Great alternative high school education option. This is NOT a continuation school. It is a California endorse high school that utilizes online education. It is fully accredited by WASC. They have University of California (A-G) approved courses and NCAA approved courses. It is also administered by Orange County Department of Education. read more

Pacific Coast High School - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Tustin, California

I don't even know where to start. I'll start with the one good thing I have to say about this school: Robert Windham was an incredible teacher and he retired in 2014. Robert was a kind, patient, and funny guy who taught a really valuable class and made it genuinely interesting. I recognize that my review is ten years late, but when google asked me if I wanted to write a review, I skimmed through some of the ones posted and it seems like not much has changed. So, despite a decade passing, I feel like it is important to share my experience at this school so parents know what they are potentially signing their kids up for -- as I'm pretty sure many of the staff I dealt with are still there. Let's start with the education side of things: I'm pretty sure that I somehow took a chemistry class without ever using a periodic table of elements and a physics class without ever doing math. And I somehow was allowed to graduate having never taken earth science or biology. I was regularly harassed by teachers there -- both in person and sometimes over phone calls when I wasn't even on campus. When this issue was brought to the principal, she did nothing except alert the teachers that I'd complained about them. To no one's surprise, finding out I had complained about them only made their treatment of me worse. The school didn't have a dress code but that didn't stop teachers from commenting on how I dressed. One class, myself and another student both showed up late. We walked in at the same time but despite this, the other student got 100% for participation and I got a 0. No explanation was given to me other than "you were late." The teachers chose favorites. One time a teacher pulled me into a hallway to yell at me and then left me in the hallway for another teacher to yell at me for being loud in the hallway. I get yelled at by a teacher because she was annoyed that another teacher yelling at me had been disruptive to her. So that day I sat silently and listened to two lectures I felt were unjust. One year I had to get my BMI calculated for a physical fitness class and a teacher spent 15 minutes lecturing me on how dangerous anorexia was, insisted I needed to eat a cheeseburger, and refused to let me leave until my parents came and assured her that my doctor felt that I was at a healthy weight -- a sentence I had repeated many many times but was ignored. If I had been suffering from an ED "eat a cheeseburger" is never, ever, ever an appropriate way to address it. One teacher's response to a question I asked was: "Can you learn to use my brain for once in your life." Another teacher told me that I just wasn't good enough to succeed. **One staff member even went as far as to joke that I should kill myself. *** Read that again. As a 17 year old in high school, an adult employed by the school joked that it would be better if I killed myself. I will never. Ever. forget experiencing that. As a teenager, I knew their actions were inappropriate...as an adult reflecting on my time there it feels like a fever dream that any adult tasked with the responsibility of minors could ever in a million years think that these actions are appropriate. It is nothing short of baffling to me that this school is still in operation. After graduating from PCHS, I spent years in college making up for the lessons I didn't learn at this school and years in therapy undoing the damage of the hateful words and actions the teachers threw at me. As a warning to any parent considering sending their child there, all I can say is: enroll at your own risk. I went to this school to escape the bullying I was enduring from students at my previous school -- I never imagined I'd receive worse bullying from the adults at this one. I had little to no support from almost any adult there. High school is hard enough without teachers tearing down students. Transferring to this school is probably one of the most regrettable choices I've made in my life. If you've read this far, thanks for listening. If your child goes there and is complaining about the staff: listen to them. Don't write it off as an exaggeration. read more

My daughter did an online 6wk geometry summer school class. Weekly phone & email communication from school/principle was encouraging and positive . The teacher Bryan Rice was great with quick response via email . The course offered live tutors . I would say it would be helpful to actually have a book to follow thru course work with . another confusion was after the final a knowledge work assignment was a waste of time that we didn't know she didn't need to complete. Had a communication with Jennifer Lee who's tone in email came off as VERY rude . read more

We had a VERY disappointing experience at this school for my daughter's 9th grade school year that I do not want to have happen to any other student or family in the future. The advantages and disadvantages of being enrolled in an on-line school such as this when you need any help or have important items to discuss with a teacher or the principal can be hit or miss, dependent on the teacher assigned to you, their follow-up skills, and how serious (or not) they take your concerns. In the online environment, the process is supposed to be whenever you need help, you would email the teacher and they would generally respond within 24 hours by email or phone. For more importer items, the student-teacher would set up a meeting in person, questions would get answered, and the teaches would have fantastic follow-up the rest of the semester. This is the path for success at this school. There were certainly many, if not most, teachers at this school that do a fantastic job following up. Unfortunately for one of my daughter's classes, we had a perfect storm that resulted in a horrible experience at this school. The teacher assigned had very poor follow-up throughout the semester to our requests-we constantly had to chase her down all semester for answers to our questions, the math course relies on an automated computer program to print out assignments and is very confusing, and the school uses an automated finals test that shut off 15 minutes before it was supposed to and without any warning. These are the challenges of an online school. For a regular school, you would see the teacher every day and they would answer your questions in person. For this school, your success is only as good as the teacher's response time and willingness (or not) to help you. When taking a test at a regular school, the teacher would tell you that you have 30 minutes left then 15 minutes left then the bell would ring and you would know it would be time to turn in your test. But taking an online test, this program had no warning and just shut off 15 minutes sooner than expected. When we met with the teacher the day after the final to review everything in person and voice all of our concerns, the teacher was poorly prepared, had other people listening in on the meeting that she never identified, humiliated us by having the meeting in an open environment where everyone can hear our conversation (including students) that should have been private To make matters worse, the teacher had absolutely no proactive solutions to give to us. All the teacher told us is "there is nothing I can do" multiple times. But even worse, the same teacher had sent my daughter a very disturbing text directly to her on a Saturday a few months prior asking to PICK UP MY DAUGHTER AT OUR HOUSE to go running. NOT ACCEPTABLE or appropriate request for a high school teacher. My daughter is now traumatized by the experience and doesn't trust teacher's anymore. Unfortunately, the leadership of this school has very poor follow-up when serious issues are brought to their attention and does not seem to take complaints seriously. When we had voiced our concerns to the principal earlier in the year about this very disturbing text from the teacher, all the principal did was leave a voice mail and sweep this aside telling us how great that teacher is. The principal never met with us in person and never followed up with us about our concerns after that. NOT ACCEPTABLE follow-up on such a serious issue! Net result of all these failures at the school is that my daughter was given a failing grade of a D for the class-(her only D in her life). The school stresses time management, accountability, responsibility, communication, and perseverance skills on their website however when one of their own teachers and their principal fails to demonstrate any of these attributes themselves, the school, the teacher, and the district take no accountability. School is about learning. The lessons provided by Pacific Coast High School are not good life lessons for anyone. read more

This school is a joke!!! They require students to have certain extensions on their devices to take a final exam. After trying 3 different devices we could not get it. They would not allow even an hour extension for my daughter to turn in her final; I had to work and they did not show any kind of sensitivity toward our situation. When my daughter could not access her final exam the teachers response was "I guess you are out of luck". WHAT?!? What kind of teacher says that to their student who is already stressed about this exam. His name was Mr. Rice. I had to leave work early to drive 20 miles to pick up THEIR device for my daughter to use. Stay away from this school if you care about how your child and yourself is treated. read more

Where do I even begin?! In all my 2 children's lives of several different schools, this is the absolute worst. I'm currently baffled on how they are getting away with it and being attached to the states public school system still. Terrible organization for meeting student needs, basic communication with parents, and some very snotty and rude admin. They do not provide the basic rights outlined in IEP's as well. They are not concurrent with the laws and procedural rights set forth for kids with disabilities, they actively discriminate and even when called out for it, continue it . No matter how many times we have had to keep complaining, asking for help, asking for things to change and get better, we get nowhere. There are a few very sweet tutors and helpers, they say they are aware of some of these issues, but there is nothing they can do. I was even told last month that one of the issues in the ball dropping was, " someone forgot to pay the bill to the software we use, so us teachers couldn't see the grades and what was going on". They've dropped my students classes without telling me, and they've caused some sort of problem month after month since starting with them last fall. The cause of nonstop frustration, tears and other mental anguish for my student. We can't run out of there fast enough this year! These issues have been reported to OCDE as this should not be allowed to happen to other kids. I don't have enough room here to list all that's gone on, its a long one. I will simply say- From a parent that has always had a positive active role in their kids school lives- you've been warned, if you enroll your student here. I would advise skipping it. read more

Mrs. lee (the math teacher) sent me a very creepy and disturbing message. "Wanna go running? I can drive to your house." Everyone was appalled that a teacher would even say that to their student. After my parents took action and reported it to the "principal" all she said was " I know her personally and she loves working with kids." basically brushing it to the side and never followed up or anything. Under any circumstance , it is NOT appropriate for a school math teacher to send an email to her 15 year-old student asking  "Wanna go running with me? I could drive to your house."  At the time, our complaint had been swept under the rug by Mrs. Kilgore. The incidents that have occurred over the past few months with the very same teacher, ultimately resulted me receiving a failing grade in Math. Everyone was appalled that I would receive a D in a class, since I have all A's in my other classes with different teachers. Since I was graded biased by Mrs. lee, I had to retake Algebra in summer school. I retook algebra at a REAL public high school and received an A grade( LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I RECEIVED A D FROM MRS LEE). Shame on them, her plan back fired big time, proving her guilt. How can a student go from a D to an A grade that fast? I know, because I went to a public school with professional teachers! Teachers like Molly and Mrs. Judy deserve more recognition. Out of the whole school, these two teachers communicated very well unlike, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Kilgore. The staff that I explained really need to be held accountable for their outrageous actions. I'm so happy i'm finally at a school where teachers grade me fairly and have formal meetings. If your thinking about going to this school, you simply shouldn't. I cannot stress how unprofessional the whole school was. read more

Both of my kids went to this high school and were very happy there. My oldest felt very prepared for college because she learned strong writing and research skills. (PCHS also uses Canvas, just like her college classes so that was a nice transition!) My youngest is an athlete and this school structure worked with traveling and competing. It is an independent study high school (think community college structure), so it won't work for everyone. My kids had to learn to manage their time and schedules (there is no bell telling students what class to work on). We had growing pains at first. I know some of their friends left to go back to their local public school because the flexibility of the schedule did not work for them. It was not the school's fault--it's not for everyone. I liked that the school has a college counselor, teacher advisors given to every student, teacher office hours, a very present, involved principal, support classes, a tutor, and a friendly small campus. The best decision we ever made. read more

I am now a senior, but I have been going here since my freshman year and I have loved every minute. :) Because of the small size of the school, you really get to know your teachers and become friends with them. I love the teachers and staff here so much! It really is like home to me. They also do a wonderful job of supervising students while school is in session. And JOIN DRAMA!! Our director Mr Koff is fabulous and teacher Amy Sydoruk, who is in charge of the class, is like a mother to all of her students. Independent study is great because it really prepares you for college. Rather than having a teacher breathing down your neck and telling you what to do and when, you are in charge of getting your work turned in on time. It teaches you the valuable lesson of time management, which is crucial for college and life in general. Do yourself a favor and choose this school. From someone who has spent almost 4 years of their life here, trust me when I say PCHS really does care. If you like teachers who care about you personally, flexible classes, and a loving, relaxed environment, than this is the place for you. It's truly amazing here and I couldn't be happier. I am proud to say I will be a graduate of PCHS. :) And don't let the small size of the campus fool you. It really is a functioning well organized high school inside that business complex. ;) read more

Reading some of the negative reviews that this school has gotten irritated me so much that I have decided to write my own review. I am currently enrolled in PCHS, and I have just finished my third semester at this school. I enrolled in this school because I was not able to attend a traditional public school for health reasons. Naturally, an online school has limitations that traditional schools don't have, communication is a huge limitation. This school is meant for a certain kind of student, one who excels when left to his/her own devices. I am in correspondence with another student that goes to this school, and one of her main issues with the school is that she has a hard time learning without being able to interact with a teacher, this is due to the limitation mentioned above with communication. I do not have the same problem as my colleague because this school allowed me to skip past a lot of the fluff ("busy work" and lectures) I despised in a traditional school (often brought on by an instructor) and allowed me to complete more work in a condensed class in a fraction of the time. The reason why I appreciate this school is how incredibly flexible and kind the staff and teachers are. While all my work in this class is submitted online, I occasionally have to come on campus for things like exams or book returns, every time I have gone the staff shows me exactly where to go, greets me with warm smiles and makes me feel very comfortable and at ease. There is definitely a learning curve with the technology and programs used that takes some getting used to; I had to drop some classes and retake them because my grade was hindered because it took me a while to catch a foothold. Once I understood how everything worked, I was able to surpass by far what I was able to accomplish in a traditional school. Something I want students to consider strongly before enrolling in this school is that you are not going to have the same social environment in a regular school, which can be a blessing or a curse; this can also lead to feelings of "missing out" on the high school experience. I highly recommend this school, and I am delighted that I was able to attend PCHS because it gave me the opportunity to not only graduate but excel in highschool. read more

Outstanding school with even more amazing staff. I was a pain myself and they all somehow managed to put up with me. Never received so much love and caring from people who were apart of my education in my life. Such great classes and campus as well. Always felt safe and comfortable. Miss this school so much, but ya know, I had to graduate and move onto college sometime. read more

Great school with excellent selection of classes. Without exception, the staff and teachers are outstanding. My son loves PCHS, earns top marks, and will complete all high school graduation requirements one full year early. I highly recommend this school. read more

I would not recommend taking any of the summer online courses unless your child is prepared to handle the course work with very minimal teacher involvement. read more

The staff are great, the system is great, and they are always friendly and encouraging! Honestly, I did not imagine it to be this great. This was my first year at PCHS and though PCHS is not right for me (due to my lack of self discipline), it may be the place for you or your teenager. Here's what I've gotten from my year at Pacific Coast: Upsides: - Great caring staff and teachers - No waking up early - You only have to show up to the actual place for testing and enrollment (CAHSEE, CST, Finals) - Advisors help you figure out exactly what you have to do to reach your goal. - Free time; you manage when you do your work. - Great Theater Arts program. Downsides: - No social life if you only attend online classes - Must be able to discipline self - Must be able to manage time - Some classes are not UC approved - Limited spaces in classes - ALEKS program in math cannot be made up if missed deadline. (It's about 60% of your grade) - No sports teams read more

My son has been home schooled since 1st grade. When it was time for high school we looked into several different options and decided on PCHS. It is a charter school where the students visit campus for some classes, but the majority of their work is done on-line and turn in the same way. All of the teachers are great. read more

My daughter has never been to a worse school. My daughter and I were cussed at by a girl in a group project in her science class. The girl was very irresponisble and didn't seem to care about anybody but herself, my daughter as well as the teacher made the choice that she had to kick her out of the project. When she told the girl of the decision in the nicest but firm way she could, we were cursed at. When we told the teacher the teacher got mad at me and my daughter, saying that she shouldnt have kicked her out. Even though we were told that we should do it. The girl was then put back in the group and she didnt get in trouble at all. Absolutely ridiculous! There also has been countless problems with her homework! Such as putting a whole year of English into one semester and somehow no one realized it until the week before break! Same for PE, 2 years was jammed into one year! worst experience I've ever had with all four of my kids. read more

Think twice about enrolling for summer classes. Teachers provide minimal direction and do not give feedback in a timely fashion. My student was making errors, but didn't get the feedback needed to correct until 4 more assignments had already been handed in. Students must keep to the deadlines but apparently for the teachers it's say as I say not as I do. Very disappointed. read more

My two children attended this school. The curriculum is excellent, the teachers are caring and highly qualified, and my children learned so much more than the traditional schools. read more