Hamilton County’s magnet schools are quickly winning a well-deserved national reputation for excellence. Last week, the Chattanooga School for the Liberal arts, a K-8 school located on East Brainerd Road, was named the top elementary magnet school in the United States. It was the second time a district school has earned the honor. Normal Park Museum Magnet School won the award in 2005.
The award is not bestowed lightly. Vetting is rigorous. It includes carefully study of school policies, activities and accomplishments, as well as an on-site visit from officials of the Magnet Schools of America, the association which presents the award. This year, according to Krystal Scarbrough, principal of CSLA, the competition to be the nation’s top magnet school was especially demanding.
Initially, she says, 240 magnet schools of the many across the nation considered for awards made the first cut. Of those, 52 schools were named as a national Magnet School of Excellence. CSLA, it should be noted, was the only Tennessee school included on that prestigious list.
From those 52, the association names four top schools — one in the new or emerging school category and one each in elementary, middle and high school classifications — as the best of the best. The award, which includes a $2,500 stipend, was presented to school officials at the Magnet Schools of America national conference last week.
The award validates CSLA’s mission and the progress it makes in reaching useful educational goals. The school employs an innovative curriculum to promote academic achievement in a healthful learning environment. Emphasis on self-discipline and character education enhance the well-rounded curriculum. The program has a proven record of excellence.
As a magnet school, CSLA attracts a diverse student body from the entire school district. Indeed, CSLA’s academic and other successes have generated a strong interest in the school. Parents of prospective students — who must pledge to undertake 18 hours of volunteer work each year if their child attends CSLA — often camp out in hope of enrolling their child in the first-come, first-served process. Not many schools, unfortunately, can generate that kind of parental interest and participation.
The award is, of course, a splendid tribute to CSLA, to its faculty and staff and to its students. It is more than that, though. Designation as the nation’s top elementary magnet school also honors the school district that willingly supports the magnet school concept as well as the parents and patrons who work diligently to create programs and experiences that make CSLA the nation’s best in its class.