Bishop receives Magnet Schools Champion of Excellence award

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D.-Ga., was presented the Magnet Schools Champion of Excellence Award by Magnet Schools of America. The ceremony was held during the Magnet Schools of America Policy Training Conference at the U.S. Capitol.

“I am honored to receive the Magnet Schools Champion of Excellence Award,” Bishop said. “Magnet schools are a vital part of our public education system, which help our young people learn specialized skills and make the American work force stronger. I will continue to support policies like the Magnet Schools Assistance Program and the MAGNET Act, which will boost learning innovation in public school districts across the country.”

“Congressman Bishop’s career has been about fighting for fairness and opportunity, key parts of what magnet schools are all about,” Ramin Taheri, CEO of Magnet Schools of America, said in a news release. “We’re grateful for his support and proud to honor his work today.”

The Magnet Schools Champion of Excellence Award recognizes an elected leader that demonstrates outstanding national leadership and support for America’s magnet schools, which are public schools with a specialized or themed learning environment, such as STEM, performing arts, foreign languages, and much more, officials said.

During the 117th Congress, Bishop helped lead the charge to increase funding for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), which provides federal grants to local school districts for the creation and operation of magnet schools. Additionally, he was an original cosponsor of the MAGNET Act, which would reauthorize the Magnet Schools Assistance Program through FY 2025 and create a new federal grant program to increase student diversity within existing magnet schools.

Today, there are more than 4,000 magnet schools across the country serving about 3.5 million young people, as well as thousands more magnet programs within traditional public schools. There are 145 magnet schools in the state of Georgia with approximately 30 in Georgia’s Second Congressional District.

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