The Politics of Pulling In and Holding On: The Magnet School Concept in Kankakee, Illinois.

Reviews the development of magnet schools as an alternative to the politics that accompany other desegregation tactics, and discusses arguments for and against magnets. Focuses on the successful magnet schools of Kankakee, Illinois, a city with a small but socioeconomically diverse population, where desegregation was voluntary and parental involvement has been constant. (KH)