Tag Archives: choosing a school

Waitlist Has Closed, Choices Deadline Is Early This Fall

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The 2026-27 LAUSD Choices waitlist has officially closed (end of day Friday Sept 18), so if you applied but didn’t receive a magnet offer, waitlist points will be added to your child’s account as long as your app was submitted on time. Late apps are not eligible for waitlist points.

Earlier Choices Deadline:
Heads up! The 2027-28 LAUSD Choices application deadline will come a week earlier this year! The on-time window to apply this fall for next year will be: Oct 1 through Nov 6, 2026.

This deadline includes all 6 LAUSD Choices categories: Magnets, Multilingual Multicultural (Language Immersion) programs, Schools For Advanced Studies (SAS) programs, Affiliated Charters, Permits With Transportation (PWT), and Early/Middle College programs.

The deadline for schools to submit GATE Verification of Eligibility forms on behalf of their students is also earlier this year. Schools will need to get their forms in to the LAUSD GATE Dept by Nov 20, 2026. No late forms will be accepted. It is up to you parents to follow up with the school to make sure forms and deadlines are met.

SAS or Gifted Magnet Eligibility:
Parents, you will need to fill out this additional paper form and give it to your child’s school to complete if your student is currently attending a non-LAUSD school: private preschool, private school, independent charter, or other non-LAUSD school. LAUSD students do NOT need to submit the paper form, as their current LAUSD school will verify students digitally through their student records system.

The Kindergarten SAS Verification of Eligibility form has been revised with slightly different criteria this year. You can print out the new version HERE.

The GATE/SAS Verification of Eligibility form for grades 1-12 can be accessed HERE.

If you need help understanding how to build your Magnet Points – I am offering a deep dive Mastering Magnets webinar just on that strategy THIS WEDS Sept 23. All the previous webinars I led this month are now available for purchase. View the whole GoMamaGuide webinar series 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 to go over your questions and create a personalized admissions strategy just for your child. Please note that Fall Admissions season is my busiest time of year.


Two More Webinars Announced This Month!

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Just added! Two additional LIVE September webinar dates just announced completing the fall lineup. It’s a month of Wednesday Webinars – breaking down the most pertinent information you need to successfully navigate tuition-free public school admissions in Los Angeles.

Click over to my GoMamaGuide webinar series for all the details and to grab a ticket.

Weds, Sept 16 at 12p *LIVE*

Weds, Sept 23 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 (Sept-Nov) is my busiest time of year.

Fall 2026 New Webinars Just Announced!

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Time is flying by and we’re back to school again!

With fall admissions season quickly approaching, I will be offering my most popular talks, live, this September. This is a cost-effective way to learn how to navigate the second-largest (and most complicated) school district in the country. Just click over to my GoMamaGuide webinar series for all the details and to grab your ticket.

Weds, Sept 2, 2026 at 12p *LIVE*

Weds, Sept 9, 2026 at 12p *LIVE*

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

If you prefer 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.

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.