Support for Partial Magnet Status

Update 02/09/20: The CCSD school board is no longer considering changing the magnet status of JSE at the current time. The board may decide to pick this issue up again in the future.

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The CCSD Board of Trustees was planning on voting to converting James Simons from Partial Magnet to Constituent Magnet.

	partial magnet	constituent magnet
Do you have to apply PreK?	yes	yes
Do zoned students have to apply for K-8?	no	yes
Do you have to live downtown?	no	yes
Can staff that live elsewhere enroll kids?	yes	no
Primary & Lower El class size capped at	Flexible, 24-28	30
Upper El class size capped at	Flexible, 21-24	30

Who we are: Parents of James Simons Elementary students

What we want: To remain as a Partial Magnet Montessori school.

What we believe: That changing to constituent magnet will decrease the racial and economic diversity of the school and remove an important option for families that are committed to a downtown Montessori school but do not necessarily live downtown. 

Evidence: 

• James Simons currently has a close to 50:50 ratio of white and black students
• However, this diversity does not typically occur at the classroom level 
• Full magnet PreK program is predominantly white 
• Partial magnet K-8 grade program is more diverse and predominantly black

Reasons to Remain Partial Magnet

1. Increases diversity

1. Families in the school zone can send kids to James Simons without having to apply- James Simons is a historic neighborhood school and we need to remain open to all students living in the zone. Applications restrict access.
2. The D20 has a high wealth disparity which is largely along racial lines, by allowing folks outside of the D20 to attend school you get more racial and economic diversity. 
3. Provides a pathway for families extirpated by rising housing costs to still attend James Simons

2. Strengthens community

1. Staff are more likely to also enroll their students in school which cultivates stronger parent-teacher relationships. 
2. Families from outside of the constituency are more likely to have sought out James Simons and therefore may be more committed to the school.

What you can do

• Sign and share the petition
• Pay attention to the CCSD school board meeting agendas which are posted shortly before their meetings.