For every 100 ninth-graders in non-San Fernando Valley schools, 44 had graduated four years later and 24 had passed courses required for admission to CSU and UC schools. In Valley schools, 48 had graduated and 25 had passed those courses. The statewide averages are 66 and 25.

The study also incorporated results of the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which showed that California's fourth-graders rank 48th in the nation in reading and 46th in math. Meanwhile, eighth-graders ranked 47th in reading and 45th in math.

Hmm, better brush up on those magnet and charter options.

Posted by Barbara Correa at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAVIGATING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM: CHOOSING THE RIGHT KINDERGARTEN FOR YOUR CHILD

Presented by Christy Bergin, Education Advisor and Founder of Best Fit School Service
with Tanya Anton, author of “Westside Guide to Public Elementary Schools”

When: Monday, November 19th 7:00pm

Where: Birth and Beyond
1750 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite #206
Santa Monica, CA 90405

cost: $25

Learn all about your public and private Kindergarten options.

- how to investigate various schools and what to look for
- tips on private school applications, preparing for evaluations
- how (and when) to begin the application process
- Magnets and the point system demystified
- how Charters work and who is eligible
- Bonus: Complete listing of all public and private Westside Elementary Schools

register online at http://gomamaguide.blogspot.com/

Posted by Barbara Correa at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm beginning to wonder if the whole non-refundable deposits & tuitions policy at many preschools is something of a racket. I just got off the phone with a school -- which will remain unnamed until the refund check is cashed -- that we applied to last spring and then ended up not attending.

Basically, I plunked down about $600 in deposits and first month's tuition with the promise that we could get three mornings a week of nursery school. But not as many spots opened up as we had expected, and the school offered us two days a week, which didn't work for me. I was fine giving up the deposit money (though it was a bit steep I thought). But when the director started giving me a hard time about refunding a month's tuition, I became suspect.

How can you be charged for a product or service you didn't get?

After days of playing phone tag and then haggling over money, the school offered me a partial refund, which I'm going to take and run. The whole episode has cost way too much money, time and stress. This is preschool, for crying out loud. Then again, this is L.A., where nothing related to schools is ever simple or straightforward.

Do you have your own war stories to share? I'd love to hear em. barbara.correa@dailynews.com or comment here.

Posted by Barbara Correa at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tomorrow, Friday October 5, is NORM DAY, when the Los Angeles Unified School District finalizes class lists in a final juggling of slots. So, parents trying to get into a particular magnet or charter school should keep calling that day.

I called a bunch of other districts, including Newhall Unified, Glendale, Burbank and Las Virgenes, and none of them had heard the term -- their classes probably aren't impacted like they are in L.A. Santa Monica-Malibu district had its norm day yesterday, October 3.

Good luck!

Posted by Barbara Correa at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I spoke to two different working Moms today who both were complaining that Los Angeles, while it may be considered progressive in general, leaves parents in the lurch in several ways. Most important, the schools are a mess. I'm not just talking about LAUSD. Preschools have one year waiting lists. Child care centers are ridiculously expensive and also frequently have waiting lists, and apparently very difficult to open.

And, I'm sorry, but the level of concentration, research, and patience it requires to get your kid into a decent public school is probably worth tens of thousands of hours that could have been spent working - or doing something fun with the kids!

The other thing that came up: a serious lack of kid activities at hours for working parents. All the Mommy and Me's are during the day, so are lessons of any kind etc. One Mom I spoke to today just wants to be able to meet other parents one night a week to discuss parenting issues. Anyone know of such a group?

Posted by Barbara Correa at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Now that we're a few weeks into back to school, it's time to start thinking about where the kids will be going next year. Luckily, we've got tons of resources.

One of the most entertaining -- and useful -- focuses on navigating the confusing Los Angeles Unified School District. It's NPR Diva Sandra Tsing Loh's "Scandalously Informal Guide to Los Angeles Schools'' This guide actually makes it fun to bone up on crucial knowledge, with sections titled Why L.A.’s middle class English speakers tend to move to Portland and How the LAUSD is like Costco -- you get the idea.

For preschools, there are people who will help you narrow down your options, if you're willing to spend a few hundred bucks. See my article from last month from L.A. School Mates' Web site. And send in other tips you might have. Here are a few more basics I've picked up in talking to parents and consultants:

Don't rely exclusively on other parents' recommendations. It's great to go on Peachhead and get a few reviews of schools you're interested in. But you still need to go visit yourself because parents see things differently, and each kid has different needs.

Early bird .... I can't stress enough that completing school applications and tours early is probably the most crucial part of getting into your school of choice. This is L.A. You're competing against gazillions of other people for those spots.

Relax. As each of the consultants I talked to said, not getting into the right school is a minor problem compared to the stress you will put on your child and yourself if you take all this too seriously. If you don't get into your top choice, you probably will next time around.

Don't forget to send in your comments/experiences!

Posted by Barbara Correa at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)