This site has been a long time coming. I'm an LAUSD mom of two: a sixteen-year-old junior and a six-year-old kindergartener. My son, patient as he is, went through three schools in three years. Kindergarten, we tried open enrollment at a very prestigious West Valley School. It didn't go so well. First grade, a neighbor convinced us to try the neighborhood school where she was an administrator. Year round was just not for us. Finally in second grade, he was accepted by a great magnet that met his needs. LAUSD has plenty of choices available, thanks to their size, but informed choices are a lot better than just picking names of schools from a hat. My daughter, being 10 years younger, has the benefit of older, wiser parents who chose the right school the first time (and turned down the acceptance to the phenomenal magnet her brother got into 10 years prior).
Last fall, I came across the LA Times School Me! blog. It was eye-opening. Soon Sandra Tsing Loh was brought on as the "Magnet Yenta." Personally, I've always found that finding the right school is more like giving birth, so I would have chosen Magnet Doula, but it was her title, and she went with Yenta. I attended a parental get together Sandra hosted, Martinis and Magnets, and I found a room full of parents that needed help. I assisted with the Magnet Yenta questions at School Me! until they shut down the site in early May 2007. The information outlet dried up, but not my desire to help. What to call myself? Well, that didn't take too long either. When your parents actually name you Angel, you make the best of it. So here I am, Magnet Angel. At this point, I'm a veteran. Anything I can do to help families find the right school faster--first time out--will help me feel better about the journey my family's been on. I won't always know the answers, but I know where to look. Keep coming back and hopefully I'll use a good part of the summer to make this a site that parents can use and then sleep a little easier at night.
Feel free to email your comments or questions to lausdmagnetangel at gmail dot com.
kindergarten 101
hello...i am researching elementary schools for my daughter DOB - 7/18/06. She will start kindergarten in the fall of 2011. We have aculver city mailing address but are LAUDS. Doesn't bother me...I was LAUSD through middle school and got to attend Beverly Hills High through their diversity program. I just wanted to inquire about the steps to apply for a magnet of a school not in your neighborhood. Our home school is Stoner Ave. I would like to look into Community Magnet Fairburn, Warner Ave and Overland Avenue. I do know I have to fill out the CHOICES paper work by Jan 2011, but are there any other tips? Thanks.