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Education Resources Parents Can Use

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(credit: Lars Sundstrom/sxc.hu)

There are some tremendous resources in Los Angeles for parents struggling with education issues. Whether looking for a tutor for your child who is currently enrolled in school, or trying to determine where to send your child to school, finding the right resource can be a challenge.

Luckily Los Angeles has a plethora of great resources. Here are some of the best.

Getting Them Into a School

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Looking for a professional who can work one-on-one with you to help you understand the best fit for your child and where you should apply? L.A. School Mates is an educational consulting firm that helps families find the most fitting school for their child. Educators and native Los Angelenos, Jamie Bakal and Jennifer Wexler have had their fingers on the pulse of Los Angeles' ever-changing educational environment for the past 15 years. There are lots of happy families in Los Angeles who have worked with either one or both of the team and found their children thriving in their school environments.

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Joanna Port (credit: parentseducationleague.org)

The Parents Education League of Los Angeles

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The Parents Education League of Los Angeles is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Los Angeles parents access to the most objective, current and comprehensive information regarding schools and education in Los Angeles. Led by executive Director Joanna Port, and a team of volunteers, PEL hosts school fairs and education events throughout the city. Members have access to their web-based school directory, recieve free publications including the Guide to Preschools and The Review, are invited to attend free workshops and adult education events featuring regarded Specialists and Authors and can schedule one-on-one private meetings with a trained advisor to discuss schools and the application process in detail.

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Betsy Brown Braun

(310) 459-9209
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Child development and behavior specialist, parent educator, multiple birth parenting consultant, and author of two parenting books Betsy Brown Braun consults about school placement – nursery school and elementary school. Sessions are fifty minutes and take place in Pacific Palisades, in your home or office, or by phone depending upon circumstances and prior arrangements. Betsy also offers seminars on schools in LA through her Parenting Pathways program.

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Christina Simon (credit: beyondthebrochurela.com)

Beyond the Brochure

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Beyond The Brochure: An Insider's Guide To Private Elementary Schools in Los Angeles written by Christina Simon, Anne Simon and Porcha Dodson, helps parents navigate the competitive and stressful race to get their children into top private elementary schools in L.A. The book is a very easy to read, step-by-step guide outlining types of schools, the application process, touring, interviews and what to expect. Beyond the Brochure also provides regular information and updates about the L.A. private school landscape on their blog. The book is available on Amazon.

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(credit: preschoolguide.com)

Coping with Preschool Panic: The Los Angeles Guide to Private Preschools is a book that will help you through the preschool application process and alleviate your preschool jitters. Written by Michelle Nitka, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in children and families, the book walks parents through the types of schools (developmental, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and Waldorf), what to consider before applying and reviews of 44 preschools. The book is available on Amazon.

Tutoring and Academic Assistance

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Janis Adams (credit: academic-achievers.com)

Academic Achievers offers private, in-home tutoring, as well as academic management. Founded by Janis Adams, a former educator and a mother with three high achieving children, Academic Achievers, assesses your child's strengths and weaknesses, creates a custom program and then follows your child's progress with you. They select only tutors with exceptional communication skills and advanced educational backgrounds.

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(credit: thekeltercenter.com)

The Kelter Center

(310) 312-1056
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The Kelter Center believes in working individually with each student to teach them how to learn. They use state-of-the art, research-based methods to assess each student's learning abilities and tailor a one-on-one instructional program to close the gap between the student's current performance and the student's potential performance.

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(credit: launcheducation.com)

Launch education's tutoring program is based upon the "what, why, how" pyramid outlining that academic success begins with what they call the "why" of school – a student's academic confidence and motivation – and the "how" of school – a student's skill level when it comes to organization, homework, studying for tests, researching and writing papers, taking effective notes, and becoming a superior test taker. Tutors hired must be both high achievers themselves and who also demonstrate a knack for explaining tricky concepts in a clear and engaging way.

Laura Gerson loves to discover things about Los Angeles and share them with your family. She blogs about kids activities and resources for moms at Mom Angeles.

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