Navigating the magnet school application process can sometimes be intimidating for students and families. This is why the Magnet Mentors program works to assign mentors to qualified in-district students who wish to apply to any Dallas ISD magnet program.
“Our desire is to help students succeed academically,” said Keisha Crowder-Davis, executive director of Centralized Enrollment and Magnet Programs in the Dallas ISD Office of Transformation and Innovation. “We are convinced that magnet programs are a gateway to that success. Magnet Mentors helps students take advantage of available programs by assisting with awareness, application, acceptance, and enrollment.”
Magnet Mentors, formally known as “The Magnet Schools Application Initiative,” was developed as a collaborative effort of the Centralized Enrollment and Magnet Programs Department and the Racial Equity Office (REO), following the Fall 2018 REO report on student access to Dallas ISD schools of choice. The initiative aims to increase qualified in-district students applying to and being accepted by the district’s magnet schools.
The initiative consists of two parts. First, intensive recruiting efforts target students and families in neighborhoods with low numbers of African American and Emergent Bilingual students enrolled in magnet programs. Targeted feeder patterns include Lincoln, Madison, Roosevelt, South Oak Cliff, and Carter. This year, the Pinkston, Conrad, and Adamson feeder patterns will be added. Next, once the recruitment drive is underway, increased assistance will be offered to students and parents navigating the application process.
Mentors will guide parents and students through the application process. Each mentor will be assigned students as mentees and will be responsible for assisting those students by completing the application process, including meeting assessment and documentation requirements.
Now is the time for students to shift their education into high gear by choosing their best-fit school. The application process for the 2022-2023 school year is open from November 2021 through January 2022. Visit www.dallasisd.org/choosedallasisd for more information.
Learn more about Magnet Mentors at www.dallasisd.org/magnetmentors.
Complete the Magnet Mentor interest form here.
