools. It wasn’t until July of 1996 where the

Connecticut Supreme Court came to the conclusion that Hartford Schools were actually racially

isolated (LDF, n.d). The Open Choice Program came about to give Hartford students the

opportunity to transfer to suburban schools “Today, over 56% of Hartford students attend a

magnet or Open Choice school.” (LDF, n.d). This is important and such a huge accomplishment

because students are now able to learn in a more equal environment, making them feel more

comfortable with their learning and peers.

When it comes to schools, magnets and charter schools offer many benefits for students.

At the end of it all, you just want to make sure that your child is in a safe, comfortable

environment where you know they’re receiving the best education they possibly can, there’s no

“right choice” when it comes to choosing a school for your child to attend but always go for what

you and your child think is best. Observing different schools and classrooms on your own, really
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helps with perspective and how different each school is and how each environment impacts a

student individually. Charter and magnet schools allow students from different backgrounds and

cultures to come together and learn about each other.

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References

College Raptor Staff. (2022, December 22). What are Charter and Magnet Schools?

College

Raptor.https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/questions-answers/w

hat-are-charter-and-magnet-schools/

Di Carlo, Matthew. (2011, December). The Evidence on Charter Schools and Test Scores. Albert

Shanker Institute.

https://www.shankerinstitute.org/resource/evidence-charter-schools-and-test-scores .

Edusson. (n.d). Magnet Schools VS. Charter Schools: A guide to US public education. Edusson

Blog.

https://edusson.com/blog/magnet-school-vs-charter-school

Faith, R. (2020, Aug 24). The School's Role in Influencing Child Development. Mom.com.

https://mom.com/kids/4978-what-schools-role-influencing-child-development#:~:text=T

he%20school%20plays%20an%20important,classroom%20and%20on%20the%20playgr

ound.

Frankenburg, E & Siegal- Hawley, G. (2011, October). Magnet School Student Outcomes: What

The Research Says. The National Coalition on School Diversity

https://www.school-diversity.org/pdf/DiversityResearchBriefNo6.pdf

LDF. (n.d). Case: Sheff vs. O'neill. NAACP LDF

https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/sheff-v-oneill/

Moody, J. (2019, April 30). Magnet vs. Charter Schools: Differences Explained. US News.

https://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2019-04-30/magnet-schools-vs-

charter-schools-differences-explained
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Niche. (2018, February 2). Charter Schools vs. Magnet Schools. Niche Blog.

https://www.niche.com/blog/charter-schools-vs-magnet-schools/