How does public school enrollment work in San Pedro? What do parents need to know?

My apologies if I offend anyone but I have to be quite honest on this one.

My husband, daughter and I recently moved, in July 2009, from San Diego County to Los Angeles County and now live in San Pedro. Now I don't know about your child but mine really loves school and thrives on challenges. She was in a California Distiguished School and was in the highest level of GATE. She was used to higher learning. The school statistics for academic achievement in SAT's, STAR, CST's, etc., are 10+% higher than Dodson Middle School, which has the highest percentage in the San Pedro School District.

I had the toughest time enrolling my child in school at Dodson MS.

While going through the process of enrolling her, it took the school staff (3) three months to get her registered. Way too long! Red Flag! But hey, they're busy. Finally, by October 18, toward the end of the first semester, we went to pick out her classes and were informed that she would not be allowed in GATE classes and was still not completely registered because they hadn't received my daughters file.

Luckily, I had requested my daughters file at the same time I started registration at Dodson and had already received it within two weeks.

After giving Dodson a copy and asking why they wouldn't allow my child in GATE, they kept giving me excuses. No relevant answers. Either way, they refused to put her in GATE or any type of higher learning classes.

My daughter was upset by this and wanted to cry. She stated, “Mom, if she can't get into Gate then I'm going to have to redo everything I have already learned. I might as well not try or do any of the work because I'm going to be so bored having to do the same thing over again.”

I told her not to worry. We would get her into the classes that were at her academic level and everything would be fine.

I started making calls to the District office and not one person in the district gave me any straight answers. They told me something completely opposite of what the school stated to me. I was sent to many different departments and not one had an inkling as to what was going on within the district or within the schools. The old adage: The left had doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

But, I did speak with someone in the GATE Dept. that had similar problems and she stated that her children were not in public school and confirmed all of my fears with the Los Angeles School District. She, an employee of the district mind you, advised me to speak with the GATE Supervisor, which I did, only to be belittled, yelled at, and condenscended. Why? Because she had too much on her plate.

I have never before experienced so much indifference and non-caring about our future generation's education as I have with the Los Angeles School District, the GATE Dept. and Dodson Middle School.

I knew this was no winning battle. I knew that somehow, someway my daughter was going to get the education she deserves. I stopped registration with the Los Angeles School District and with Dodson Middle School and went another way. And this I recommend this if you have the patience, time, and willingness.

I enrolled my daughter with California Virtual Academy better known as CAVA. Within less than 24 hours my daughter was enrolled in school and her school books arrived within two weeks of registration with CAVA. We had met the state registration deadline by two days. Whew!

CAVA was the best thing that has happened to us since we moved to Los Angeles County. If you would like to see what it is all about go to www.k12.com/cava . They have teachers, resources of all sorts, everything you can think of.

I would not suggest enrolling your child at Dodson MS. Not only for my previous experience as stated above but also because the children and the parents were not of an affable nature. But that is to be expected. When school administrators have to much to handle, it's a trickle down effect. It then effects the school staff, counselors, and teachers which then effects the children. I did not see one smiling face at school registration and I doubt any one child is happy going to school there.

Best of luck to you and I hope this has helped to give you a view with quite an opposite perspective.