Charter schools in Los Angeles?
My husband is being transferred to Los Angeles and we've got to sort out schools for our kids (9 and 7). I'd like them to go to a good charter school. They've been going to a private school here. It's too late to apply for one there. We're going to be in corporate housing in Marina Del Rey until December and will be looking for a house. I'd like to not have to move them again after we buy a house. What are the best charter schools in LA? How do you enroll your kids in them?
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LAUSD Charter and Magnet schools have different ways to enroll, one way is a point system, another is by lottery, sometimes by waiting in line, sometimes if you live in the neighborhood you have priority. I believe it's too late to apply to most charter/magnet schools if you aren't living in the neighborhood, but some may be taking walk-in applications if there are spaces after they called everyone on the waitlist. I would check these schools very carefully. Not all charter schools are good, there are some very low performing (lower than the local schools) charter schools.
This website will help explain school choice in LAUSD it to you: http://echoices.lausd.net/
School ratings:
http://www.greatschools.org/
http://www.schooldigger.com/
But these are based on standardized test scores, which is not a complete measure of how good a school is. Many LA schools have small schools or academies in the school, where kids who want to do well in school have the opportunity, even if the school is overall low performing.
If you can afford a home in Santa Monica, generally over $1 million for a single family home, they have some very good elementary and middle schools in their district. Not all schools are as good, and some of SM is sketchy, gangs, etc. The high school is so-so. Pacific Palisades also has good schools, even if they are LAUSD.
Depending on where your work is, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose/Glendale, South Pasadena, and San Marino have many/all good schools, and very nice safe neighborhoods. Many people who work in downtown LA live in these cities, home prices are less than the Westside.
Admission to good LA area private schools is very competitive, generally 3 to 10+ applications per open space. The process starts in September or October, with decisions being sent out in March. The main entry points are K, 6 or 7 (when middle school starts at that school), and 9th. Admission into other grades is even more competitive as there are typically only 0 to 2 openings in some of the grades, depending on how many students leave, but many applicants.
Private school listings: http://www.privateschoolreview.com/
Pasadena area private schools: http://pasadenaareaschools.org/
Good luck!
Here is a website that lists all of the charter schools in Los Angeles along with links to the school's websites.
www.cde.ca.gov
I suppose the enrollment process is the same as for all schools. I attended Catholic schools and, as I never had children, I haven't any experience with other kinds of schools.