Education

For those researching their education options in the LA area, there are many resources available. Southern California is chock full of educational opportunities for every age and interest group; therefore, the LA County Office of Education (LACOE) may be a good place to start, offering listings of all LA school districts: www.lacoe.edu.

Parents looking for the most suitable schools for their children have the option of investigating public and private school scores and standings through a number of comprehensive web sites, including: California Department of Education- www.cde.ca.gov, the Ed-Data Education Partnership- www.ed-data.k12.ca.us, and Instant SchoolMatch-www.schoolmatch.com. These websites—and others like them—post the latest fiscal, demographic, and performance data on schools. A detailed “report card” can be purchased through www.theschoolreport.com, which provides mainly statistical information about total enrollment, student to teacher ratio, etc. School Wide Press is also a widely used site that provides useful information such as school rankings, profiles, and school-related news articles.

Also, for those parents who enjoy being more involved with their child’s education, groups such as the California State Parent Teacher Association (PTA)- www.capta.org, and Parents for Unity (PFU)- 323-734-9353 offer a united forum of parents, teachers, and school administrators that meet to address education issues.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

When it comes to public schooling, the Los Angeles Unified School District has the second largest student population (over 740,000 pupils) in the nation, and with generally higher test scores, it is home to some of the more highly regarded schools. The district is split up according to individual neighborhoods, so it can be helpful to find out which is closest by contacting LA Unified; their school locator line is 213-241-KIDS, or go to www.lausd.net.

When ready to actually register, the parent must show proof of the of the child’s age, residency, and immunization records to assure the child has received all necessary vaccinations. Most of the public schools in the LA district follow the tradition or “single” track; this is September to June.

For those interested in the magnet schools and centers, which place emphasis on specialty areas such as math and science, there are over one hundred in the LA area. Parents must request and submit an application form for their child. The application deadline is usually late January for enrollment during the following fall semester. More information can be received by contacting your prospective school district.

More Helpful Information:

• LAUSD’s website dedicated to gifted/talented programs -

  http://sfpc.lausd.k12.ca.us/GATE/index.html

• Beverly Hills Unified School District - 310-551-5100 - www.beverlyhills.k12.ca.us  
• Culver City Unified School District - 310-842-4220 - www.ccusd.k12.ca.us
• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District - 310-450-8338 - www.smmusd.org
• Burbank Unified School District- 818-729-4400- www.burbank.k12.ca.us
• Glendale Unified School District- 818-241-3111- www.glendale.k12.ca.us
• LA County Office of Education- 562-922-6111- www.lacoe.edu
• The Brentwood Science Magnet School- 310-826-5631- www.lausd.k12.ca.us
• North Hollywood High School- 818-769-8510- www.lausd.k12.ca.us

PRIVATE

There are many options when it comes to private schooling as well. Parents often choose this route for the more favorable teacher to student ratio, and the reputation that better education comes hand in hand with private schools. However, running at a typically high cost, students must also first pass the entrance requirements which vary form school to school. The California Department of Education provides an online directory of private schools at www.cde.ca.gov/re/sd, or call 916-319-0800. Some private schools found on the Westside include:

• Beverly Hills Prep - 310-276-0151, website unavailable
• Beverly Hills Montessori School, West Hollywood - 323-650-2922, www.bhms.org  
• Hillel Hebrew Academy - Beverly Hills - 310-276-6135, website unavailable
• Montessori Learning Center, Culver City - 310-391-7004, http://www.montessoriconnections.com
• Montessori School Santa Monica - 310-829-3551, http://www.newpath-school.com
• New World Montessori School, West Los Angeles- 310-838-4044, http://www.newworldmontessori.com
• Saint Monica’s Catholic High School (9-12), Santa Monica - 310-394-3701, www.stmonicahs.org
• Ventura School, Culver City - 310-559-2678,  http://www.ccusd.k12.ca.us
• West LA Baptist School - 310-826-2050, http://westlabaptist.tripod.com

ADULT EDUCATION

For those who are college bound, a large variety of universities, colleges and their extension programs can be found in the Los Angeles area. Also, for those simply looking to pick up a class here or there, many primary and secondary schools have adult education programs. Some of these schools include:

• UCLA (include UCLA Extension info - www.uclaextension.edu)
• USC- www.usc.edu
• Loyola Marymount University- www.lmu.edu
• Mount St. Mary’s College- www.msmc.la.edu
• Occidental College- www.oxy.edu
• Santa Monica College- www.smc.edu
• West L.A. College- www.wlac.edu

Art schools

• Otis College of Art and Design – www.otis.edu
• California Institute of the Arts – www.CalArts.edu
• Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandizing – www.fidm.com
• Southern California Institute of Architecture – www.sciarc.edu
• Kitchen Academy- www.kitchenacademy.com
• Academy of Art/ Acting- www.academyart.edu

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