Five by When? Ramping Into The Kindergarten Readiness Act

Posted on by

by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

This topic has come up several times this week at my talks, plus it was also an “Ask Tanya” question on my FB page (thanks Susan!) so it begs to be outlined again.

New Kindergarten Age Requirements

With the passing of Senate Bill 1381, also known as The Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010, the Kindergarten age cut-off will be changing over a three year period beginning next fall. Currently a child must turn 5 by December 2 in order to be eligible to enter Kindergarten that year.

Beginning in 2012, to enter Kindergarten a child must turn
5 by November 1, then
5 by October 1 for 2013, and finally
5 by September 1 for 2014 and all subsequent years.

This will line California up with the majority of other states across the country.

Transitional Kindergarten

What this also means is that while we transition to the earlier cut-off, there may be current preschoolers with fall birthdays who will just miss the new age cutoff by a few weeks, catching parents by surprise. For those children impacted by these changes, you will have the option of staying another year at your preschool, finding a school that offers a Developmental Kindergarten or DK (some charters and private schools offer this, sometimes it’s called “Preppy K”), or enroll your child in one of the LAUSD Transitional Kindergartens or TK programs established by the new law. There are about 38 schools piloting a TK program this year at various school sites across LAUSD. It is expected that the number of TK programs will jump to 100 in 2012, and swell to more than 500 by 2014, the year of full implementation.

The TK program is designed to offer Kindergarten content at a slower-pace for those children with late summer, early fall birthdays who, for a variety of reasons, are ready to go to school but who might not be ready for the full-paced curriculum of a traditional kindergarten. It will support a foundation of successful learning and offer preparation for Kindergarten. Giving children the “gift of time” in a two-year Kinder program allows the child another year to mature socio-emotionally, physically, developmentally and ease into the rigors of today’s Kindergarten expectations.

Schools opt to pilot a TK program if there is demand and adequate staff. Being a new program and managed site by site, much is yet to be determined regarding the overall quality and consistency of these programs, nonetheless it will be an option to consider as part of the new law.

More Information

Read about the Benefits of TK
Transitional Kindergarten FAQ (from CDE)
LAUSD pushes for TK Program 

For further information contact Ruth Yoon, LAUSD Administrator, Early Childhood Education at 213-241-4713 or ruth.yoon@lausd.net for a list of participating TK schools.

—
Want to use this article on your blog or website? You can as long as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Tanya Anton is the creator/founder of GoMamaGuide.com helping parents demystify and navigate their public school options in Los Angeles. To read more articles by Tanya or to learn about her Guidebooks, House Chats, Consultations, and popular Seminars, visit GoMamaGuide.com or email us at GoMama@mac.com.
© 2011 by Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide.com All Rights Reserved.

PS Smart Tip: Avoid Homework Meltdowns

Posted on by

Establish good study habits early in the school year. Set a daily expectation for your children to come home, get a snack, and get their work done BEFORE they can goof off, play with their friends or get “screen time.” Sit with them to keep them focused and on track. Be available to answer questions or go over it with them if they need to, but don’t do their work for them.

Setting the intention that “the sooner you get your work done, the sooner you can play” gives them an incentive to take care of their school business first, teaches them how to set priorities, and also lets them know it’s not ok to procrastinate. Delaying homework until after dinner or before bedtime can lead to sloppy work habits, or a full-blown power struggle with the added stress of a ticking clock.

Parent Participation: Know Your Strengths, Know Your Boundaries

Posted on by

by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

Now that school is back in full swing, as a public school parent I’ll bet you’re being hit up every which way from Sunday to contribute to your kid’s school. Gone are the days where you drop your kid at the door and expect the school/district/city/state/government to take care of everything else. With reduced budgets and diminished staff, regardless of the type of school you go to, schools need our help. And they are not shy in asking for it.

While parent participation is essential in today’s economy and the best way to build a strong program-rich community at your school, everyone needs to contribute something but it helps to pace yourself so you don’t burn out later.

Ask yourself the following questions: What are your strengths? What are your limitations? What are your boundaries? If you and your partner work full-time and your time is limited, consider writing a lump sum donation to the school.

You can also commit to a monthly payment plan so it is budgeted and spread out over the course of the school year.

If money is tight in your family but you have time to give, consider what you like to do or do best, and give of your time and expertise.

Can you help out in the classroom, or in the office? Can you write grants or the school newsletter after hours? Are you good at organizing or clean up? Can you work in the school garden or lead a fundraising event or man a booth at the upcoming festival? Will you bake cookies or make tamales or sell Tshirts? Can you go after business partnerships and wrangle a technology upgrade for your school? Can you solicit donations or equipment cast-offs or other services or benefits from within your business contacts? Can you chair a committee or mentor some kids or help supervise the play yard? Can you lead a prospective parent tour or special class project or launch an afterschool enrichment program?

We all have something to offer. But we work best when we are doing what we are good at and love to do. Are you a visionary, a connector, a number-cruncher or a worker bee? Do you like to work with kids, with staff, with other parents or alone? Cast your skills wisely and be realistic about the kinds of projects you can take on and the amount of time you can give to the cause. Ask to share duties if you sense you’ve taken on too much.

Every thriving school is surrounded by a strong community of support, both physically and financially. And if everybody offers in a little something, then much can get accomplished without burning out that core few who always manage to do more than everyone else. What is it that you do best and what will you offer to your child’s school? Time, skills, money, or perhaps a combination of all three.

How have you participated in your child’s school? Tell us how. Share your story. You just might inspire someone else.

—
Want to use this article on your blog or website? You can as long as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Tanya Anton, author, speaker, public school consultant and advocate, is the creator/founder of GoMamaGuide.com helping parents demystify and navigate their public school options in Los Angeles. To read more articles by Tanya or to learn about her Guidebooks, House Chats, Consultations, and popular Seminars, visit GoMamaGuide.com or email us at GoMama@mac.com.
© 2011 by Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide.com All Rights Reserved.

PS Smart Tip: The GoMama Basil Gingy Gimlet

Posted on by

End Of Summer Sipper

This is usually the spot where I share some useful smart tip on how to make your school experience great, but this one’s for you parents. With school just started or right around the corner, can we say, you made it! Congratulate yourselves for surviving the endless summer of, “Mom, I’m bored,” or “are we there yet?” or “what are we going to do today?”

Whether you’re eeking out the final dog days of summer, or celebrating the welcome relief of getting your kids out of the house and back-to-school, this cocktail will cheer you up and cool you down. While I love a tall cool gin and tonic with a double squeeze of lime on hot summer nights, I adore this Basil Gingy Gimlet which merges the spice of the gin and ginger with the tang of fresh lime and the fresh clean scent of just-picked basil leaves. This one’s a keeper. C’mon. You earned it! Clink.

The GoMama Basil Gingy Gimlet
(serves one)

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the following:
the juice of half a lime
3 fresh basil leaves, torn into little pieces

Fill shaker half-way with ice and add:
1+ oz good gin
1/2 oz ginger liqueur such as Canton’s

Shake, strain into martini glass, and sip!

Now that’s a smart cocktail.
Cheers.

Prenatal Boost: The Friends of Playa Vista School

Posted on by

by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

Ripple EffectBack in March 2009, I spoke to a group of what I affectionately call “stroller moms” – or moms with toddlers – in Playa Vista, who, like so many of you, were concerned about their future public school choices. Being residents in the recently formed Playa Vista development, they knew there was talk of a new LAUSD school for their community on the horizon, but without it being built yet there were so many unanswered questions.   

What kind of school would it be? What kinds of kids would it serve? Would it meet the needs and high expectations of its residents or should these parents be weighing their odds elsewhere?

With so many unknown variables, you can imagine how hard it would be to feel confident about your neighborhood school, especially when it wasn’t even built yet.

But rather than get discouraged, I shared my experience of working on behalf of a school before my daughter was even old enough to attend, so that by the time she got there we were already part of the revitalization effort. I encouraged these moms to get involved now while the school was being planned, and instead of just taking what was handed to them they had the opportunity to meet and connect with the movers and shakers of the development, the city council, the local district, the district’s Facilities department so they could have a voice in steering decisions, decisions that would directly affect their families. Most importantly, I suggested they think about starting a booster club and begin to organize and fundraise ahead of time so that by the time the school opened in 2012, they’d already be a strong and viable force. It was an inspirational night and I felt the energy in the room, but like so many of my talks, I don’t always hear how things turn out for folks.

This past month (July 2011) I went to see my husband’s band, Venice, aka Pine Mountain Logs, play an outdoor concert in Playa Vista Park. As I walked near the bandshell with my daughter, I noticed a table selling drinks laid with an assortment of papers and info. As I leaned in to get a better look, I saw the “Friends of Playa Vista School” logo and posters and beamed ear to ear like a proud mama. There they were out there galvanizing the hundreds of community members on behalf of their school, the school that wasn’t even born yet. They did it, I thought. They actually did it!

The Friends of Playa Vista School had formed a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, created a board and several committees, built a website, email list, and Facebook group. They were out surveying their community members, gathering support and actively engaging participation. They were organized and already advocating for their future neighborhood school. As I read about the school I learned they’d formed a partnership with LMU’s School of Education, Center for Math and Science Teaching, and College of Science and Engineering. The school will have a math, science, and environmental focus, and the facility itself will be a model of environmentally sustainable design with solar panels, recycled water, geothermal heating and cooling, and is slated to become a LEED Gold Certified school, one of only four in LAUSD with this status and the only one on the Westside of LA. The Friends are advocating for it to become a non-traditional Pilot school with certain autonomies from LAUSD, and through perseverance they were able to remove it from the Public School Choice (PSC) 3.0 open bidding process that typically happens to new schools, meaning they’ve maintained control of their school. Nice work ladies! Brava! I couldn’t be more proud.

To read more about Playa Vista Elementary School (PVES or CRES#22) go to:
www.playavistaschool.org
Join their Facebook page: FOPVES
View the school’s sustainable design plan

The lesson we can all look at here is taking an unknown stress-filled challenge and instead of getting stuck there, turning it upside-down into empowered involvement. It’s amazing what we can do on behalf of our collective children when we’re motivated. It requires faith, vision, effort, organization and outreach. But we don’t have to do it alone. Once we become empowered to do something, we become the central catalyst for improvement and change, and then we inspire others around us and it spreads. Inspiration is contagious and ultimately, transformative.

Rather than spiral downward into disengagement and helplessness, we have the choice to spiral upward into empowerment, connection and transformation. 

I know it can seem impossible, one mom against the big giant public school machine, especially in this economy. But take a look around you. What one little piece can you see at your school that speaks to you, that you see potential in, or have a desire to transform? What steps could you take? How can you become a catalyst for positive change? Share your story. We’re all in this together.

© 2011 by Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide.com All Rights Reserved.

PS Smart Tip: Summer Strategies

Posted on by

testing It might be summer break but your kid’s brains don’t have to turn to complete mush. Quiz them on their addition or multiplication tables during a car trip. Give them a summer writing journal and a few creative prompts. Offer some simple math problems to solve while shopping at the grocery store, or have them pick a topic of interest to research over the summer. Even many family board games can deepen math, spacial, and/or strategy-building skills.

Another no-brainer to keep their brains sharp: keep them reading! Most public libraries offer summer reading programs with built-in incentives and free prizes. Check out:

LAPL Kids Summer Reading Club
LAPL Teens Summer Reading Club
Santa Monica Kids Summer Reading Club
Santa Monica Teen Summer Reading Club

Waitlisted

Posted on by

by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

waitlisted Many clients have contacted me recently after finding out either their child was waitlisted at several places and they haven’t heard anything yet, or they got into two or more schools and can’t decide which way to go.

Being waitlisted is a sensitive topic. Nobody likes to hear they didn’t get into their first choice school. Some high-performing magnet and charter programs are so competitive to get into, hundreds or even thousands of children are waitlisted every year. So, what’s a parent to do?

First, it helps to understand the application/ lottery/ enrollment process so you know what you are dealing with. Savvy parents know that most folks apply to multiple schools but obviously can’t attend all those schools. Therefore, by their very nature, waitlists become bloated and not necessarily reflective of who would actually attend if given the slot. In other words, if I applied to schools A-E, got accepted and enrolled in school A, my spots on the B-C-D-E school waitlists would be technically vacant since I’ve already enrolled elsewhere. As people finalize their school decisions, other folks are silently moving up waitlists all over town, so you never truly know where you stand on a list.

Second, it helps to know the timeline so you can gauge where you are in it and what your possibilities are.The first round of Magnet notification letters go out in early April. Charters all do their lotteries independently, but typically their letters are sent out in the March-April window. (Earlier for middle and high school.)  Permits and Open Enrollment results typically come out in June. After the first round of offers go out, schools will work their way down the waitlist through May and June in order to fill empty spots, but even then enrollment lists are not necessarily final yet, as families shift in their enrollment decisions. School offices close for the month of July, so this is a good time to vacate, have a cocktail, de-stress, as there’s absolutely nothing you can do this month until offices reopen sometime in August, when they’ll continue to work down the list to ensure all seats are filled. Hopefully you will know your school choice by then, but even as late as late-August or early-September, last-minute seats can be offered. Remember, Magnet schools have up until the 10th day of school to notify you if a spot opens up, and neighborhood schools have until Norm Day, usually the first week in October when they finalize their teacher-student ratios to the District, so really, waitlisted isn’t final until then.

Third, stay positive and be proactive. Don’t bug the staff as they are most likely overworked and underpaid, but you can call, say, in late June or mid-August, to see if getting your child in is a close possibility or not very likely. You can also let them know who you are and how very thrilled you would be to accept a spot at their school, should one open up.

And finally, always have a back-up plan. Perhaps that’s your home school which you’re automatically zoned for, or one with a large number of Open Enrollment seats where almost everyone who applies gets in. Perhaps it’s a new magnet program that was announced late and didn’t fill up, or you apply for a PERT – a Parent-Employment-Related Transfer to a school near your business address. Either way, looking back at it, kids always find a seat somewhere.

Confused about your public school options? Can’t decide or want me to go over your choices with you? I can help. Book a 30 or 55min phone consultation with me today.

© 2011 by Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide.com All Rights Reserved.

PS Smart Tip: Socialize

Posted on by

Get Smart, Get PS (Public School) Smart

*Today’s public schools are full of challenges it’s true, but now more than ever is the time to work smarter, to work together to improve our school experience. In this section we’ll offer handy smart tips you can use right now to boost your school community.

Now that we’re nearing the end of the school year, many parents are downright burnt and crispy from all their efforts volunteering, fundraising, organizing auctions, carnivals, book fairs, etc. They need a little TLC. Some appreciation for all their hard work. After all, they’re not getting paid for it, and in many cases it’s the parents’ efforts that end up funding the special programs and enrichments the district can no longer provide.

While some schools are still squeezing parents for donations and to commit to next year’s committees and officer positions, a smarter idea would be to throw a big social event (think potluck or bbq or happy hour) to bring everyone together to bask in gratuitous flattery and mutual admiration. We’ll all do more for the cause when we feel welcomed, connected and appreciated. Moms and Margaritas? I’m in! Might just feel more tempted to join that grantwriting committee with such awesome compadres around me.

Tanya Quoted in Mar Vista Patch Article

Quote

Posted on by

Furlough Days Agreement Offers Short-Term Relief for Schools

Re: Budget cuts, furlough days…

“Our children are part of the collective of our society, contributing to the quality of life we are creating for ourselves and our future,” Anton said.
. 

“We are either serving them by igniting their desire to reach their highest potential, or doing a disservice to them by allowing that potential to wither neglected and unexplored. Either way, we will pay for it later in terms of their collective contributions to society.”

Read the whole story here.

API, AP What?

Posted on by

by Tanya Anton | GoMamaGuide.com

May is typically the month where students spend up to two weeks testing their knowledge of grade-level standards. Standardized testing is mandated for all public school 2nd through 12th graders as part of the No Child Left Behind Act former President Bush signed into law in 2002. Test results are used to calculate each school’s Academic Performance Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Schools are required to progress up 5 points every year and meet all target demographics in the school, which, if not met, can come with steep consequences.

That API score, or overall school test score, is one of the first things parents tend to look at when considering a school for their child, but is it the best way to measure a school? Is a high score all it’s cracked up to be? Does a lower score mean the school is no good? What does that API number really tell us?

API scores tell us how students performed on a series of tests over the course of a couple of weeks the previous spring.

But test scores are NOT indicative of the quality of a school’s educational experience. For my elementary school parents, they merely measure how a group of students, (last year’s 2nd-5th graders), tested in that particular week of spring testing in the subjects of English Language Arts and Math, with some 5th grade Science.

Test scores do NOT tell you what kind of teaching is going on, what the learning environment is like, how effectively teachers communicate and interact with the students, if the school fosters positive social-emotional development, or if students come away with a sense of curiosity, a love of learning, or long-range comprehension which becomes the base with which to scaffold deeper meaning and higher knowledge.

Test scores do NOT indicate what other subjects and enrichments students are exposed to, if they are given opportunities for hands-on learning, exploring alternative learning modalities, working in teams, mentoring or accelerated differentiation where needed, or if instead, students are grouped and repetitively drilled in the basic test subjects of English and Math — sometimes referred to as the “bread and water” of public education.

I have seen parents pull their kids out of high-performance schools that may look better “on paper,” (scores in the upper 800s to low-mid-900s), when the actual classroom experience turned out to be stressful, repetitive, and threatening a child’s innate love of learning.

Dianne Ravitch, one of the architects of No Child Left Behind in George W. Bush’s Department of Education, says she now feels that it was all a big mistake. 

“The basic strategy is measuring and punishing,” Ravitch says of No Child Left Behind. “And it turns out as a result of putting so much emphasis on the test scores, there’s a lot of cheating going on, there’s a lot of gaming the system. Instead of raising standards it’s actually lowered standards because many states have ‘dumbed down’ their tests or changed the scoring of their tests to say that more kids are passing than actually are.”  Full story.

Sure, we all want our kids to be able to read, write and do their arithmetic, but is that where the majority of the focus should be?

The best way to get a feel for a school, more than just looking at test scores, is to get on campus, take a look around with your eyes and your gut instinct, meet the people involved, ask questions, and have a direct personal experience there. Scores can only tell you so much.

© 2011 by Tanya Anton, GoMamaGuide.com All Rights Reserved.