Transformation Peaks!

In 2004, having been referred to “The Alliance for Minority Affairs”, I had completed what seemed like mountains of paperwork. This organization assisted “underrepresented” family in gaining admission and scholarships to independent (private) schools. I met with the Alliance counselor in December 2003. Gaining more information about the assistance they offered and the difficulty in getting into any one school in particular, I applied, through the Alliance, to The Mirman School for Gifted children, John Thomas Dye, Brentwood, and Turning Point. Their admissions process was grueling, each school requiring a minimum of three meetings with Nikque and/or myself. I provided Rodney with an envelope with brochures of the schools I was applying to in December of 2003. As far I can tell, he never bothered to contact any of the schools for a tour or classroom visit, he also never made any comment to me about his wishes, plans or concerns about kindergarten. In early 2004, I sent him an e-mail with links to the websites of all the school to which I was applying, again, I received no comment from Rodney. I was plenty busy and was perfectly content to allow him to comment or complain as he wished, I didn’t feel obligated to do anything more than I had. Realizing that there was no guarantee that she would be accepted to any of the private schools, I still had to visit one public school after another, also knowing that the best rated schools would do all they could to keep there high ratings and in many cases, in their view, it meant keeping out anyone who didn’t live within their schools boundaries. For that reason, transfers and permits to elementary schools surrounding the Century City area where I worked were far and few between. Warner, Fairburn, Overland and Clover, all 850 + API schools were not accepting any transfers. Westwood Charter had a lottery system for open spots, and I didn’t get one. Further away, Brentwood Science Magnent, Kenter Canyon, Hancock Park and Castle Heights were also declaring they were full. Canfield seemed to be the only school remaining which thought they might have openings for the 2004-2005 school years and even this school claimed that you could loose your spot in subsequent years if increases in the population of neighborhood children occurred, further, they were a second level choice of schools because their API was only in the mid 700’s. I only considered this school and a couple of others with scores in the mid 700’s after visiting the kindergarten classroom and determining that they had a clear system of separating students for assignments in a way where they could teach them at levels based on their abilities. Through January, February and March of 2004, I was half absent from the office as I visited one school after another and my manager noticed. I was cautioned that my attendance was below par. I approached this task with the presumption that I would not have to do it again for MANY, MANY years, it ever. Now thanks to the disruptive and non-compliant behavior from Rodney throughout the 2004-2005 year at Brentwood, I will likely have to go through this entire process again for the 2006-2007 school year, and based on the research I have done and the clientele which Brentwood school draws, I cannot help but to expect that any school to which Nikque is accepted in this area will be a step down from Brentwood. I am committed to providing Nikque with the best education I can, and to nurturing and stimulating her intellect, but there is little chance of being admitted to one of the truly superior private schools beyond the Kindergarten year. Most of the schools report two or less openings in subsequent years. I visited at least 15 schools in all, and some more than once. It is beyond frustrating to have watched all my hard work go up in flames with the blessings of Los Angeles Superior Court. Every private school that is part of CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools) all part of a close knit community. Often, I will see the names of the admissions directors for many of the same schools I applied to on the same panels and advisory boards. It would be nearly impossible to make an application to another member school without having details of the disruption and non-compliance at Brentwood disclosed. To be sure, other schools would steer clear, fully knowing that no child subjected to years disruptive upbringing would likely yield a pupil they would be proud to profile even with the best educational opportunities. Further, private schools were significantly more expensive that I thought they would be (ranging from more than $15k to $20k per year) and I could not afford the tuition without scholarship assistance. With paying customers waiting in line along with grateful and compliant scholarship families, there is no compelling incentive to focus on Nikque when they feel both parents are not. In the beginning of June 2004, I asked Rodney to pay the $3,700 remaining balance of Nikque’ tuition to Brentwood, and his response shocked me. I believe you have the e-mail exchange about this issue in your possession. I pulled out a letter that Rodney had given to me when I was pregnant with seven commitments, I am enclosing a copy for your examination. When I got his e-mail in response to my request for his assistance on Nikque’ behalf (up to this date, I had never asked him for anything and had received as much), I was amazed not only that he had been so irresponsible but also that he was so hostile and indignant as if I had no right. I read the letter Rodney wrote again and crossed number three off the list. There were no promises (written or un-written) left for him to break and I realized that he had no intentions of keep a single one of his promises. Therefore, I could not keep mine and still meet my obligations to Nikque. It took me almost two months to have the time to prepare the paperwork, but during the first week of August 2004, I filed an OSC requesting a change in custody to accommodate the Kindergarten schedule and carpool requirements and for the first time ever, I requested child support.