Kehillat Israel Parent Talk A Success!

Posted on October 14, 2012 by gomama

I thoroughly enjoyed Thursday’s “Ready For School, Ready For Life” panel discussion at Kehillat Israel. The evening started off with a look into KI’s preschool classroom with a wonderful slide presentation highlighting the children’s work and kindergarten readiness skills being learned from Director Julie Dubron.

Kehillat Israel ECC Director Julie Dubron and GoMamaGuide’s Tanya Anton

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I spoke about public school options next, followed by an insider’s view of the private school application process by the lovely Christina Simon and Porcha Dodson, authors of “Beyond The Brochure,” and BeyondThe Brochurela.com. What a wonderful night all around!

Porcha Dodson and Christina Simon of “Beyond The Brochure” with GoMamaGuide’s Tanya Anton

Middle School Mixer – Parent to Parent Oct 16th 9a

Posted on October 11, 2012 by gomama

You’ve heard about our big Westside Middle School Forum on Thurs Oct 18th where 10 area middle schools will be on hand to present about their schools, answer questions and I’ll be speaking that night too, right? (details)

Well here’s another event that came across my desk, organized by parents, offering you a chance to mingle with other parents who’ve already made the transition to middle school and are there to give you the low-down, share their experiences, and answer your “what’s-it REALLY-like” questions. Check this out:

Parent to Parent

Middle School Mixer

Tues, October 16th, 9-11a (morning event!)

Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office
7166 W. Manchester Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90045 map
(not associated with the Councilman’s office)

come and get the REAL scoop!

Westside Middle School Forum Oct 18th

Posted on October 11, 2012 by gomama

Update! 2 more schools added to the lineup!

Learn all about your Middle School options on the Westside:

Middle School Forum

Thurs, Oct 18th 6-8p – FREE –
Coeur d’Alene EL Auditorium
810 Coeur d’Alene Ave,
Venice, CA 90291.map
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School representatives from:
Animo Westside MS
Mark Twain MS
Marina del Rey MS
New West Charter
Ocean Charter
Palms MS
Paul Revere MS
Westside Global Awareness Magnet.
Magnolia Science Academy
The City School Charter

featuring
Tanya Anton of GoMamaGuide.com and
LAUSD School Board Member Steve Zimmer

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brought to you by Venice Neighborhood Council’s Education Committee

Hidden Rival to Charter Schools – My Response

Posted on October 10, 2012 by gomama

Have you read this recent article in the Washington Post?

Hidden Rival to Charter Schools by Jay Mathews

Fascinating. Shows just how frustrated parents are with the traditional, increasingly narrow, test-driven model of education. It’s not working. It hasn’t in a long time. We are collectively, desperately, ready and pining for something new. Even if it means trying something unorthodox or doing it ourselves. I see this all the time speaking to parents and helping them navigate their public school options.

Here in Los Angeles, the forefront of the charter movement and the second largest school district in the country, we’ve also seen an increase in collaborative homeschool study groups with organized educational field trips and social group outings. Many area museums and attractions offer programs/tours designed specifically for the homeschooler, and we also have a couple of hybrid schools that offer a part-time classroom /part-time home study combo.

Parents want options other than the traditional test-driven District model. That is unmistakable. Here’s what I’ve observed:

– communities desperately trying to support, reinvigorate and revitalize their neighborhood school despite the yearly onslaught of budget cuts and set backs, frequently get frustrated by the lack of engaging, inspired teaching and learning, and the unavoidable District policy ceiling they will hit, so they

-explore all their lottery options including magnets, charters or transfers/permits to find the best-possible school option for their children, and failing that they

– band together under a united vision to launch an indie start-up charter where collectively they can participate in an alternative model of education and have the freedom to collaborate on the shaping of their school. However, the space limitations under Prop 39 continually thwart rapid enrollment growth resulting in wait lists in the hundreds for the successful models, not to mention the rather sad lack of facilities (a row of temporary bungalows co-located on the side of another district school, or housed in a church, or concrete business park with no field, no auditorium, no library, few enrichments)

– some find a way to “make it work” and make the best of what they are offered, others frustrated by these options move to another more successful, better-funded public school footprint (if it exists nearby or if they can afford it), and finally having exhausted or summarily rejected all of the above for various reasons

– look into homeschooling options, which run the gamut from filing PSA affidavits, forming co-op home study groups, meet-ups, or utilizing online courses, such as K12, Kahn Academy or CAVA. With the ubiquitous accessibility of technology, I don’t doubt we will be seeing even more online and hybrid education models in the very near future.

There is plenty of research that points to best practices in 21st Century teaching and learning, yet for some reason the policymakers continually reject what the research shows and what the teachers already know, and set public school policy (federal and local) that instead narrows the curriculum and pushes top-down test-driven results, beating the very inspiration, depth and engagement we so desperately seek, out of education altogether.

I personally know my own limitations and don’t homeschool my daughter, but is it any wonder families are exploring any and all alternative options? “Hidden rival” to charter schools sound ominous and overly threatening. I’d say it’s more like growing numbers of families exploring their options and seeking different ones than the traditional model.

What do you think about this trend?

2013-14 Magnet/eChoices site is LIVE!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by gomama

Magnets, Lotteries, Points, Oh My!
by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

It’s that time of year again. Only earlier.

The 2013-14 Magnet/eChoices Brochure is available, the echoices website is now LIVE and accepting applications, and the application deadline is ONE MONTH EARLIER than last year.

Beginning today, Monday, October 8, 2012 through the deadline Friday, November 16, 2012 at 5p, LAUSD residents may apply to the Magnet Program, Permits With Transportation (PWT) and/or the Public School Choice (NCLB-PSC) program.

Visit echoices.lausd.net. ONLINE. 24/7. It’s easy. It’s fast. It’s paperless.

Highlights for 2013 – There Are Several Notable Changes:

-The Big One: This year you will get to list up to THREE magnet choices. (Yup!!) Your points will only go towards your 1st choice, so your 2nd and 3rd choices will go to the bottom of the wait list, but still it’s a better chance than if you hadn’t applied at all.

-For what it’s worth, most competitive (ie. highly desirable) Magnet programs rarely exhaust their wait list, so being added to the bottom of the list with no points seems like a choiceless choice to me, but hey, it has the “appearance” of offering students more choice.

-Caution: Only select magnet programs you might actually WANT to get into, otherwise if you do get into a magnet program (even your 2nd or 3rd choice) and turn it down, you will lose your accumulated wait list points, so think carefully about your selections. Tread lightly, and smartly. As always, I’m here to help consult if need be.

– If your home school is Program Improvement (most middle and high schools are PI), you will now be able to apply to BOTH the NCLB-PSC program (the District will select ONE non-PI school assignment for you) AND up to 3 Magnet choices. Select Option B-the combo platter. Once you are accepted into a program, you will be removed from other programs and NO wait list points will be accrued. (In previous years you had to choose either the Magnet or the PSC program. Now you can select Option B and go for both.)

The Basic Highlights:

-Only open to LAUSD residents

-The application timeline is a month EARLIER than last year

-You can apply online 24/7 during the application window: Oct 8, 2012 – Nov 16, 2012 5p at echoices.lausd.net

-You can also pick up a paper booklet/application at most local schools and some libraries

-Minimum age: your child must turn 5 by Oct 1, 2013 to be eligible for Kindergarten in 2013

-Make sure you select a Magnet program your child is age-appropriate for, (some Magnet programs don’t start until 2nd or 3rd grade; you can’t apply to Kinder when your child is 3)

-Twins: each child needs a separate application and are treated as individuals. If only one gets in, the Sibling points will apply the following year.

-Magnet tours are happening now, October through mid-November, so get out there and tour some schools!

-There are virtually no more “overcrowded points” due to all the newly built schools and the entire district going on Early Start Calendar. (3 exceptions: Del Olmo EL, Cahuenga EL, Bell HS)

-Points are based on your zoned school determined by your residential address regardless of whether you attend or not

-Transportation is available if you live 2 miles or more from your elementary magnet school, and 5 miles or more from your secondary (middle/high school) magnet school

-The maximum riding time guideline for all students (K-12) one-way is 90 minutes

-The more points you have, the better your chance of getting into your 1st choice Magnet.

-It’s a random lottery so anything can happen.

-If you are currently attending a Magnet school, you don’t need to re-apply each year unless you are matriculating (from EL to MS, MS to HS, or wish to enter the lottery to switch to another magnet school

-You will be notified in writing of either acceptance or wait list status by March, 2013.

-Students may be contacted regarding an opening all the way up through the first MONTH of school. (Used to be the first 10 days of school)

-First day of school for LAUSD will be Tuesday, August 13, 2013. (Yeah, love that Early Start! Not.)

-Falsified applications will be disqualified and kicked from the program.

Again, if this seems overwhelming or you want to discuss strategy, please contact me for a consultation. I’m happy to help. Magnets are just one of many public school options.

If you are hunting for a middle school and live on the Westside, come to a free Westside Middle School Forum where 10 area middle schools will present under one roof next Thursday, October 18 at 6p at Coeur d’Alene Elementary School in Venice. details.

“Ready For School, Ready For Life” Panel Discussion Oct 11

Posted on October 3, 2012 by gomama

“Ready For School, Ready For Life” Speaker Series Panel Discussion

I’ll be joining Christina Simon and Porcha Dodson of “Beyond The Brochure” as well as Director Julie Dubron for a lively school discussion, at Kehillat Israel Early Childhood Center in Pacific Palisades on Thurs, Oct 11th at 7:30p.

For more information please contact Jen Madamba 424.214.7482 or by email Jen.Madamba@kehillatisrael.org by October 8, 2012

or click HERE.

PS Smart Tip: What If We Don’t Like The Teacher We Got?

Posted on September 30, 2012 by gomama

(I received this question at the start of the school year but it bears repeating.)

moneytree

Unfortunately, many schools adopt a hands-off policy when it comes to teacher-student assignments, and frown upon parents campaigning and angling for a specific teacher. When the teacher assignment list goes out, it is usually final. You really are at the mercy of the classroom your child gets, or talking to the principal to see if there is any way you could make a change, but only if it’s based on some tangible, specific circumstance or need.

If school hasn’t started yet and you don’t really know what the teacher is like, (ie. your fears are based on rumors or gossip), perhaps take a wait-and-see approach to find out if your child does OK with the teacher. Sometimes the situation will surprise you and your child actually ends up adjusting to and liking the teacher after things settle down into the routine of school life.

If things still don’t feel comfortable, maybe you could volunteer in the classroom to offer support where needed and keep an eye on the situation. If you do happen to hear something disturbing coming from your child or witness an egregious incident, start taking notes and log what is happening with dates and times. Then go with your notes to the principal to discuss a solution. If need be, go to your local district superiors and file a report.

In any case, this might be a first in a long line of potential life lessons you can help guide your child through. We’ve all had to deal with a boss or co-worker who doesn’t communicate well or has a tricky personality. Learning to be adaptable, learning how to get a long, managing differing expectations with different personalities are all life skills worth learning.

Town Hall on Prop 30 and Prop 38 Oct 16th

Posted on September 29, 2012 by gomama

Los Angeles Unified School Board Member Tamar Galatzan cordially invites you to attend a Town Hall event on Prop 30 and Prop 38.

DATE: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 6:30 PM

LOCATION: Cleveland High School Multi-Purpose Room
8140 Vanalden Avenue,
Reseda, CA 91335

On-site parking will be available.

Town Hall will provide a venue where you may hear directly from Superintendant John E. Deasy, proposition experts, and ask your questions so you may be a well-informed voter. November elections are fast approaching and it’s very important to understand how the propositions will impact public education and students.
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Spanish translation will be available. Please see attached flyer for more details.

Town Hall on Prop 30 and 38 Oct 1

Posted on September 29, 2012 by gomama

Another talk about CA Budgets and Prop 30 and 38, brought to you by LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer and the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Education Committee:
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Featuring Jonathan Kaplan, Sr Policy Analyst of the California Budget Project
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Monday, Oct 1st at 6:30p
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Mark Twain Middle School
2224 Walgrove Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066