Without any hesitation, I give John Muir Elementary School 5 stars for the following reasons:…read more ~ Ms. Flinstone (kindergarten): She made learning SO much fun at such an early age. For example, when we read Green Eggs and Ham, she actually brought a camp stove to class and made us green eggs and ham! She was very creative with her teaching methods! ~ Ms. Carol (1st grade): Probably the sweetest teacher I've ever had. She too was very creative. I remember her taking us outside to collect leaves in order to inspire us to write our Haiku poems. She also played the piano during "sing-alongs" ~ Ms. Sagadencky (2nd): So much energy! She definitely taught me the difference between "Can I" and "May I" =) ~ Ms. Flint (3rd): We had a huge board and each student had an ice cream cone with their name on it. She would quiz us weekly on our multiplication tables, and if we passed, we'd receive a scoop of ice cream. Once our ice cream scoops reached the top of the board, she'd bring in actual popsicles as rewards. Sweet! Unfortunately, she was only our teacher for a few months because she left on maternity leave. ~Ms. Vigiano (4th): One day, we returned from our lunch break and Ms. Vigiano mentioned that there were golden nuggets hidden all over the classroom that we had to find. It was a nice touch to our "Gold Rush" lesson plan. ~ Ms. Warrick (5th): I gave this teacher hell. If you're reading this, I'm sorry! Ms. Warrick had the misfortune of dealing with me while I was going through my rebellious phase. ~ Mr.Thal (6th): Believe it or not, Mr. Thal was hearing impaired. He taught us as much as he could (including sign language which was awesome), but left because his hearing got much worse. ~ Mr.Ghazarian (6th): Everyone wanted to be in Mr.Ghazarian's class because he was the "cool" teacher. I had him for History and Science I believe, and he was a good teacher. I remember making a really awesome pyramid while we were covering Ancient Egypt. Besides the wonderful teachers, John Muir had the best book sales, Halloween carnivals, bake sales and field trips. I have kept in touch with many of my friends that I met at John Muir. Only con: Mrs. Avakian, the principal. She was a bitter and cold-hearted woman who only smiled or showed any kindness during award ceremonies or events where parents were present.

We just moved to this school from NYC and placed our two kids in the dual language program. I…read morehonestly didn't even know this school existed but it's an underground gem-- mainly shared and known by word of mouth. Our two kids are in the dual language program and we've been astounded by the quality of the teachers (most have tenures of 10+ years), the extra curricular classes (art, science, gardening, innovation lab) and the parent community. Plus the classes are under 20 kids each and the campus is huge with lots of green space. It's such a local treasure.

We live down the street from this community school. When we moved to the neighborhood we were…read morehopeful that this would be a good option for us in the future. Our son is now in 2nd grade and after 2 years at the school in the dual language (Spanish immersion) program, we are thrilled to have made this choice for our family! We love the teachers and the close-knit community. This is a small school of approximately 350 students TK-6th so the best part is that we really get to know each other. This is an incredible experience to have this true neighborhood feel within this sprawling city. The parent community is incredibly engaged and we've been able to add programs like visual arts & a brand new music program for every single child at the school. There are after school offerings like LA's Best plus afterschool enrichment classes, Girls on the Run, HawksLA, and other occasional offerings like ukulele or Folklorico dance. Our new principal, Ms. Salcedo has been an absolute pleasure and everyone is very enthusiastic about her leadership at our school. If you drive past the school you'll see beautiful murals, including an Eric Junker. A sweet Enrich LA Garden where the kiddos have gardening classes. Our massive green field - aka "the lawn" is a beautiful sight to behold within the concrete jungle of Los Angeles AND plans are on the tracks for many more greening initiatives that will only improve the already sweet school. We are so grateful for this school and the community. It has become the heartbeat of Atwater Village for us and look forward to at least 4 more years at this awesome school. Please do your research and come visit and see for yourself. Please check out the Friends of group on Instagram, Facebook, & email friendsofatwaterelementary@gmail.com if you would like to be linked up with any current families as you make your schooling decision for your family.

This school has been amazing for my kids. We stumbled upon it post pandemic, my son starting TK…read morehardly able to hold a pencil, and I was so blown away by how much he learned in such a short amount of time. The arts programs instantly brought out his passion for all things drawing. Most importantly, he has always been happy there. Five years later and neither of my kids have ever said "I don't want to go to school today". Besides the arts programs, which include music, dance and physical arts, they also have a garden program ran by California Climate action fellows. The social emotional education has been invaluable to both of my children as well. Absolutely love the diversity the school offers and the strong parent community. Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged and I always feel at home there. While we absolutely love it here, individual experiences will always vary, even in the absolute best schools. The school as a whole has wonderful teachers and a great philosophy. It works so well for so many kids, especially if you're invested in your kids education and supporting them from home. Definitely worth a tour if you're just starting off with schooling or in search of a new fit for your kid!

Our family has been part of this school since 2020. Over the years, we watched many families leave…read moreand often thought, "It's not that bad." For our children, it wasn't--until this year. The school year began in complete disarray, with inadequate supervision, students without assigned teachers or classrooms, and widespread confusion. Unfortunately, conditions only deteriorated from there. Throughout the year, students experienced repeated injuries, classroom evacuations, student elopements, frequent fire alarm disruptions, and recurring lice outbreaks that were not consistently communicated to families. One particularly troubling incident involved a substitute teacher who told a student with autism that autism "isn't real" and threatened to "call the cops" on a group of elementary students. Despite repeated efforts to raise concerns with school leadership, the board, and LAUSD, there was no accountability or communication with the affected families. LAUSD has already voted to close the middle school, and the elementary school's renewal will be reviewed during the 2026-2027 school year. I regret not taking other parents' concerns more seriously. We have decided to enroll our three children elsewhere next year. Our focus now is helping them recover academically and emotionally from a school environment where chaos often felt normalized and leadership seemed unresponsive. Parents should understand that this independent charter school operates under highly centralized leadership, with limited transparency or accountability. Many families, including ours, ultimately leave only after feeling they have exhausted every other option. I am genuinely glad for families whose children had positive experiences. However, those experiences do not erase the injuries, trauma, learning loss, and challenges many other students faced. Please consider a school with proven curriculum, healthy leadership and above all - safety.

Think twice about sending your children to this school. Weigh your options…read more Rude staff and administration is even worse. Lack of empathy. When my son was seriously injured on campus (during a prior school year) there was no show of concern for his well-being. His recovery was months long and the principal did not reach out nor return my calls. When I went in the office to speak with her, I was told she was unavailable and in a meeting. Sadly, her office door was wide open and she was sitting in there alone not looking occupied whatsoever. There is heavy emphasis placed on the magnet program but unfortunately, not all students are given the same opportunities or attention. Our family learned that over the years. My three children attended this school. My daughter's 4th grade teacher lacked emotional intelligence as did the school psychologist. The teacher made me wait in the hall 20 minutes for our scheduled teacher/parent conference. She took a personal call during our session which cut into my time. She seemed to be screaming on the phone in a foreign language so I don't know what was being said but the tone was very uncomfortable/inappropriate. She was late and ended early not allowing me my allotted time. She did make time to accuse me of not having my kid study enough. The psychologist insulted me and suggested my child was below grade level because I worked until 7:00 pm and served dinner too late. She proceeded to ask me personal questions about my job and my educational background. It felt like an interrogation. My son's 5th grade teacher mocked my son for clearing his throat too often. She was a bully and kids fed off this behavior. There is no accountability from their end and no supportive services were offered to help enrich my children's education. Any deficiencies were blamed on me, the parent. Anti-bullying rules are not enforced. Major concern.

My two girls had Miss Wong in 3rd Grade. My youngest had Miss Miller in 6th grade. Miss Miller and…read moreMiss Wong are the best! They made a positive difference in my kids' life. They treat kids fairly and nicely. They handle different kinds of students accordingly depending on a situation. They teach really good and make sure kids will learn. I want to thank them both, especially Miss Miller who helped my youngest gained self confidence and believe in herself. She is the coolest and funniest teacher. My family loves Miss Wong and Miss Miller!

My son has been at MWE since TK. He's had some amazing teachers and some just average teachers. But…read moreoverall I can honestly say that this is a truly exceptional school. The parents are involved and they truly care - they volunteer at events, donate to the annual fundraiser (which pays for all the extras at this school that help make it so wonderful). There is a genuine sense of community here that goes a long way, and the kids can feel it too. Academically I'd say it's average, not too much homework but not soft on academics by any means. Most learning is done in classroom with light homework (mostly reviewing the days lesson) in upper grades. We've never had a bullying problem or anything that some other reviews mention. I've never doubted my son's safety at this school. He's made many wonderful friends here. We're sad to be moving on to middle school next year. We will miss you MWE!! Go Wolves!

My son went to school at MWE, and he had a great positive experience. Not sure about all the lower…read moreratings, but I found the teachers to be awesome, and the atmosphere pleasant. In fact, I believe the school is in fact one of the draws of living in the area if you have elementary aged children. All in all, I am happy my son went to MWE, and he loved his experience there with his teachers and friends he met there. We never had any big issues there while we were there.

I brought my son to this school coming from a top Magnet school and he couldn't be happier the…read moreteachers staff and students are friendly the academics are top tier in this school which challenges him and now he's playing Flag football for the school. The tuition is reasonable for he type of education he's getting.

St. Bernard is a great school!…read more I actually teach the after-school Enrichment program at St. Bernard through Carney Educational Services. This was my first year teaching the program at a private school and I loved it! I went to public school my whole life, but this school makes me want to put my future kids in private school some day! There was a brand new principal this year, Ms. Samaniego, and I must say that she is the most involved, open-minded and caring principal that I have ever met! Growing up, I don't remember seeing my principal around very often, but Ms. Samaniego involves herself with the students, parents and faculty every chance she gets. She will serve lunch to the kids, walk them out to their parents car after school, and even set up chairs in the hall! She's always running around, but it's so great to see a principal with so much energy and passion for the students and the school! As an after-school teacher, I only see what goes on after school, but I've met all of the teachers and they care about the success of the students. At Carney, we work hand-in-hand with the principal and faculty to make sure that the students gain the best education that they can and become unique and successful individuals. Even the parents AND grandparents are great! Everyone works together to create an exciting and supportive learning environment for these kids. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to be apart of the school this year. Myself and the Carney Site Coordinator tried to be as involved as we could by going to their annual fashion show luncheon, Kindergarten and 8th grade graduation, volleyball games, and we even put on the first Carney-Val for Halloween. The energy at the school is contagious and you can't help but get involved. I highly recommend this school to anyone interested in private schools. It is definitely a school to look in to.

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD…read more BACKGROUND: First Lutheran School & Arts is dedicated to raising up Christian Kids of Culture. Serving children and their families in the Glendale, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Silver Lake, Burbank, and Pasadena areas offering a full preschool through 8th grade academic program, educating creative students for over 45 years. STATS: Student performance of the Wizard of Oz Plenty of seating ESSENTIALS: A spot on the social calendar EXPERIENCE: The students did an excellent job at bringing one of my favorite movies to life. With singing, dancing and acting out the story of Dorthy's adventure They remind us that we have what it takes to overcome adversity through the powers we hold inside. Kudos to the set designers, musicians, and all things theaters; directors, producers, etc.. Only thing I would have done differently is secure the yellow brick road a bit better. Haphazardly laid rolled paper was a bit dangerous. Walking to my seat I tripped a bit over than buckle paper, not to mention the Wicked Witch of the West almost took a tumble riding out on her broom-bike. There is a lot of talent in the kids and I truly hope they stick with it. I would love to see them to the Wizard of Oz on Broadway.

I'm a SAHM and homeschooler. But when it came to my 4 year old son he was too antsy and bored…read moredespite my efforts while homeschooling my 2nd grade daughter. My mother offered to pay tuition if it was affordable. I looked around and found this little gem. Ms. Aydee is the preschool teacher. She is amazing!

I am a former student now in high school, but I still wish I went to Elysian Heights…read more I had a really good time at this little arts magnet! When I was in kindergarten about a decade ago, this school was small, and I mean SMALL. The magnet program was just starting, so I was lucky to have arrived when I did. I believe that art is the number one thing that should be inputted into a student's curriculum, and Elysian is the perfect place for that. If you're planning to send your kid there, expect them to come home with art projects and wanting to be lead of the school's annual play. Expect attending every event the school has: the harvest festival, multicultural fest (if that still happens), holiday shows, spring shows, arts fest...etc! I'm not surprised that Elysian has become a competitive school recently...it's a really great place!! I still go to the harvest and arts festivals every year, and I'm still close friends with people I've known since kinder. Hear this from a former student: this is a really good little arts magnet.

best charter school in LA Best staff…read moreBest parents Lucky to be a part of it -please check out the After School Program called Prime Time ! It is now a summer sports camp that kids love