Northridge/Granada Hills/Porter Ranch
Unconventional wisdom you may not be aware of. . .Holmes Middle School is HOT!!!! (See PARENTS SEEKING SCHOOLS, Comment #73)
Porter Ranch Community School opens this fall with grades K-7, and community meetings in the month of March. Read about them here: http://www.porterranchcommunityschool.org/parentscommunity-involvement.html
hi… i may be moving to sylmar. ive done some research and the schools there are not that good. are there any good nearby magnets or charters? please help:)
Hi,
I live in Sylmar, and you are correct – the schools are not all that great, especially Middle and High School. If your child is gifted, Balboa Gifted has been great for us – but it can be difficult to get in. I’ve also heard good things about Vintage.
Hi yselina,
Sorry I didn’t see this sooner. If you are looking for open enrollment, all three schools in Granada Hills above Rinaldi have open enrollment spaces–El Oro Way, Van Gogh, and Knollwood. Many, many San Fernando and Sylmar parents drive up San Fernando Road to Balboa Blvd and go into the back of Granada Hills to take advantage of the great schools there.
In addition, my son went to schools in the West Valley for years. Lawrence is a great middle school, as is Nobel, and many others.
Good luck!
If you are willing to engage in a moderate but not horrible shlep, a place to research for the 2010-11 enrollment year (deadline for enrollment application for this coming fall already passed)is the CHIME Charter schools. I can attest to the fact that the elementary school is a very, very special place.
Lisa, that would take one very dedicated parent to go from Sylmar to Woodland Hills every day, twice a day.
I am going to try and enroll/apply to Balboa Magnet for the 2010 school year. I know the Choices brochure comes out in Dec. How do they determine who gets chosen? I spoke with the school and they said they do not “test” incoming first graders.
Any advice and or suggestions is greatly welcomed.
Thank you!
hi Debbie!
LAUSD magnet slots are awarded strictly in a lottery system. Students are ranked by the points they have (see http://askamagnetyenta.wordpress.com/top-5-faqs-re-magnet-schools/ for more information on how points are awarded).
Students who have the most points get in, until the last slot is taken. Then the rest of the kids end up on the wait list.
In first grade, the most magnet points a kid could conceivably have would be 15 (4 PHBAO, 4 overcrowded, 4 waitlist from being turned down in kindergarten, and 3 sibling points). The computer starts with students with 15 points, and all students with 15 get in (balancing the racial ratio at either 60-40 or 70-30). Second grade entrants could conceivably have 19, and students entering third grade could possibly have 23, but they start at the top and go down the list. When they run out of spots, the rest go on the wait list in order of their points.
Balboa does verify that everyone who has applied meets one of the criterium they use to identify gifted/high ability, but other than double checking with your child’s teacher if he or she meets the criteria for entrance into Balboa, there’s nothing specific you really need to do.
Good luck!
Is there a list where I can see if our neighborhood school is considered PHBAO and overcrowding?
Thank you!
Debbie:
There is no list of which I’m aware. Just ask your school if they know whether or not they are PHBAO (determined each year by LAUSD for each school) or overcrowded.
hi i am just moving in a new home down the street for balboa magnet school that is my daughts home school can i enroll her or do have to wait for the next school year 2010 to be put on a list how would that work she has to go to school and i dont have any points so wher does that leave us out of school
Hi Victoria.
Balboa is not a neighborhood school, so you won’t be able to enroll her there. Look for the CHOICES brochure for 2010-11 coming out in the next few weeks. In order to be considered for Balboa, she’ll have to be identified as gifted or high ability. Depending on her grade, she’s going to have a difficult or extremely difficult time getting in with few or no points, but dont’ rule it out completely.
To find the school your daughter will attend this year, type in your address on LAUSD’s school finder: http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=schfinder0 Your likely school is Andasol or Dearborn.
hi thanks for the infr but she is only in first and they dont test in first what should i do i would really like for her to go there.
Victoria:
For children younger than second grade, you need a teacher (private or public) to vouch that the child meets the LAUSD criteria for giftedness (in short, her current teacher needs to sign off for her).
The criteria can be found Option A here:
http://echoices.lausd.net/Magnet/GiftedCriteria.aspx
Good luck!
To follow up, after attending a Council of Council meeting in Local District I last month, a school MUST evaluate a child as early as the second semester of kindergarten if the parents request it. If there are signs to test a child, they can not force a family to wait. There are valid reasons for waiting until second grade, but if you’re certain, you can request it.
They will test in first. You can ask for it. They’ll discourage it, but they have to take your request. And so long as the teacher marks her as meeting the criteria for high ability, she’ll be eligible for Balboa anyway.
The trick will be that it’s going to be tough getting into Balboa. They let in 60 in first grade, 60 in second, and only 30 in third grade. So you’ll want her tested now so you have two chances to get her in.
Depending on how many points you’ll get for PHBAO and overcrowding, it’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but you might get lucky. Just make sure you have some adequate back up plans in case she doesn’t get in.
hi i went to my daughters school and said they dont test the dont have funding or staff for that can i go to another school to have her tested
by they way what is PHBAO I am clueless thank you
Hi Victoria.
First off, are you currently in an LAUSD school? They HAVE to test if you request it. The budget cuts might make it take longer, but they have to test. You might want to call the LAUSD’s GATE department directly to get the specifics, but I’m not aware of any school saying they’re not testing at all. The GATE dept. is listed at: http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/GATE/res-con-2.html#ResConPg2ContactUs
PHBAO is “predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or Other” and is determined by the percentages of each group on a specific school campus. Since the magnet program is a desegregation program, they look to provide balance at the magnets by drawing kids from various home schools to the magnet to help achieve racial integration.
(And you’re not clueless, you’re just new to this. By next year, you’ll be helping us explain it to new people)
how do i find out the my school now is over crowding and phbao
You can ask your current school if it’s overcrowded, but if it’s not a 3-track school (A, B, C) it’s not likely. The office will also know if the school is PHBAO.
Me again… I am now in the process of filling out the Choices brochure. I have marked the multi-racial section, but the form is stating that I must choose an ethnicity. I am of asian background and my husbacn is white. Is it bet to classify my daughter as Asian or White for Balboa. I am going to assume they do look at this too. Thanks for any suggestions.
The best suggestion is to call and ask how many points it took to get in as a minority and how many points it took to get in as white. In several of the tours I’ve taken in the last few years, it’s taken 16 for minority and 12 for white. Balboa is either 60-40 or 70-30, but there are fewer white kids in the district than even those numbers. Balboa’s a bit different because *everyone* wants to get in there. But you can still use that information to your advantage once you know which is better in terms of getting in versus being waitlisted.
Once you have gotten in, you will need your daughter to stay that designation until she leaves that magnet. However, for middle school, you can make another designation if that increases your odds.
For what it’s worth, we always check the minority box for my kids, and they have always gotten in to the magnets of their choice (my daughter did get into Balboa in first grade, but we turned it down). But we still choose that for her ethnicity.
Good luck!
Hi!
When you mention to call and ask for the points – do I call the school directly or LAUSD?
If you don’t mind me asking.. since you turned down Balboa where did she end up going for 1st grade?
Thank you again for your help!
Hi Debbie,
When we turned down Balboa, we were in a great, small elementary school in the North Valley where my daughter still attends. The difference in API scores were negligible and my daughter was happy and healthy and remains so. We haven’t regretted turning down Balboa yet. In fact, because of the class size increase, several kids from my daughter’s school got in this year, and all but one turned it down. So we’re not alone.
Debbie:
You would call the school directly and talk to either the magnet coordinator or principal. Good luck!
Granada Hills High Magnet Gone
This year LAUSD has ended the Math/Science Magnet program at Granada Hills High School. Families who applied there this year were surprised to receive notification early this month. School personnel are apparently working with families to find space for them and to try to accommodate interest in math/science. But the formal CHOICES-application magnet program is apparently a thing of the past at GHHS.
I go to Nobel currently and I’m in the 8th grade. Does that mean I CANT go to Granada, because I can’t find it in the brochure and I’m really disappointed after seeing that Granada is not listed and after reading this comment.
Hi suzy,
Granada no longer has a magnet. You can apply to go to their school through open enrollment.
Hi, about granada high.
so besides open enrollment, and living i the area how else can my children get in? one im trying to get into granada and then one will following trying nobel? they both go to balboa, does that give them any pull at these schools? okay so no more magnet, what about SAS.. Thanks
Hi leesa,
Unfortunately, there’s nothing intrinsically helpful about being at Balboa and trying to get into Granada. You will have matriculation points to get into the Nobel magnet which will be at least one relief. Granada does have open enrollment permits, but the demand far exceeds the amount of spots. Same with SAS. For more information on their permit programs, visit http://www.ghchs.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=99998&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=191340
Hi all,
First of all thanks for this great & helpful site. So here is my dilemma: I have twin sons who are going to grade 1 at Castlebay elementary school. We were in PA last year where they attended kindergarten. Both of them were identified as gifted. Of course the testing was initiated at our request. I want to send them to gifted magnet school here in the valley. Since they have zero points to start with this year it looks like there chances of getting into a gifted program is almost next to null for couple more years.
One of my sons always complain that school work is too easy for him. He wants to be challenged! He scored 99% on test. The other one says the same, but never asks for being challenged. He scored 95%.
Do you any advice for me?What should I do to get them into an accelerated program?
Regards,
A.M.
Assuming you’re looking at Balboa, there are openings in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. You are right in that you won’t have points this year, but you’d get rejection points for the next year, and you never know, you might get in for 3rd grade.
On the other hand, you can also look at SAS programs at nearby schools. The list of local district 1 SAS programs are here: http://www.lausd.net/lausd/offices/GATE/prog-opt-3.html
SAS is essentially a gifted magnet without the magnet.
If your son is asking for more challenging work, talk to the teacher and find out what they can do to differentiate his instruction or make his homework more challenging.
For what it’s worth, we sent our son to Balboa, but my daughter is at a great elementary school with 25% of the school classified as gifted, so we opted to leave her where she was (turning down Balboa). We’ve had mixed results having teachers giving her more challenging work, but we really like the school.
You may find that Castlebay is a great fit with a few little tweaks for your boys. The time you save bussing/carpooling and having friends in the neighborhood are not to be taken lightly.
Good luck!
Thanks magnetangel & Rebekka for your advices. I will definitely look into SAS programs in our area for next year.
I have one more question: How is Sunland Magnet School? I got the echoices brochure & looks like applicants to openings ratio was pretty low last year!
Hi AM,
I’d suggest visiting the magnet and attending any tours they have scheduled. I haven’t been there, so I can’t speak about it.
A.M. — Angel summed it up, but also please read the Gifted section of this website (to the right). I think you’ll find lots of good info.
Good luck!
Rebekka
Hi!
My daughter, Simone, will be 3 in January. She is currently in pre-school and we are (as most parents) desperate to provide her with a quality public education. She seems bright to us and to others who spend time with her, but I truly have no idea how she compares to other kids or whether she is technically “gifted.”
Our home school is Topeka Elementary. Unfortunately, I just don’t know very much about it. Does anyone here have thoughts/information about this school? Beckford is close by as well and seems really great, but I think we would have to do a lottery to get in. Would it be worth it?
We are also planning to apply to VAM for kindergarten and pray that we are rejected so that we can collect the points and try for Balboa in first grade (assuming she can be identified as “gifted” for real by her kindergarten teacher). Do people recommend this strategy? Are folks as happy with Balboa as they used to be?
My main question, though, involves SAS programs. My sister is very gung ho about this, but I still don’t understand what it is and how it is different from a magnet. She got her son into Dearborn for kindergarten and will hopefully get him into Dearborn’s SAS. Topeka has an SAS program, so if that is good, we will happily keep Simone in her home school. Can someone provide me with some additional information about this program? I looked at the information on LAUSD’s site, but shockingly (she writes with as much sarcasm as possible) it is not specific and not terribly helpful.
In addition, Nobel is our home middle school. That seems to have a magnet and SAS. If your child is in an SAS program in elementary, do they continue into middle and high school? Do they get priority into a school not in their neighborhood if it has an SAS (i.e. Granada Hills Charter). I realize I am WAY jumping the gun, but I am (a) confused and (b) a total information junkie.
This website is amazing and I am so ectastic that I found it. Thank you so much in advance for any help.
Hi Jessica,
I’ll do the best I can to answer all your questions, but I’ll start with SAS. SAS is essentially a gifted magnet–without the busses. When Local District 1 (picture West Valley) families couldn’t ALL get their kids into Balboa, they went about creating a gifted program at their home schools–and so was born the Schools for Advanced Studies. If your daughter is deemed gifted in elementary, she’ll be automatically qualified for the SAS at her home school. If that’s Nobel, she’s in it automatically. If you wanted to go to the SAS at , say, Frost, you’d have to go through a lottery, but the SAS is the gifted program at your home school. Now, other schools have great gifted programs without SAS, so there’s no reason to panic if you start hearing about a school without one. For instance, my daughter’s school is 25% identified gifted, we don’t have an SAS, and we do just fine.
The main difference between magnets and SAS can be class size. Magnets tend to have slightly fewer students, but with the budget constraints, that can change as well.
You can apply to VAM, but be forewarned, no one these days knows what’s going to happen with class size. Since class size could conceivably increase, the odds of getting in are higher. The risk isn’t too huge, because you’d only lose one year’s worth of points.
Definitely go in and talk to the folks at Topeka. Ask for a tour, and see what you like. I’ve heard great things about Topeka. You can continue to worry about points, but you’ll save headaches and gas. And the fact your daughter is only turning 3, you’re several years from actually sweating these bullets. And MUCH can change between now and then. If you want to put some energy into a good educational program, volunteer at Topeka and see what you can do before your daughter gets there. At the very least, you’ll be improving the school that drives your property values.
Good luck!
Jessica — first off, as a fellow planner and information junkie, I like your style and honesty!
Second, magnetangel said pretty much what I would. My home school is Beckford and I know lots of people who go to Topeka and are happy. So you are already in a pretty good place. Angel is right, start volunteering there NOW (or at least stalking parents on the playground and at PTA meetings!) and you might learn a lot and get a better feel for whether it is the place you want to be. FWIW, the Principal now at Topeka is the former Asst. Principal at Beckford and was well-loved there. So definitely don’t rule it out!
SAS is basically clustering of gifted kids together in classrooms and the SAS teachers supposedly have some training in giftedness. (With budget cuts, I wonder how much these days…)
One thing I’d add to Angel’s post is that the downside to magnets and going outside your home school is the friends thing. It is way easier/nicer to have friends and other parents in your neighborhood. You lose that by commuting to a magnet, which is a bummer. Your child still make friends, sure, but it is harder to get together, etc. Just a thought. If the differential between Topeka and other competitor schools isn’t much, that might tip the scales for you, not to mention the hassle of transportation elsewhere.
Middle schools are in major flux and honestly, it is just too early for you to even think about them right now. Anything we say now will change completely by the time you are there. So do have the beverage of your choice and use that energy now checking out elementaries. By the time middle school nears, you can start your research and stalking process over again. Enjoy!
I’ll definitely agree with Rebekka on the travel aspect. We live in the far NE Valley. And every time my son got paired with another student, they seemed to live in West Hills. And the parents had a strong aversion to driving. And 45 minutes each way for projects is a pain in the rear. And for friends, it’s worse.
I’m not saying it can’t be or shouldn’t be done, but as Rebekka points out, if all things are nearly equal, I’d tip in the favor of proximity.
Thank you so much for this feedback magentangel and Rebekka! This is really helpful and encouraging. I went to a meeting last night at Dearborn Elementary about their SAS program and was incredibly impressed with the principal, Mrs. Hirsh. The program sounds great and may be a terrific alternative to Balboa. I plan to do the same with Topeka has a meeting so that I can really evaluate where the best place for my girls will be. Again, thanks so much!
Hi Jessica,
Remember to keep your eyes open and follow the news and other reports. There is still a lot of stuff coming down in the next two or three years regarding budget and how that will play out, we really can’t know.
Good luck!
Hi there, I have a 4½ yr-old and like Jessica nd Rebekka, a planner and info junkie =). Our home school is the newly opened elementary chool on Raymer and Kester in Panorama City. My son is in pre-k and most of my friends a couple of them teachers say he is gifted. and because of this I am getting all kinds of advices like to get him tested, or enroll him in a school that has SAS. I do not know where to start. What is open enrollment? How do I apply for SAS for kinder?How about magnet? HELP! Thanks in advance.
Cecille:
The real trick, Cecille, is that LAUSD doesn’t do identification of gifted children much before end of second grade. On a VERY VERY rare occasion they may test earlier but they are making testing harder and harder and will fight on that count. There also aren’t many programs for gifted kids before first grade — even the gifted magnets mostly start in first grade.
First off, I would recommend you go talk to the principal or coordinator at your local school and see what programs they offer for gifted children. I am not familiar with your school but see if they do anything special for those identified gifted. Ask about getting him tested and how early that can happen if teachers feel he is gifted.
I would be wary of switching from your local school (unless it is really bad!) because it is very possible you will be switching schools in a few years anyway when your child is identified. It depends on your child’s temperament and the level of need for better/more challenging curriculum.
So… unless the local school is scary bad, I would start in Kinder there and try to get them to work with you on challenging your child. How can they accommodate his needs? When can they get him tested? Try to get the teachers in your court and HELP you push for testing… if the school staff back you (and don’t think you’re another pushy parent who is falsely sure his/her child is a raving “genius”), you will have much more luck getting early testing.
If you have financial resources, you may also get him tested privately. The website for Mirman Private school for the highly gifted has a list of local psychologists who do it. Having outside test scores won’t help much with LAUSD other than to provide leverage with the principal at the school to say “See, he is gifted, he needs testing.” It also never hurts to have more info about your child!
Once your child gets tested/identified as gifted by LAUSD, then is the time to find SAS or gifted/highly gifted magnet programs he can move into for first/second/third grades. Start applying NOW for points through the CHOICES program (read much more on this site about that process) so you have points ready when that occurs in the next few years.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
This is very helpful Rebekka. Thanks so much!
My daughter starts kinder in the fall, yikes! We did the VAM thing and submitted our application at the charter schools we like but the odds of “winning” the lottery are slim. Our home school is Calahan and it has a greatschools score of 8 but recently was put on “the list”. It is a California Distinguished School so we thought we were ok. We have our daughter at a great private school for pre-school but thought we could find a great public school. Our hope is still one of the charter schools but is our home school our only option? Also I visited Ingenium Charter which is only a year old and think the learning approach is great but not sure of a charter that is new and sits on a MS campus. Any feedback would be great! Thanks!
In regards to Calahan, it was put on the list like virtually every school in the SFV. It usually entails one of two subgroups–Special Education or English Language Learners. I did a quick check, and in fact, Calahan took a hit in their ELL scores. It’s not to say these groups are not important, but if they do not apply to you, that alone should not be a reason to panic. Please find out when Calahan’s kindergarten orientation will be, and go visit the campus. It’s a great little school in a nice neighborhood. Make sure you’ve been there before you rule it out.
You’re right to have reservations about an elementary charter on a MS campus. I’d definitely wait a year or two to see the bugs worked out before I’d let that be an option.
Good luck!
Yup! I also hear positive things about Calahan (some from CSUN professors who do work there) so… definitely check it out and see if it works for your family. I’d definitely go visit a Calahan PTA meeting this spring and/or chat with parents on the playground after school.
Lorraine, please explore this Yenta site more about some of your other points — other options (you can do Open Enrollment in the spring, for example) and also info on the greatschools.net ratings — they are probably not what you think they are. Both are covered elsewhere on this site.
Good luck!
A freind recommend Valley Charter. It just opened in 2010. I took the tour and of course it is what one would expect a starter school to be, new, small class sizes and very enthusiastic staff. My only reservation is the “unknown”…no track record, API score. My child will be starting Kindergarted and I like the idea of a 20:1 ratio vs 25/29:1. Any thoughts? Anyone else familiar with Valley Charter in North Hills?
I had one daughter 9 year old and one son 8 year old who now one in Magnet school and the other attended public school in Chatsworth. In short, my daughter had been admited to Balboa Magnet 2 year ago and I also applied for my son (8yrs) as well by that time at 2009. However, when the file was sent from down town district to my son elementary school his teacher (was actually new – first year in this school) does not know about the Magnet procedure so she was mistakenly marked as not gifted.
The Student service from down town district since then drop the file and does not send me any letter at all to let me know what the situation for my son.
My son got into first grade and the down town district just simply reset the file to zero that mean my son lost all 4 point of waiting time (every year we waiting we will get 4 point)
Now at second grade my son only got 4 point for waiting from the previous year which in fact should be 8 if the file not been mix up.
I had call the teacher since and talked to her regarding the situation. She agree that she will call the down town district to see if they can help since she was my son teacher by that time.
However, when she call the office, they said that the parent had to complaint when they see the mistake. I can not see it since they does not sent me any letter for that year.
They then said since it was 2 year already they can not change it even our teacher said that was her mistake.
Today when I when to my son teacher for regarding his application She had made a call to Student Integration Service at 213-241 6532 immediately After a long waiting she finally be able to talked to Mr. Ortiz He was Senior liaison Aide officer. Mr. Ortiz said he had send the letter to me regarding my son situation in which yesterday when I went directly to Balboa school for clarification and the Balboa Coordinator call them immediately in front of me at that point. the Student Integration Services said they did not send any letter to the parent since my son school had mistakenly put him on NO for gifted child. There was no reason for them to send any further letter.
I had keep all letters from Student Integration Services. Of course, I got all letters for the following year but not the first year in 2009. (they involved Confirmation letter , Eligibility letter, and Waiting list letter.) All I got for 2009 was the confirmation letter which inside it said No Error were found in your child’s application. It will continue in the selection process.
When son teacher said if you had send the letter to the parent do you had any copy of them or any record of them Mr. Ortiz said he can not provide any because it is a lot of work for him to digging to those pile of file. He claim that he even had record for 5 years ago in his record. Thus he simply said he do not had time to do that. plain and simple.
Mr. Ortiz then turn around and started accused my son teacher that she had ask him to give my son 4 more points in which he can not do. Even when my son teacher only tried to explain to him that since she was new in this environment of Magnet school file process she had made a mistake is there any thing she can do or even write a recommendation letter any thing for helping the situation better. He said that every thing already done for a long time and nothing he can do don’t bother ask him to put more point to my son file!!!!!
Mr. Ortiz refuse to discuss any further so my son teacher had to ask for some one else beside him. after a long hour of waiting he finally transfer her to Mr. Savah Lasnover her phone was 213- 241- 6532 which was his boss. Mrs. Savah said the parent can appeal or file a complain when they see some thing not right however, we as a parent had not receive the letters so I would not know any thing to appeal. I had actually contact Balboa office personally at that time for the status of the file but they said I had to wait so I follow their advice. Mrs Savah again, said that the file was done a long time even she recognize that the teacher had make a mistake but she can not change it. If she change now for my son she should change for every one else.
I believed if we make a mistake and would like to correct it we could , should be and must able to so our children can look upon.
I had an appointment with the principal tomorrow at 9:30 but I don’t know what should I tell her after the conversation with Mr. Ortiz and Mrs. Savah.??
Again I know it was late for your response but I hope I tried my best to exhaust all possibility for my child in which some one just mistakenly making error and effect his ability to achieved a better challenge. All of your advice will be greatly appreciated
Kindly Regards
Phucan Le
Thank you for providing so much helpful information on this website. I just had a baby and a few friends told me that I should start applying for Balboa Magnet so we can accumulate points. Sounded extreme to me but they told me they weren’t kidding…I would greatly appreciate your advice:
1) When would you recommend we start applying if we want her to attend Balboa in 1st grade?
2) Once you start accumulating points, can you lose them at a certain point? For instance, if we accumulated 16 points (12 points for getting rejected 3 times + 4 points for PHBAO), do we start losing points if we don’t continue applying until she is old enough to attend 1st grade?
Thank you for your help!
Hi KangaAndBabyRoo,
Congrats on the baby. Relax and enjoy. You will not be able to apply for Balboa for first grade until your daughter is IN Kindergarten and even then you will need the teacher to verify your child’s giftedness. You can apply at age 4 for kindergarten to a DIFFERENT school (like Valley Alternative) and then hope you can’t get in. If you get in, and turn it down you’ll lose the points. However, since you won’t have points otherwise, it’s probably worth the gamble.
Wait list points are good for 3 years, but you won’t likely have point for three years, unless your child doesn’t get in until 3rd grade.
Most kids who get into Balboa in first grade don’t have the most points–rather 12 or 8 are the norm.
Again, relax and ENJOY your baby. Things could change wildly between now and then.
Ah, that sounds much more reasonable. Thanks for this information! In the meantime, I am enjoying every moment of being a mommy.
Could anyone please share some comments on El Oro elementary and Tulsa elementary? With 43% white, is El Oro a PHBAO? I know they both have SAS, but do they have gifted classroom at the regular school? We will be moving to Granada Hills from SCV and our gifted son is going to 3rd grade. With 0 points at hand currently, we hope at least we can have the 4 points for PHBAO when we apply for magnet in Dec. So if there is no big difference between the two schools, we will choose Tulsa to have that 4 points for sure. Also, since our son will be in the regular school this year, a gifted classroom in regular school will be a big plus. If we fail the magnet game this year, at least next summer we can apply for the school’s SAS. Just not sure if their SAS are comparable. Also, if we are in Tulsa and apply for SAS at El Oro, will we have priority over other kids from outside Granada Hills?
I’d like to express my great appreciation to the people on this website, for all the education I received on magnet, gifted and so much more…None of our close friends live within LAUSD. A friend lives in Northridge, but ended up renting a room in Palo Verdes with her daughter just for the school there. I only had negative views on Lausd until I discovered this website while looking for better education choices for my highly gifted son. Now I understand why traffic becomes better when school is off. For all the education choices LAUSD provided to decent families who are not rich, I now highly respect this city and the school district.
To get PHBAO points, you need to be living in the boundaries of that school, so make sure you talk to the school before settling on a house. You can also ask if El Oro is PHBAO, because that can change from year to year. I believe they were, but I don’t want you making a decision based on what was a couple of years ago. In past years, El Oro did have self contained gifted classrooms, rather than the clustering model. I can’t speak for Tulsa.
You get priority for a school’s SAS by attending that school’s home program. Otherwise you would be applying like everyone else outside the school’s boundaries. SAS is a separate application process than magnet or open enrollment.
You will want to tour both schools and talk to parents at both schools before you make such a big decision. Good luck.
Sorry, Wendy, don’t know detail about Tulsa or El Oro!
But… just a suggestion, be sure you read through the information on the “Gifted” section of this site as well. Sounds like it will be useful to you. Good luck!
Hi Wendy,
I have a nephew at El Oro and a few friends there. They all seem to love it. Not sure about Tulsa, but I do think El Oro is higher performing. That’s what I would pick. They also have an SAS that “starts” in 3rd grade. I say “starts” cause that’s the official grade but not really. They start tracking students since Kindergarten and place them accordingly in first an so on. From the moment they meet your chid, the teachers and admin. get an idea of who is going where. Honestly, tracking happens in all pubic schools SAS, magnet or regular. My advice is be direct with the teacher, tell them your desires and goals, and work together to reach them. Our home school is Castlebay (my alma mater) but my son got into Balboa for 1st grade this fall which is where he is prob. going. He is coming from private school and we are still very torn with this decision. Good luck!
Just to be clear, not ALL schools separate the gifted kids out. Some cluster, where the kids work in a regular classroom, but there is a group of gifted students in each classroom. My daughter’s school happens to be one of the schools that doesn’t separate out the gifted students. Some parents are ok with it, and some hate the policy. I have no problem with clustering, so long as the teacher actually does differentiate.
The information here is SO helpful. Thank you!! I was talking with my neighbor yesterday and I freaked out because I didn’t get the whole point thing with the Choices brochure. Our home school is El Oro Way and my daughter has a year left of preschool. She’ll start K in 2012.
So let me get this straight. I can apply to a “gifted” program with a Kindergarten class and hope not to get in to accrue points? Like everyone else, I’m hoping she eventually gets into Balboa (my alma mater) but I’m not too worried since El Oro has the SAS program. But I’d rather apply and decide to turn it down later than not apply and be mad that I didn’t in the end! So if you can help me to understand the whole point thing, I’d appreciate it because frankly, I’m having a tough time wrapping my head around it. THANK YOU!!
You won’t be applying for a gifted magnet for kindergarten, as there are none. You’d apply to perhaps Valley Alternative for kindergarten, hope you don’t get in (odds are you won’t), and then given your kindergarten teacher’s recommendation for your daughter, you can apply for first grade to Balboa (or any other gifted magnet).
As for points, you get points in a variety of ways. Students are ranked from 23 to zero, and highest point totals get in. Twenty-three assumes 12 matriculation points, 4 overcrowding, 4 PHBAO (Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, Other) and then 3 for sibling(s) attending the same magnet. Realistically students do get into Balboa in 1st grade with 4 or 8. With El Oro being your home school, you would have a good chance.
Does anyone have any feedback on the charter schools, namely CHIME? Our son starts kinder next year and looking into our options.
Mary:
Everyone I’ve spoken to with children at CHIME loves it. A lot of CSUN faculty have children there, the school is affiliated with the School of Education. The only criticism I’ve heard is that some parents think the inclusive part of its program (it prides itself on welcoming children of all types, including the disabled) may work to the detriment of gifted children and the curriculum may not be accelerated/challenging enough. I discussed this perception directly with a CHIME board member who said they were aware of it and were making it their personal mission to change (FWIW, that person didn’t feel it was a true/accurate assessment, but acknowledged the perception exists and needed to be addressed.)
CHIME is by lottery only. Take tours, talk to folks, and apply in the spring. They run K-8 I believe. One thing — since it is a charter and not magnet, you would have to collect points if you wanted to enter a magnet high school program later. But obviously that’s a ways down the road…
mom2ojgh has her pulse on the same information I have. I know recent families with both special needs and non-special needs children, and some do leave at the middle school level–mostly to be prepared for high school down the road. I’ll see if I can get one of the current CHIME parents to post, I know those are the responses you wish to hear from.
I’ve heard great things about this school but from the side of special needs, ranging from behavioral to physical. My son has neither. The philosophy sounds great. I did notice the scores were just over 800. How much do scores really matter?
What about some of the other charters; Our Community School and Valley Charter?
To me, personally, test scores only matter among the subgroups to which my child applies. If a school is highly inclusive, you’re going to see test scores that reflect the varying abilities of its population. That’s a far cry from a school that has typical students or even has a high percentage of gifted kids. I’d definitely take a tour and talk to parents.
Does anyone know anything about Taft High School in Woodland Hills?
How good is their IH program?
What about Granada Hills Charter? What do you know?
My son will be going into high school in a year. Will appreciate any advice.
I don’t know much about Taft but attended the Taft IH presentation at Reed Middle School’s “meet the schools” program last year. It was positive. The principal is highly involved/supportive and the students there spoke highly (of course). They offer many options for students and even have Pierce College classes on campus as one option. Strong sports program. Definitely worth checking out.
Granada Hills Charter has a massive reputation as an excellent school. We live in the zone and we have heard few complaints from anyone who attends there. It is a large school but should be relieved a bit when the new VAAS (Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences HS) opens this year at Balboa and Devonshire. It has several small learning communities to pick from and prides itself on sports and music programs. I’ve heard some mild criticism that there are “a ton of rules” but also heard parents view that as a positive regarding discipline. In any case, GHCHS is tough to get into without living in the area and offers a lottery for those who don’t. People do get in that way (a friend did) but it isn’t a given and is quite competitive.
If you are interested in either, definitely go on tours this fall and apply! Ask about SAS and permit programs and how their lottery/admissions work.
Taft got a new principal this summer, but the hiring committee was made up of parents, teachers, and community, so it was a joint decision. I can say that Taft’s graduation rate just jumped some 17% from 61 to 78%. They’ve just created a nanotechnology academy, and the outreach they’ve done to bring kids home to Taft has been amazing. They also have the infamous “Food Truck at Taft” each Wednesday night–with the gourmet food trucks proceeds going toward the senior scholarships. I know several of the parents at Taft, and it’s a very involved school. If we weren’t so far, it is definitely a school I’d consider. Taft has had open enrollment in the last few years, and they’re actively recruiting to get people to visit.
Granada is a great school, and you’ll hear plenty about it. Sadly, they have a 2500 student wait list, so if you’re not in their residential area, I will tell you know to have a Plan B, a Plan C, etc, because even employees can’t get their kids in with that kind of waitlist. Definitely attend one of their orientations, but try hard to find other alternatives that will make you as happy.
Thanks for your help. I would like to connect with any parents at Taft particularly in IH program. Also, I wonder where Taft graduates end up for college. I you can connect me with some it will be great.
Thanks for the reply. I will be checking out both schools.
Does anyone have any thoughts or comments abour Tulsa? My child currently attends Vintage and my husband, daughter and I dislike the school.
My daughter (2nd grade in 11-12) was referred by her teacher for testing for the gifted program but the school never got around to administering the test.
My neighborhood elem. school is Castleybay which is a great school. However, my neighborhood middle school is Frost but I want my son to go to Nobel. He is in kindergarten and his teacher suspects he is gifted. I want him to stay in Castlebay and not consider Balboa but want to start collecting points for middle school. When do I start collecting them without risking too much for losing them? If I lose all my points, can I still apply SAS program and get him in Nobel?
Your son will be able to apply SAS at Nobel, which would be separate than the magnet, giving you two options. Since your son is in kindergarten, keep an open mind, because of many changes in programs, you may find that Frost is a great option, or Holmes even. They’re all very similar with their API scores, and a lot can change.
That being said, in terms of banking rejection points, there is no “safe” number not to lose them. Many people find that they get in with 8 or 12 points in “off” years. Conventional wisdom would have you apply in 2nd through 4th grade for rejection points for 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and if you don’t get in any of those years, you’d have the rejection points. But even Balboa can call you in 4th or 5th grade and you could find yourself in the same position.
My suggestion at this point, is to enjoy your child’s early years, and start talking to neighbors casually. Those with older children will let you know where they sent their kids and why. It will give you a great many options–long before you need them five years from now. Good luck.
magnetangel -
My daughter turns 4 in February. From the information I’ve been able to gather from this site and other resources, my best bet to get her into a magnet program is to apply to VAM for kindergarten and hope to be rejected so that I can accumulate points for first grade. I was thinking to apply to Balboa, which means that I would need to have her Kindergarten teacher sign off that she is “gifted.” Are there resources I can refer to for preparation (e.g. OLSAT Test Prep – Level A)? Also – if I chose a magnet program that is not classified as HG, I am assuming I do not need teacher sign off and will just need to take my chances with points, correct? In the meantime, I will need to have a back up school for kindergarten. I was thinking of going through the open enrollment process for Van Gogh Elementary, but I wanted to have a few other good schools as well. I noticed you’ve mentioned living in the North East Valley and your daughter attends Elementary school there. Mind I ask which school?
Applying to Valley Alternative Magnet will give you a chance at the 4 rejection points. However, you could get in. That being said, you won’t have lost anything if you do so. Kindergarten teachers are quite used to getting requests to sign off that the child shows signs of high ability. The actual gifted designation would be something she’d need to be tested for–either in second grade through the Otis-Lennon test or beforehand if you request it and the school team deems it’s appropriate. The actual test they use is the Raven test and while there are websites you can expose your child to, if your child mentions that she’s been practicing, she will not be allowed to take the test, and she will have to have a separate test with a district psychologist. I tend to recommend NOT prepping a child for gifted testing. You want her to be gifted on her own right.
If you were to choose a magnet that is not gifted, you wouldn’t need the gifted designation.
I’m not sure which your elementary school is, but I’d make sure to look at it first. Van Gogh is an option, as is El Oro Way (which offers separate classes for gifted students), and even Knollwood. I’m not a big fan of applying to one school for kindergarten only to rip the kid out to place into a different school for first grade, especially if you can get it “right” the first time with a good fit for elementary–gifted or no.
Keep in mind, you have nearly two years before any of this applies to you, and things may change. Make sure you talk to friends, you attend open houses, and keep your options open.
Happy New Year!
Thank you very much for the information and quick response. As others have mentioned, this is a great website and resource for parents in the area. I actually live in Reseda and my designated elementary school is Bertrand Ave. Elementary (it is 90% PHBAO and 5 of 10 stars on GreatSchool.Org), so it is not really a school I want my daughter to attend. You mention that I have two years, but actually she will be attending kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year, which means I would need to apply to VAM next December 2012, correct? Do you have any information regarding the open enrollment process at Van Gogh, El Oro Way, etc.? How challenging is it to get into these schools?
You would apply for VAM next December, but the open enrollment would not be until late spring 2013. Open enrollment numbers are announced late in April or into May. A list will be available on lausd.net with the amount of seats available. You can then go into the school and obtain an application. After a period of 3-4 weeks, there will be a lottery. Some years these schools have seats, other years they do not. The reason I suggested waiting is there is so much changing in LAUSD right now, there’s no reason to get too set in your plans.
As for living in Reseda, unless you work in Santa Clarita, I wouldn’t recommend that drive in that direction with morning traffic. On the other hand, what schools in your area have you looked at?
Dear Magnetangel,
can you expand a bit more on the process of open enrollment for Van Gogh? When does it take place? Any information is very helpful.
Thank you!
Open enrollment occurs in spring. Schools are listed at lausd.net by local district, and will show how many, if any, spaces it has available for the next year. Some high schools can have as many as 200 seats. Other schools can be listed with as few as five. In cases where the school isn’t on the list, open enrollment is not available. Families visit the school, pick up an application and return it by the deadline (the open enrollment period is about a month). After the deadline, if there are fewer applications than openings, all the students get in, and families will be contacted. If there are more applications than openings, the school conducts a lottery where the names are pulled out of a hat. After the last seat is awarded, they continue to pull names and place those on a wait list. Families that are in get notified, and families on the wait list are told they will be contacted again if spaces become available.
Open enrollment permits are for the length of the school. So a kindergartener that wins an open enrollment seat need not reapply. It doesn’t matter which grade families apply for, the children are in.
Many schools also have on-site YMCAs that allow for more child-care permits. These are easier for the school because they are grade-level specific. If there are additional openings in third grade, they can be chosen as third graders. These permits must be renewed every year which isn’t much of a problem unless an increase in enrollment causes a lack of space.
The truth is many families apply for open enrollment, but few spots exist, so they often also apply via child care permit and get in that way.
Thank you very much for such quick response.
If the the school that we belong to is not considered a low achieving school, do we still have a chance to get into a higher ranking school such as Van Gogh via open enrollment?
Can you also elaborate more about the child care permit?
Open enrollment has nothing to do with school achievement in terms of admission. If you wanted to go from Castlebay–a 10 in ranking–to Van Gogh–a 9–it doesn’t matter. Same as it doesn’t matter if you are coming from a 3 or a 2 to a higher ranking school. It’s merely a lottery.
Child care permits require that both parents work full time. You will be required to show proof. You do not need to work near the school–simply that the school provides afterschool care or a provider lives in the zone. While some schools have YMCAs on site, it can actually be an in-home provider who lives in the neighborhood as well. There’s a house on Balboa above Rinaldi that advertises day care for that very purpose–but I believe she’s in El Oro’s jurisdiction.
Thank you so much for your help!
A bit confused, here, as my home school is Vintage but according to the LA times report: http://projects.latimes.com/schools/magnets/cst-scores/list/
Vintage ranks as pretty poor?
If so, what are my alternatives?
Agree with Lisa below. Be sure to check out Vintage before you go elsewhere. It is a magnet so you’d have to apply or get in to Kindergarten there (which is competitive).
We moved our child to Vintage from a supposedly excellent (highly rated by the numbers) school… that we hated! We are happy at Vintage. Incredibly nice, organized principal, great responsive staff, you get a real feeling that staff are a “team” there. Teachers stay late for events, participate, are creative with projects and technology, etc. Great school-wide events, Vintage is a math/science/tech magnet with a science lab, computer lab, educational garden, Lego robotics team, etc. Vintage was selected to be a NASA Explorer school a few years ago and has ties to NASA and regular speakers from JPL, engineering schools, etc. (my child got to ask an astronaut in Houston a question on live video feed and last year they talked to them on the International Space Station). There is a lot going on here… be sure to check it out before dismissing it based on one number!
My daughter attends Vintage, whose tests scores have been steadily increasing. The API is 914. The lower English ranking is due to the fact that the school has a high number of minorities for whom English is their Second Language.
I am happy with the school in that they manage to perform well despite having a high minority base, which to me means that they probably have some great teachers and staff.
It’s easy for a school to perform well when they get to pick the top of the line students, i.e., highly gifted, but a school that performs well with whomever their given, well that speaks well for the teachers, parents and administrator. I LOVE my daughter’s teacher and her teaching style. I had the opportunity to peer into her past performance using LA Times teacher ranking system. I don’t believe that ranking system was the last word on teaching performance, but it didn’t hurt that she did exceptionally well and that her students increased in performance from the prior year.
A word about getting kids into good schools: the biggest indicator of how well a kid does is parental involvement. A school that does well due to parental involvement and also due to the bulk of the students speaking English as their native language does not speak for how well the teachers actually teach. As far as I am concerned, these teachers can basically ‘coast’, because their high achieving students can carry them. Maybe some, or none of them are doing that, but I like to see a school that is achieving while having some diversity.
I cannot believe my good fortune in stumbling upon this site. I have been aimlessly trying to navigate the LAUSD charter/magnet/SAS/open enrollment madness and I am so thankful for all of the information provided on this site. I have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and am trying to strategically find a place to land. We are currently renting and plan to for the next few years, I am trying to focus our house search by “home” schools and it is quite overwhelming. I find a place in our price range, then type the address into the LAUSD school finder, then reference my list of “good” valley schools and go from there. In the meantime I am trying to visit and obtain application time frames for all the area charters. This process is incredible and it is so refreshing to see so many other dedicated parents obsessing as well. Does anyone have feedback on the local charters (Our Community, Ivy Acadamia, North Valley, Magnolia Science, etc)? Also, I’ve noticed that quite a few LAUSD “home” schools now have a charter designation such as Hale Middle School, what does that mean for enrollment requirements? It was my understanding that charters operated strictly on a lottery but do schools that are LAUSD “home” schools that are now considered charter also utilitze the lottery system or is enrollment determined by address? This site and the contributions are much appreciated.
Hi Farrah,
I’m hoping someone else will weigh in on Our Community, since some friends just toured, but I wanted to stress the point–the schools that have gone charter in the last year are affiliated charters. They’re a hybrid for financial gains, but they are still completely district schools, and they still have boundaries and requirements on space set by the district. They will likely still allow open enrollment and child care permits, but they’re not charters in the sense they have open borders.
Good luck on your moving decisions.
We toured Our Community School charter last week and were impressed (for what it is worth). Located behind the Chaminade private school at SW corner of Corbin and Devonshire. Nice campus, former LAUSD elementary school that had been shuttered. They have been there 1.5 years and have $6M in bond money for renovations for future.
Principal very knowledgeable and informed, former teacher and helped found the charter, basically school identifies best practices and adopts them. They are particular about curriculum (singapore math, specific language arts, etc). They emphasize “whole child” and democratic rule by the kids… they are given tools to solve their own problems and disagreements. Very small, two classrooms per grade level and max teacher:student ratio is 26:1. Plus each class has at least a half-time teacher’s aide, full-time for younger rooms (so two teachers). They do a more gradual transition to middle school but have lockers and teacher rotation for 7th and 8th grade so they get used to it before going to high school.
Campus offers music and art, garden, etc. but it relies a lot on parents volunteering. Don’t know much about API and CST scores but parents give positive reviews online. Worth a look!
Hi
Just want to know how strict is Granada Hills Charter. I went there twice and left with feeling of a military style administration. The teachers seemed nice. Any thoughts?
I’ve been there for meetings regarding the new high school in Granada Hills and I’ve coached more kids from that high school than any other school. My son didn’t apply to the magnet (when it was there) because of the bad odds he would have had getting in, and my daughter is only in fifth grade. But it is on my radar for her when the time comes. They seem strict, but I’ve known kids that thrived there. I also know of at least one that has transferred out. Only you will know if it’s right for your child. I know that doesn’t help, but other people will no doubt weigh in. Good luck with your decision.
Thanks. We want our kids to be safe. I feel safer at Granada Charter than in any other LAUSD schools. I just hope it is not at the expense of stifling the kids.
Hello All,
I am curious how my sons SAS permite to Nobel MIddle School will be affected by their change over to a Charter in the 2012 school year. If it is an affliliate of LAUSD then he should be set till 8th grade on one permit, or will he have to reapply each year now ?
Figuring out LAUSD has been a full time job. Now with so many going to Charter ,,,, it all starts all over again.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Carol,
Please read this article: http://askamagnetyenta.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/lausd-affiliated-charter-versus-full-charter-7-2/
Affiliated Charter status is a financial move only. It will not change how students are admitted, and will not require students to re-apply each year. Affiliated charter status allows the school to recapture the lost Title I dollars, since they receive the money from the state rather than requiring them to reach the 50% threshold (and many of the schools are in the high 40s).
Good luck with your applications, make sure you understand the odds of getting in, but the *affiliated* charter will not affect it.
I have also seen the term “conversion charter” used in for former LAUSD schools that are still affiliated with the LAUSD, can you explain? In addition even schools that are clearly not affiliated with LAUSD and emphasize that their charter is from the state still seem to require LAUSD to take a position on charter renewal, although LAUSD doesn’t seem to like the competition. Do you know anything about that? Thank you!
Any school that was once an LAUSD school is a conversion charter. Granada is a conversion charter. They take with them certain agreements, such as boundaries/students served, and in some cases, they tried to cohabitate magnets (those didn’t work so well). That would differentiate them from a start-up charter that is created as a charter from the ground up in a business park, etc. The schools that later move onto shuttered campuses or get school space through Prop 39 would not be conversion charters, I’m assuming. But perhaps the sage with the longest institutional memory (coughcough TransParent coughcough) can make sure I’m clear on terminology.
And yes, LAUSD does have to grant some blessing on all charters but there’s a way to get an appeal from the county or state, too, I believe. Since I don’t spend too much time on charters (they’re an alternative that I think people should have, but should take with a very careful eye), that’s all I can say until one of the more versed parents pop on.
How’s that for a start?
I’m no charter pro either (TransParent?) but the conversion status doesn’t impact much other than agreements on boundaries/students, etc. Isn’t the fundamental comparison between Independent and Affiliated charters?
Independents are start-up charters that have a board comprised of principal/Exec. Director, teachers, parents and community running them (like a corporation) and are free from the centralized LAUSD rules and policies and get funding directly from the State. Independent charters can set their own schedules, hire non-union teachers, use new curriculum, run their own budget as they wish, and do a variety of other things regular LAUSD schools cannot. While Granada High is a conversion charter (e.g. used to be an LAUSD school) they are now Independent and have considerable freedom to “do their own thing.”
Affiliated charters (like those West Valley schools that converted this past year) remain LAUSD schools and simply get more money. As MagnetAngel said, it was a financial move to offset the loss of Title I funding (since LAUSD raised the threshold on that to 50% free or reduced lunch). Affiliated charters remain LAUSD schools and subject to most (if not all) the same centralized policies and restrictions regarding scheduling, unions/hiring, curriculum, financials, etc.
Please correct me if I mis-speak here… that’s my understanding. I think this discussion is very important (and should be moved out of the Northridge subtopic) as parents need to understand that a charter isn’t a charter isn’t a charter…
I’m looking how to move replies, and I’m not seeing it. I might cut and paste into the entire article regarding charter.
Keep in mind too, while not blurring the conversation to the point of utter murkiness, that an Independent charter CAN hire UTLA teachers if they so choose. In fact, some teachers at charters keep their memberships long after Independent charter status is created.
My daughter will turn five November 30, 2012. Will she be able to start kindergarden this year? She is currently in a preschool on the campus of a LA Community College. what is the process for getting her into a school in Granada Hills? I have a relative who lives there that watches her in the afternoon while I am at work. I live in Sylmar. Is it too late for me to apply to get her into kindergarden? Is it difficult for her to get into a school if she starts it in the first grade, as I may keep her where she is at for kindergarden. I am finishing up my nursing program now and I am so busy with my studies I have no time to figure all of this out, but I want her to attend the best school possible. thank you in advance for all of your advice.
A Pucci:
The new rules require a child to be five by 11/1/12 in order to start Kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year (and it gets even earlier in subsequent years). See this:
http://notebook.lausd.net/pls/ptl/docs/PAGE/CA_LAUSD/FLDR_ORGANIZATIONS/STUDENT_HEALTH_HUMAN_SERVICES/BUL-5708.0%20.PDF
So… your daughter will miss that by one month and will have to wait another year.
You can apply up to the start of school but most schools have you come in starting in May to fill out paperwork before summer break and then when they get back in mid-August.
In order to get into an LAUSD school outside your local one, you will need to either get a permit (a child care permit would work in your case — IF the school you want accepts them and they all don’t) or apply for a magnet program or such. You can also check for open enrollment slots — read up on these options elsewhere on this website.
Good luck!
My daughter just turned 4 and is attending a preschool/daycare near my work in the Glendale. We live in Granada Hills and our zoned elementary school is Mayall. Does anyone have any opinions on this school? Also, I know Balboa Gifted Magnet starts at 1st grade, so I was wondering if I should apply for a different magnet school for kindergarten with the likelihood that she won’t get accepted to accumulate points earlier? Do wait list points only apply to one magnet school or multiple? Also, does ethnicity play a role? She’s half Asian and Irish. I’m also considering private if we cannot get her into a magnet school. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks!
I’m on my way out the door, so hopefully you’ll get some more feedback, but it is very common for folks to apply to Valley Alternative for kindergarten and hope to be turned down. You can take those wait list points and apply to a different magnet the next year. Ethnicity is always a mixed bag–ask the coordinators at the school you’re interested in what the point totals are for each ethnicity. Some schools it’s easier to get into as white, others as minority. Some magnets are 70-30, and others are 60-40 in ratio of ethnic to white, and the district itself is in the high 80s of minority overall, so it’s often a lower point count to get in as white (as well as some of the more heavily white neighborhoods do not get PHBAO points. Read around the website for more info as well.
I went to School Finder(tm): http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe
and after entering my address, around the corner from Vintage, it returns that my son’s
home school is Vintage for “K-K”.
1. Does that mean that he’s automagically accepted there and all I need to do is apply?
2. It says that grades 1-5, his home school is Mayall El.. So, to have him eligible for
Vintage for 1st grade, I will have to lottery him at Vintage?
3. Is there a list of what other K schools are available in the area?
4. Any suggestions?
It sounds like he can go to Vintage for kinder, but then he’d have to get in to the magnet by points. If he doesn’t get in, you’d have to transfer him to Mayall. It’s not a lottery, it’s points. You can use a site like GreatSchools.org to figure out which kinders are closeby. Good luck.
Hey Derick… Vintage does accept a limited number of locals only for their small Kindergarten grade level. I do know it is pretty competitive and the principal has told me people literally camp overnight or show up very very early to secure their spot. I would call the school and ask about the process. I believe once you get in for Kinder, you can stay for the other grades… not sure.
But yes, the rest of Vintage, grades 1-5, is by Magnet lottery. You would compete in the annual LAUSD CHOICES program using the points (unless the Kinders get to automatically come which I think — but am not positive! — they do).
Call the school and ask about it. Vintage is a very good school, we are very happy there. Good luck!
5. Also, he was put as 60+ on the wait list for Valley Charter, so he isn’t getting in there …. does he get points for that?
Charters are different, so sadly no.
Hi Derick,
Sounds like we live in the same area. My daughter’s “home” school is also Mayall, which would not be my first choice. What other schools were you looking at? When you applied at Valley Charter, did they mention you had to re-apply every year for consideration? Is there selection process entirely by lotto pick or is there certain criteria that would increase your chances?
I haven’t decided on what other kindergartens are available and which are good ones to atttend.
Valley Charter didn’t mention anything about re-application, but I think you would hafta reapply for the next year., and it seemed to be entirely by lottery.
Just talked to someone at Gledhill (thinking of as my second choice for K), and she told me that if my son doesn’t get into Vintage (his home school), that Vintage will find him his secondary school.
Is this correct?
Caveats?
Other options?
Good luck Derick! Keep me posted on where you settle and how you like it. I think I’m going to take magnetangel’s advice and apply to Valley Alternative for K to accumulate the points and start taking school tours and talking to parents at some of the other magnet schools in our area other than Balboa Gifted as an alternative.
But how do you apply to Valley Alternative if it isn’t your home school?
Valley Alternative is no one’s home school. mmbuttle is right–you apply through the magnet application site.
Hi Derick – You apply through the LAUSD Magnet School application. Here’s the website: http://echoices.lausd.net/
Good luck!
Wow, not even familiar with this part of the process!
But the application deadline was Dec 11 (!)
Indeed it was. I’m not sure how the entire Vintage thing works since they’re now entirely magnet, but if you’re there now, I’d highly encourage you to find out where they believe your son is supposed to go. There are open enrollment and SAS options (if he’s been identified as gifted).
Does anyone know or can give me feedback on North Hollywood High School Highly Gifted Program? We live in Granada Hills and Kennedy is our homeschool. I applied my son at Granada Hills Charter under permits but he is far down the list on both SAS and open enrollment. He was accepted in North Hollywood HG but it is 10 miles from us and I’ve heard mixed reviews both bad and good about the school. Some people likes the HG program though. If anyone can tell me about this high school I would really appreciate it. Thanks.
Hi, I know you’ll get other responses from other parents. I’m quoting a student who I coach in sports. He actually went from Portola to a non-magnet for two years before transferring to NoHo. His response:
NoHo’s HGM is challanging, but its faculty and community are some of humanity’s finest. Everyone who is part of a group of HGM’ers that funnels into NoHo will be glad they stuck with the program. Everyone else will be glad they can make friends. I left the HGM for 2 years because I wasn’t in a carpool system, and not only was non-hgm highschool boring, but it was rather lonely, and my grades weren’t any better; I just did less work because there was no one to compete with. Friendly competition is the key to success, and NoHo’s HGM is a tight community of people who mutually benefit each other by their enthusiasm and encouragement. From a life standpoint, the hard work done in NoHo will help immensly with the college experience, and will give students a good sense of where they wish to lead their lives.
@ magnetangel – Do you know where I can check to see if our home school falls under the PHBAO tag to receive the 4 pts? Mayall Elementary in GH has a demographic that’s 61% Hispanic and has no magnet or SAS programs. How difficult would it be for me to apply to the SAS program at Tulsa, which is also close by? Many thanks!
The best place to get the most up to date information on PHBAO at any school is to contact the school directly. If you ask that question that simply: “Is this school identified as PHBAO?” they will say yes or no. The SAS program is currently taking applications, so follow the application directions when you print it out here: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/GATE/prog-opt-3.html I can’t say how many applications Tulsa has, or how many spaces it has for non-resident students, so that would be another phone call to the school. Good luck.
But also remember, LAUSD reclassified PHBAOs annually (right, MagnetAngel?). So what they say this year may change for next year. I’d wait to ask until it is time to apply for CHOICES (November/December) to be sure.
But remember, LAUSD reclassifies PHBAO status each year (right, MagnetAngel?). So what they tell you now may not apply next fall when you are doing the CHOICES application. I’d suggest waiting until November/December to be sure about the points.
I think it depends on the school. Since many of the schools are so high percentage wise, there’s not much that’s going to change a 60 or 70% PHBAO school. But you are right, if we are talking about magnet applications for next year 2013-14, then you should wait until the fall.
Many thanks magnetangel and mom2ojgh! I called Mayall and the person I spoke to was clueless as to whether they were designated as PHBAO, lol! Although, they do have a “Back to School” session next month and Tulsa has theirs tomorrow morning. I will check out both and talk to other parents as well. This website is so helpful for those of us are new to this stressful process of trying to find a good school for our kids!
Many thanks magnetangel and mom2ojgh! I called Mayall and the person I spoke to was clueless as to whether they were designated as PHBAO, lol! Although, they do have a “Back to School” session next month and Tulsa has theirs tomorrow morning. I will check out both and talk to other parents as well. This website is so helpful for those of us are new to this stressful process of trying to find a good school for our kids!