| Students attending Texas Public Schools have | | | | Technology magnet program at one of the Texas |
| many choices. They literally have a plethora | | | | Schools! The choice of programs that Texas |
| of magnet programs to choose from. Depending | | | | Schools offer is truly staggering. Following |
| on their grade level, they can choose to | | | | is a sample of some choices in Texas Schools |
| attend a school that focuses on providing the | | | | located in Dallas and Houston: |
| 3 Rs with a slant; the Arts, Science, | | | | |
| Technology and Foreign Language are all | | | | DALLAS HOUSTON |
| examples of the different types of Texas | | | | |
| Schools kids and their parents can choose | | | | K-5 Visual Arts (grades 4-5) Fine; Creative; |
| from. | | | | and Performing Arts |
| | | | |
| But what is a magnet school, anyway? A | | | | Leadership (grades 4-5) Leadership; |
| magnet school is a one that, while meeting | | | | Communication |
| the educational needs of its students by | | | | |
| following state standards, also offers | | | | 6-8 Arts (grades 7-8) Fine; Performing Arts |
| students the chance to study in a unique way. | | | | |
| In the beginning, magnet schools were begun | | | | Environmental Science Math & Science; Tech & |
| with the intent of ending racial segregation. | | | | Spanish |
| Kids of all economic backgrounds could | | | | |
| attend any school they wanted to. In some | | | | Career Exploratory Architecture & Graphic |
| school systems, like the one that serves many | | | | Design |
| Texas Schools, additional magnet programs | | | | |
| have been developed at facilities in | | | | Law Languages; Physical Development |
| locations that parents may have found less | | | | |
| than desirable without the magnet option | | | | 9-12 Health Professions Meteorology & Space |
| being in place. Instituting magnet programs | | | | Sciences |
| in Texas Schools has both attracted voluntary | | | | |
| enrollment and achieved the desired racial | | | | Education & Social Services Leadership |
| balance. | | | | Academy |
| | | | |
| What are your options? Well, there are | | | | Business & Management International Studies |
| magnet programs all throughout the Texas | | | | |
| Schools educational system. All students - | | | | Why should you choose a Texas Schools magnet |
| elementary, middle, and high school - can | | | | for your child? I confess that I never knew |
| choose to attend a magnet program. Some | | | | until it was time for my own children to |
| Texas Schools programs "feed" into one | | | | enroll in school. For our family, sending |
| another; elementary Texas Schools students | | | | the kids to a magnet school was a better |
| who attend a performing arts magnet, for | | | | option than attending our "neighborhood |
| example, can continue on to a performing arts | | | | school". Our children attend a Performing |
| middle and high school. Many parents want to | | | | Arts magnet; this choice reflecting my desire |
| ensure their child's academic success, and | | | | to give the kids some early exposure to the |
| that is where the Texas Schools magnet | | | | arts, since I studied music through college. |
| program truly shines. Say your child is | | | | For my husband, this was a chance to give his |
| really interested in computers. I don't mean | | | | children a chance that he never had - |
| they just like to play computer games. This | | | | exposure to an arts education. |
| kid understands all the latest technology, | | | | |
| gets excited about tech news, and may have | | | | So go ahead, Texas Schools parents, and give |
| even taken the family PC apart. Well, the | | | | magnet schools a try! |
| little tyke needs to attend a Science and | | | | |