Tag Archives: choosing a school

Welcome Back To School!

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It’s been a minute since I posted up here, so I figured it was time to reconnect and say, Hello, Los Angeles. How are you?

I have been working exclusively on Zoom for consultations as well as group talks, and have met some incredible families. I really enjoy meeting all of you and making a strategic admissions plan specifically catered to each child and each situation. From new parents trying to decide if they should adopt a TK program or wait another year, to tweens worried about finding the right middle school, to supporting our surly teenagers through those challenging high school years wondering if they will find their footing… and with everything going sideways over the past couple of years and our world continuing to churn, I have met with and supported so many of you and your children. I feel honored to be able to, in my small way, connect and assist families, by bringing clarity and a way forward through one of the most confusing systems during one of the most tumultuous time periods.

With another fall admissions season quickly approaching, I have announced a new lineup of fresh LIVE webinars. Just click over to my GoMamaGuide webinar series for all the details and to grab a ticket.

Weds, August 27, 2025 at 12p *LIVE*

Weds, Sept 3, 2025 at 12p *LIVE*

Weds, Sept 10 at 12p *LIVE*

Weds, Sept 24 at 12p *LIVE*

View the whole GoMamaGuide webinar series in more detail, and purchase tickets HERE.

If all of this stresses you out and you just need immediate one-on-one assistance, let’s set up a Zoom Consultation together and create a personalized admissions strategy just for your child. Please note that Fall Admissions season is my busiest time of year.

I recently made the decision to retire my GoMamaGuidance newsletter – which started out as a monthly 15 years ago, then went to a quarterly, then eventually went dormant. To be honest, I just couldn’t keep up with it, and respect that you probably enjoy one less thing in your inbox.

Looking backwards, I realize I am coming up on the 20th anniversary of the launch of GoMamaGuide, which, frankly, is just astounding to me. 20 years! It was all quite by accident.

My daughter – who was the impetus for learning all of this – successfully navigated K-12 public schools in LAUSD (there was no TK back then), launched her way to college during the Covid lockdowns, graduated with honors from a top east coast university, is halfway through grad school, and has signed with a top firm for next summer. Bravo to her for finding her grit, her passion, her work ethic, and a way forward.

I’ll wrap up here for today, but more to come in this space as I reflect forwards, and backwards.

Last LIVE Kindergarten 101 Webinar This Fall! Weds October 25

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New Date Just Added!

Many of you have been asking about my webinars, so I am adding a final fall LIVE date for my most requested webinar, Kindergarten 101, just in time before the LAUSD Choices deadline hits. This talk will have all the latest information, including the new and expanding age eligibility for Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and what that may mean going forward.

Announcing, Kindergarten 101: Know Your Public Options
*LIVE* Weds, October 25, 2023
12p
$35
TICKET
After you purchase your ticket, you will be sent to Zoom to register for your unique login. (Don’t skip this step or you’ll miss out!)

This is a LIVE webinar, where you can ask me your questions in person, and/or watch the replay afterwards at your own convenience.

Stressed about choosing a Kindergarten?
For families just getting started, in this 90 minute webinar we’ll go over how (and when) to begin the elementary school admissions process, the new TK/K age eligibility changes, Magnets and “That Point System” demystified, Charters and other tuition-free options, what to look for in a school, and more! This is chock full of info and my most popular talk. Parents will walk away with a solid understanding of what public school options are available to them, how and when to apply, and the tools they need to make a choice they can feel good about, especially given our large and complicated public school system *Recommended for parents of 3-5 year olds. Each webinar comes with a 14-day replay so you can watch on your own timeline.

If all of this stresses you out and you just need one-on-one assistance, let’s set up a Zoom Consultation. Please note that Fall Admissions season is my busiest time of year.

New Kinder 101 Date Just Added! Webinar Replays Now Available!

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We are in full-on Fall Admissions season, with the LAUSD Choices lotteries accepting applications now through November 18, for the 2023-24 school year. Many of you have been asking about my webinars, or missed my previous series, so I am adding a new LIVE date for my most requested webinar, just in time before the deadline. This will have the latest information, including the new and expanding age eligibility for Transitional Kindergarten and what that may mean going forward.

Announcing, Kindergarten 101: Know Your Public Options
Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 12p.
This is a content-dense LIVE webinar, where you can ask me your questions in person, and/or also watch the replay afterwards at your own convenience.

Kindergarten 101: Know Your Public Options
Weds, Nov 2, 2022 
12p – *LIVE*
$35
TICKETS

After you purchase your ticket, you will be sent to Zoom to register for your unique login. (Don’t skip this step or you’ll miss out!)

GoMamaGuide Fall Webinar Series – Replays Now Available!

If you missed the other webinars in my series, replays are now available. Just click on the webinar you want, purchase a ticket, and I will email you a special passcode to access the replay. Be patient. I am a human, not a robot.

Each webinar comes with a 10-day replay so you can watch at your own convenience.

Navigating the School System: 
The Overview
Replay Now Available!
$35
TICKETS

Middle School Madness
Replay Now Available!
$35
TICKETS

Mastering Magnets: 
(Those Points!)
Replay Now Available!
$35
TICKETS

After you purchase your ticket, I will email you a special passcode to access the replay. Be patient. I am a human, not a robot.

All webinar tickets now come with a 14-day replay. 
View the whole GoMamaGuide webinar series in more detail. 

If all of this stresses you out and you just need one-on-one assistance, let’s set up a Zoom Consultation. Please note that Fall Admissions season is my busiest time of year.

The Latest

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Hope you’re all doing well. Just thought I’d post a couple of updates here.

Late Apps [for LAUSD Choices categories] are in full swing right now if you missed the on-time November deadline, or want to add additional selections to your spread. Each selection will be submitted individually, time-stamped, and added to the end of the on-time waitlist. You will not receive any waitlist points on a Late App Magnet, however you just might win a seat.

Many Independent Charters have deadlines coming up right around this time. Each are submitted individually at each school’s website. If you miss the deadline, you can ask to submit a late app and be added to the end of the on-time waitlist.

Permitting – both within (intra) and leaving the district (inter) – are ongoing right now.

Upcoming Dates of Note:
Mon, March 14, 2022 – initial results of the LAUSD Choices lotteries are posted

Fri, April 8, 2022 – LAUSD Choices Accept/Decline Deadline

Mon, April 11 – Fri, April 15, 2022 – LAUSD Spring Break; schools and offices closed

Mon, April 18, 2022 – Waitlists start to move! (This is just the beginning of a very long process)

Weds, April 27, 2022 – Open Enrollment opens – always a few gems on that list

…AND we still don’t have a START DATE for LAUSD’s 2022-2023 school year. The Board of Ed may vote on this in March, but no official word just yet.


Webinars – The Basics
For those of you who are just getting started, are fairly overwhelmed with how things work around here (who isn’t), want to learn all about “those points!,” or need to get some good foundational learning done before we work on your personalized admissions strategy, I have made my most popular webinars available to you as replays. Introducing The GoMamaGuide Basics Webinar Series – grab a ticket and learn on your own timeline. Get the lay-of-the-land before we meet.

Just Announced
And for those of you with kids in High School, don’t miss this upcoming live FREE webinar, What You Need To Know NOW About Paying Less For College
with Cyndi Menegaz of SMARTTRACK® College Funding
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 12p
*Highly Recommended for parents of 8th-11th graders. Read the scoop HERE.
Register HERE.

Need HELP?
I have been quietly working away in my cubicle helping as many families as I can with their public school queries during these trying times. I know it’s difficult with no on-site tours, and no fresh school data, still. If you need assistance, reach out to schedule a Zoom or Phone or Relocation Consultation with me, and let’s talk school.

Ok folks, hang in there!

MotherbirdLA Chats About Public Schools in Los Angeles with Tanya Anton of GoMamaGuide

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MotherbirdLA Podcast
Thrilled to be one of the first to help launch Mia Sable Hays’ new MotherbirdLA podcast series.

Schools. Seemingly such a simple topic, yet inevitably so complex.

We sat down to discuss finding a public elementary school in Los Angeles as new mothers often do, and the convo took a deeper dive into the intersection of history, politics, money, real estate, and the various choices in today’s public education landscape. Pour a cuppa something and join us for our chat, “Explaining Public, Magnet, & Charter Schools in LA.” You’ll definitely want to subscribe to the Motherbird series, including taking a glimpse into LA’s private school world with Beyond The Brochure’s Christina Simon, among others.

MotherbirdLA
https://www.motherbirdla.com/shownotes

How to listen:
Spotify
Spotify Player

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Apple

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Captivate

Last Day for LAUSD eChoices App!

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Hey my LAUSD folks,

Just a friendly reminder that today is the LAST DAY to get your eChoices application in before tonight’s 11:59p deadline. If you haven’t gotten your application in yet, take a moment, go up there, and DO IT NOW. Don’t be late.

The eChoices application includes lottery selections for Magnets, Dual Language programs, Schools for Advanced Studies, and (new for 2020), Affiliated Charter Schools for elementary students, and for secondary students, all those categories plus Permits With Transportation, and Admission Criteria Schools. Six categories all from one app!

If you have already submitted your application, you might want to log onto your parent dashboard and review your selections today, making sure all the schools you wanted are listed and prioritized exactly how you want them to be. This is the last day you can make any edits to your application, such as reorder the priority (1st-2nd-3rd) of your choices, or drop/add some choices. Whatever is on your application at 11:59p this evening, is what is being submitted, but you can still make changes up until tonight’s deadline.

***Heads up, the SAS Verification of Eligibility Form is due by 5p tonight, not 11:59p.

How Do I Check My eChoices App and/or Make Changes?

Log onto your dashboard with your email and password at eChoices.lausd.net or apply.lausd.net. (They both will arrive at the same place.)

Once you are logged in with your password, you will be at your dashboard. (If you are just getting started for the first time, you will “Apply to Programs” and follow the prompts to select your choices in each category.) If you have already put in an application and want to give it a final once over before tonight’s deadline, click on “Track/Edit Applications” to review what you have previously submitted.

 

 

 

 

Then you will see each of your children’s current applications, and you can click on one to open it up and view it. Make sure it is exactly how you want it.

 

 

 

 

If you want to add/drop/reorder anything, this is your chance. Do it here. Remember to hit SAVE at the bottom when you are done.

 

 

 

 

Once you submit your app again, you should see your confirmation number and get an auto-email alert from “applyforschools@lausd.net” with your submission confirmation. Review everything again to make sure it caught all your changes.

Repeat for each sibling.

This is it. Only on-time applications are eligible for waitlist points in the magnet category, and have the best odds overall in the lotteries. Don’t be late.

Also, don’t wait until 11:57p tonight to try to cram your app in. You know the LAUSD server will be busy!

Also, you’ve had 6 1/2 weeks to get this done.

Wishing everyone the best possible outcome in the lotteries!

Thank you for participating.

I will be offline for the weekend and will be back at my desk on Monday.

Cheers y’all!

xo

 

 

Fresh Webinars Just Added!

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You’ve been asking, and I heard you. Introducing a fresh new GoMamaGuide Webinar series just in time for fall admissions season.

I’d like to think I’ve got you covered with all of these. There are TWO dates coming right up THIS WEEK for my most popular topic, Kinder 101: Know Your Public School Options. This is the talk I’ve been giving to LA parents for over a decade. I’ve scheduled one for this Wednesday at noon, and the other one for this Thursday at 7p. But if you can’t make either date, no worries, a pre-paid ticket will get you the replay for a full 7 days afterward, so you can watch or review at your leisure.

[Each image links to its corresponding registration page, so click on the one you want.]

And if you’ve mastered elementary school admissions, but are already starting to panic about your Middle School options, this one’s for you. Middle School Madness. I’ll walk you through the process because it’s never too early to work on your long-range strategy.

Gearing up for the upcoming eChoices application in October, I’ll be leading my thoroughly informative Mastering Magnets webinar, where we go through that weighted points system step-by-step and break it all down, so even YOU can understand how to do it.

Rounding up the series this month is the webinar on Understanding Gifted Options, and how to navigate that world. Yes, even for Kindergarteners. We’ll break down those acronyms…LAUSD LOVES their acronyms!

As with all of these webinars, there’ll be a live Q&A during the event, or you can email me your related questions in advance. Watch from the comfort of your own home or office, and check out the replay* for a full 7 days afterwards at your convenience. I love the no driving, no parking, no need to coordinate childcare factor with these webinars. Makes it super easy for both of us!

To register for a webinar, just click on the corresponding image.
A pre-paid ticket* gets you the replay for a full 7 days afterward.
*(Replay only available to pre-paid ticket holders. Tickets not available once the webinar starts.)

Oh, and for those of you who are asking, I am currently working on the latest up-to-date edition of “The GoMamaGuide to LAUSD” guidebook. Stay tuned for a fall release date announced soon and thanks for your patience.

Hope to see you on one of these events! As always, if you find you need immediate assistance, we can always set up a phone or in-home consultation.

GoMamaGuide Launches New “LUNCH & LEARN” WEBINAR Series!

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Just in time for LAUSD’s new 2019 eChoices application period (which opens Monday, October 1st – due Friday, November 9th), I’m launching my new GoMamaGuide “Lunch & Learn” Webinar Series featuring live interactive online classes to help you get schooled in the essentials of public school choice. These are the classes I’ve been teaching to stressed out parents all over Los Angeles for over a decade!

Many of you have been asking for more seminars and rather than try to hit every neighborhood in LA, with these online webinars no one has to deal with traffic, or find parking, or book a sitter, or even agree on a date. I will be running them at noon so we can still schedule in-home visits in the evenings. So join us from the comfort of your computer, get savvy while you lunch, and if you can’t make it, or want to review it, you can catch the replay for another 7 days afterward.

Here are the first three webinars in the lineup. More will be announced soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanya Anton is the creator of GoMamaGuide and author of a series of guidebooks helping parents navigate the daunting array of K-12 public school choices throughout greater Los Angeles. A frequent guest speaker and public education consultant, Tanya has appeared on NPR’s “Which Way LA” seven times, presented on motherhood and social activism in NYC, lobbied against school budget cuts up in Sacramento, and also appeared before the LAUSD School Board on several issues. Having spoken to literally thousands of stressed-out parents about to enter the LA school system, Tanya has inspired many to not only reconsider their public school options but also become a vital yet interconnected agent of change within them. Visit GoMamaGuide.com.

 

 

 

 

 

GoMamaGuide to LAUSD: Elementary Edition has arrived!

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Hey folks,

I’ve been promising to write this guidebook literally for years, and now, HERE IT IS!

Packed with information yet delivered in easily understood bite-sized pieces. Get the Big Guide to LAUSD. Covers every region within LAUSD: North, South, East and West!

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**Just Released! Biggest Guide Yet!

GoMamaGuide to LAUSD – Elementary Edition
LA Public Schools Demystified
By Tanya Anton

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* Offers a thorough understanding of ALL your LAUSD public school options
* Outlines how (and when) to tackle each type of application process
* Magnets and “The Point System” demystified
* How Charters work and who is eligible
* Dual Language Immersions, GATE, Open Enrollment, and other options
* Permitting in and out of District
* How to tour: what to look for in a school and more…
* Learn how to expertly navigate schools in LAUSD!
.* Covers how to navigate all of LAUSD!
Includes:
* Complete List of all LAUSD Public Elementary Schools (broken down by category and region)
* Handy month-by-month Application Timeline
* Evaluating Your Priorities Exercise
* Bonus Materials, Charts and Resources
* Nearly 70 pages!
* All this for only $30 –about what you’d spend on a pilates class!
* No need to leave home — Guidebook shipped to your door!
Note: Individual schools are not ranked or profiled. For individual assistance, and to find the best fit schools for your child, please consider booking a consultation with me.
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GoMamaGuides have already helped thousands of LA parents.
About the GoMamaGuidebooks:
“Best $$ I’ve spent in a long time!”

“I purchased your guide last year. It was the single most helpful resource I found to assist with our search.”

To order, click Buy Now!  
Only $30 plus $3.99 s&h via Paypal.

Please verify your shipping address with Paypal before finalizing purchase. All sales are final.

SAS Applications Now Through March 30th (It’s earlier this year!)

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GATE
Hey folks, heads up! They moved the SAS date up a month!

If your child qualifies, NOW is the time (March 1-30, 2017) to apply for LAUSD’s Schools For Advanced Studies (SAS) programs for next fall. The deadline to apply for the 2017-18 school year is March 30, 2017. Acceptance notifications come out April 21st.

In order to apply to an SAS school, students must meet specific eligibility requirements, either by being identified as Gifted and Talented (GATE), verified by their teacher and principal, or by meeting specific testing thresholds.

What is an SAS school? It is a specialized program for qualified students that (hopefully and depending on the strength of the program and staff) delves deeper into course material at an accelerated pace. From the LAUSD website: “Gifted/Talented Programs creates high end learning opportunities which allow students to flourish in stimulating academic and social environments. In designing challenging educational opportunities, we strive to raise the floor, remove the walls and eliminate the ceiling on learning.”

If your gifted child is wait listed at their magnet choice and you haven’t yet heard if they got into that charter school, the possibility of an SAS program can be another school option to consider. You can apply to more than one SAS program, you apply directly at your desired SAS school site, and the school will determine which applicants get accepted or not by the end of the application period. Some schools handle applications on a first-come first-served basis, and most schools base student acceptance on a more selective criteria which might include a student interview plus review of work samples, cumulative grades, teacher recommendations and SBAC test results.

*Note: For middle and high school, they will look at your child’s grades going back 2-3 years, making your child’s grades and test scores from 3rd, 4th and the 1st semester of 5th grade particularly important when applying for middle school, and 6-8th grade outcomes critical for high school applications.

For more on SAS (Schools for Advanced Studies) programs, see: achieve.lausd.net/gate

SAS application and criteria: achieve.lausd.net/Page/2033

All about GATE options and “The List” of SAS programs by area/grade begins on page 5: List

You can pick up applications at each SAS school office during the application period, or download it here: achieve.lausd.net/Page/2033

Transportation is not provided for these programs, so keep that in mind when applying.

As always, if you want to discuss anything further, I’m here to help!
phone consultation
in-home consultation