Six Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) magnet schools were awarded the prestigious National Magnet School Certification last week from the Magnet Schools of America (MSA).
Farnsley Middle, Hawthorne Elementary, J.Graham Brown, Noe Middle, W.E.B. DuBois Academy, and Westport Middle bring the total number of JCPS certified magnet schools to eight. Olmsted Academy South and Western Middle School for the Arts were certified in previous years.
W.E.B. DuBois Academy Principal Dr. Monica Hunter and her magnet coordinator “started screaming and jumping up and down” when she learned the school had earned certification, making it the first school in the country to earn MSA certification for a whole-school Afrocentric magnet theme, Hunter said.
“It was a lot of work, but I’m so glad we did it,” Hunter said. “I know our staff and community are very excited about it as well.”
To become nationally certified, MSA member schools must submit an application and participate in an evaluation conducted by the National Institute for Magnet School Leadership (NIMSL).
The schools’ magnet coordinators, principals, and leadership teams spent many hours providing documentation to show alignment to MSA’s five standards of excellence: diversity, innovative curriculum and professional development, academic excellence, leadership, and family and community partnerships.
After years of offering a Spanish Immersion program, Hawthorne Elementary became a whole-school Spanish Immersion Elementary Magnet last year. Hawthorne Principal Becca Haynes called the MSA certification an “honor.”
“This national recognition solidifies our hard work and dedication to our Spanish Immersion magnet program,” Haynes said. “This certification helps us set language proficiency goals and implement our language immersion program with fidelity. Our focus on equity, culture and community, and academic achievement ensures the essential elements and characteristics of a high-quality magnet program.”
For Hunter, the certification process was “rigorous” but worth the effort. When she first joined DuBois, the school was more focused on multicultural frameworks as opposed to Afrocentricity, she said.
The staff worked hard to pivot back to the initial purpose of the school—teaching grade-level standards through an Afrocentric framework that pushes students academically and helps Black and Brown students see themselves in the curriculum. They’ve also worked hard to increase their Hispanic population, as Hispanic students are part of the African diaspora, Hunter said.
That strong tier-one instruction and push for intentional, inclusive diversity “really set us apart and shows that the Afrocentric model is powerful and necessary within this community,” Hunter said.
“Our team is able to see the fruits of their labor with this certification,” she said. “Everyone at the school had a hand in this and helped provide evidence to show that we are doing the work. Everyone is very excited about it.”