Tag Archives: LAUSD

Magnet Acceptance Letters Sent!

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eChoices

If you applied for the magnet or one of the echoices programs, you should have received both an email (if you applied online) and  a hard copy letter in the mail this week announcing your initial results.

If you were waitlisted, do not despair just yet. There is still a long time to go, namely several months and 4 weeks into the school year or mid-September, before things are completely finalized.

If you received an acceptance letter, you have until Friday April 19th, 2013 to either accept or decline the offer. You must respond. If you delay and avoid and do not respond, (eh herm, some people actually think this tactic will work), that will be considered a decline.

After April 19th, remaining seats (by those who declined them in the initial offer) will be offered to the next students on the wait list. This process of working their way down the wait list and offering remaining seats to the next on the list will continue through April, May and June. School offices will close for the month of July but getting all the seats filled will resume again in the beginning of August – through the first day of school, Tuesday August 13th – and continue until all the seats are filled and settled at the end of the 4th week of school, September 13, 2013.

After then, if you still have not received a magnet offer, then your wait list points will become finalized for the 2013-14 school year.

I hope this is clear. Mainly, I hope this gives you some clarity that there’s still plenty of time to get offered a spot. Good luck, all!

Mailer Maelstrom

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P1090944

Parents,

This School Board race is getting out of hand. It’s no secret that our little race, especially BD4 covering the Westside thru parts of the West Valley and into upper Hollywood, is garnering national attention. With NYC Mayor Bloomberg throwing money into the race as well as lots of other outside interests from the reformer PACS to the collective union PACS, it’s becoming a real dogfight. The negative ads are downright distasteful, and not at all representative of either human being running for office.

What I hope people understand is that these ads flooding your mailboxes are filled with misleading rhetoric at best and downright lies at worst, and are usually NOT paid for, approved by, or even representative of the candidates themselves.

This is our “independent expenditures” category gone wild and run rampant throwing unlimited dollars into the fray at the same time we limit individual campaign contributions to $1000 per registered voter. Personally, I think we’ve sunk to a new low as outside groups spend millions of dollars battling for control of our local school board.

Hey Super PACS…here’s a novel thought. Spend your money on our kids! We sure could use a few million and definitely could use it in more productive ways.

In the meantime, please stay focused on the issues that REALLY matter, the ones that will affect OUR children’s future school experience as you select a candidate…such as how will you prioritize the budget, will you support continued charter growth or try to shut it down, what will you do about the growing co-location issue, how can we truly get rid of poor teachers, what about our middle and hight schools that still lag behind???

Please listen to the issues, listen to the candidates themselves, and decide who you think will be the most decisive and effective leader. And parents, please vote next Tuesday! We typically are completely under-represented at the polls. These are our kids. It’s time to activate on their behalf.

Listen to my “Meet the Candidates” PODCAST and decide for yourself!

LAUSD 2013-14 Calendar Approved by School Board

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It’s official. Last Tuesday, the School Board voted in the 2013-14 Calendar. First day of school in the “Fall” is Tues, August 13th. Major holidays are also noted.

http://home.lausd.net/ourpages/auto/2013/1/9/46336778/Single%20Track%202013-2014%20Bd%20Approved%20–%202-12-2013.pdf

SAS Apps Available April 1-30th

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SAS, (which stands for Schools For Advanced Studies), will open their application window April 1-April 30th for the 2013-14 school year. Acceptance notifications will come out May 6-10th.

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

For more on SAS (Schools for Advanced Studies) programs, including eligibility requirements and the list of school programs in each local area, see:

http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/GATE/prog-opt-3.html

It also helps to tour specific programs, as each SAS program varies significantly from school to school depending on who runs it, how they run it, and how many students they have in the program.

**Also, since April 1st is Cesar Chavez Day and technically a holiday, SAS apps will actually be accepted beginning April 2nd, not April 1st.

Inter-District Permit Requests Accepted Now

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Inter-District permit requests (leaving LAUSD for another district) are being accepted now, Feb 1st through April 30th online.

Potential reasons to apply are to leave the District are: Business Address, a Specialized Program that impacts the core curriculum (such as language immersion) NOT replicated in an LAUSD school, Sibling of existing permit holder, and the dubious Exception permit decided on a case-by-case basis.

Questions can be fielded to Melissa Schoonmaker at 213.241.5255 in the Permit Office.

For online apps, go here:

https://permits.lausd.net
or
http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33%2C168887&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP

Watch the District #4 School Board Candidate Forum Video

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Great turnout at last Thursday’s LAUSD District #4 School Board Candidate Forum in Venice hosted by The United Way, featuring candidates Steve Zimmer and Kate Anderson. Missed it? No worries. Watch the video here.

Nearly 200 People Turn Out for United Way’s LAUSD School Board Forum in Venice

Playa Vista EL Opens Non-Resident Waitlist THIS Friday

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I get asked about the new STEM focused Playa Vista Elementary School often in my talks and consultations. If you are interested in applying to the school, please find enrollment info below. As it is a neighborhood school, priority is given to those residing within the school’s attendance area. For non-residents, Wait List begins THIS FRI, Feb 1st, 2013 at PVES Main Office (open 7am-4pm)…first come, first served.
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PVES


2013-2014 Enrollment Information

Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
T-K Eligibiity: Children must turn 5 on or between Oct 2-Dec 2; Kindergarten eligible children may enroll in T-K if space is available. For more info on T-K visit: http://www.tkcalifornia.org/

Kindergarten
K Eligibility: Children must turn 5 on or before Oct 1.

Playa Vista Residents, One Westbluff Residents and LMU Employees

Registration Day – Sat, Feb 9th, 2013
9am-1pm at Playa Vista Elementary Library
Please pick-up an enrollment form at the PVES office as soon as possible and return forms on registration day. If you do not have your child’s physician card completed, you may turn in enrollment forms and bring your child’s immunization record (original and copy) and submit the physician card at a later date.

Enrollment Forms are NOW AVAILABLE for pick-up at the PVES main office (open M-F, 7am-4pm)
Please bring the following documentation with you to pick up a form.

Residents:
I. Photo ID (drivers license, passport)
II. Proof of residence (one of the following):
– Utility Bill (Gas, Electric, Water) *no phone bills*
– Rental or Lease Agreement
– Property Tax Papers
– Copy of Escrow Papers (if purchasing)

LMU employees:
I. Photo ID (drivers license, passport)
II. Recent LMU pay stub

Permits for Non-residents/Non-LMU employees
Wait List begins THIS FRI, Feb 1st, 2013 at PVES Main Office (open 7am-4pm)

Permits will be released based on available space and in order of the wait list. To be placed on the wait list, please visit the office on or after February 1st (M-F, 7am-4pm). First come, first served.

Permit applications will be available starting April 15th. Questions? Contact the school office at 424-228-1800.

PS Smart Tip: Get Informed and Participate

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ItsYourSchlDon’t be one of those 90-some % of the population who don’t take the time to find out who their school board leaders are, then complain when they vote to cut your school’s budget, beloved teachers, or music and art programs. Or co-locate your school. Or relocate your school. Or close you down. Or convert your school to another kind of school altogether, without your input.

We sometimes tend to think THEY did this to US, not realizing that WE-the-people put THEM in the seat of power to begin with. And there are WAY more parents of school-aged children than unions or special interests in this town. It’s just that the majority of school parents have typically been mute when it comes to local voter turnout.
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These are OUR schools, and our local school board reps are OUR elected officials. Don’t let someone else decide it. Know who you’re putting in the driver’s seat of your child’s school experience. Ask questions. Participate. Learn. Vote.
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Did you know that school board reps have discretionary funds for school improvements, upgrades or pet projects? Did you also know that as an ally, your school board rep can look out for your school in a myriad of ways? Take the time to get to know the candidates and make the smart choice for your child’s education. Regardless who you vote for, the main thing is to actually vote.

Meet Your School Board Candidates!

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School Board Flyer District 4Before you vote on March 5th, come meet your Board District 4 LAUSD school board candidates, Kate Anderson and Steve Zimmer tomorrow night, Thursday, January 24th 5:30p at The Boys and Girls Club in Venice. Here’s your chance to hear from and ask them questions.

Wondering just exactly what area LAUSD School Board District 4 covers and if it pertains to you?  Starting in the West Valley, Board District #4 covers everything south of the #101 and over to the #405, all of the Westside from Pacific Palisades all the way down to and including Westchester, from the Pacific Ocean cutting a swath eastward through West Hollywood and into parts of Hollywood. Here’s a map of the territory. So, basically, there’s a good chance this district covers many of you fine folks. Here’s the details…

The United Way of LA cordially invites you to
LAUSD School Board District 4

Candidate Forum

Thursday, January 24, 2013
Venice Boys and Girls Club
2232 Lincoln Blvd (just north of Venice Blvd)
Venice, CA 90291
5:30 – 7:30p

(Food, childcare and translation provided.)
Reserve a space or to submit questions call 213-808-6407
or e-mail or rsmith@unitedwayla.org

ZimmervKate
For a quick backstory, read LA School Report’s overview of the candidates HERE.

More backstory HERE.

More on the LAUSD School Board HERE.

Board Districts 2 (Garcia), 4 (Zimmer), and 6 (Martinez) term out on 6/30/13. The election is March 5th.

Couldn’t make it? View the recording of this Candidate Forum HERE.