Research Westwood Elementary School charter Schools in Burbank, California

“I am very sorry i sent my child here. The test scores, parents, and campus was horrible!”

“My son graduated from Westwood in 2007. He survived the 4/5 combined class of 35. I have to say that we have been pleased with his preparation for a very rigorous 6th grade private school. 4/5 does not work for everyone but my son (who struggled) is now getting A's and is able to focus easier than his private schooled peers. Hang in there with 4/5 it does not seem to be changing anytime soon according to the principal but you will be surprised what your child can do in 6th grade that others can't.”

“Westwood has an amazing faculty that works over time to insure it remains a top school. Classes are run beautifully, with children's learning styles in mind. The teachers work as teams, or families to create a sense of unity throughout grade levels.”

“We have had two children at this exceptional school, one of whom just graduated in June. Our experience with the 4/5 classroom was quite positive. Our son greatly enjoyed having older mentors in his class when he was in fourth grade and he developed self-confidence being the older kid in fifth grade. He also benefitted from having the same teacher two years in a row, which really gave her a chance to know each student by the end the way she would in a smaller classroom. The 4/5 class doesn't cause the class sizes to grow; it helps mitigate a problem that is common to all public schools in CA because of the state constitution. Class size is also eased by WWC's superb developmental philosophy, with kids grouped by ability for math and reading and assigned different homework (even different spelling words) depending upon their needs. We love this school!”

“There are teachers here we will never, ever forget with Ms. Miceli right at the top of the list. She represents all that is great about the staff at this school--dedicated, available, always professional. But one only has to look at the sequence of the parent reviews on this site to see where the progress of the school over the past few years. Perhaps because of increased enrollment, the school made the decision to go to a 4/5 combo and, scores notwithstanding, the decision has not paid off. Even the most experienced teachers have quite a challenge with 35 students in the room and yet this school has some of their newer teachers trying to do exactly that. The parental involvement is great--you can't help but feel like you're part of a family here and there are activities galore for the kids.”

“I have a child who has already graduated from Westwood as well as a child who is currently in third grade. My older child did very well in the 4/5 class. My child is driven to succeed which is why she did well in the 4/5 classes. I feel that if you have a child that is struggling then 4/5 may not be the right class for you. I agree that the 4/5 teachers do not have the time to give to each child. They have WAY too many kids in the class. I feel that it is a numbers issue rather than what is best for the students. How many other schools have a 4/5 grade??? Where is the documentation that supports this decision??? On the positive side, most of the 4/5 teachers are kind and do the best that they can under the circumstances.”

“My children have been very happy at this school. Most of the teachers are wonderful and inspire a love for learning. We are, however, very disappointed, that the school has chosen to combine all 4th and 5th grades into 4/5 classes and has been unable/unwilling to limit class size in these classes. It it a very difficult transition for fourth graders to go from 20 student classes to 35 student multigrade classes. My 4th grade child has several friends who left the school this year for this reason, and he is struggling with the lack of one on one time. Overall however, the school is a wonderful neighborhood school with way above average parent involvement. We love the community.”

“We moved to this neighborhood specifically for this school, but we made a mistake, we didn't realize they have a combo class 4th and 5th grades. My third grader is happy and we too this year, the teacher is so good. But we don't know next year.”

“We moved to this neighborhood specifically for this school -- and we're tremendously disappointed. We won't be attending the school next year. Our super-bright kid (3rd grade) is losing his love of learning -- he's constantly being told to be quiet, not ask so many questions, and learn to be bored. That's not what the school promised -- nor what I was hoping for.”

“Westwood Charter Elementary School is a unique school with an extraordinary principal who always puts the needs of the students first. Teachers and staff are dedicated and most parents support the school.”

“This school offers a warm and and supportive learning environment, especially for K-3 students who benefit from mostly good teachers and small class size. The combined grade (4-5) classes make very little sense and have never been satisfactorily explained to student families. Overall, the school does a nice job of turning kids into readers and writers. The overwhelming majority of the kids live very near school, which makes for a great social environment. The playground remodel had a positive impact.”

“I went to Westwood for the full 6 years. I can say without any doubt that it was the best 6 years of my schooling. The music teacher comes once a week with wonderful songs that I still sing and listen to. The drama program was great for a shy person like me. The student council was also a huge learning experience. Every teacher I had was great. They all loved their work and the kids. They really encouraged my creativity and my love of writing. I have boxes of mementos from my Westwood days. You can also participate in tutoring of other students or being tutored by older kids. I hope you all let your kids have the extraordinary experience that Westwood provided for me.”

“Our experience at Westwood was unforgettable. The sense of community and the commitment to excellence cannot be easily found elsewhere. Teachers are dedicated, and are always going above and beyond in terms of the hours they put in after school. The new playground -- with large, grassy area, looks terrific. The new principal is fantastic -- charismatic, warm, knowledgable and dedicated.”

“This is a great charter elementary school. They have a diverse campus with an excellent program for gifted children.”

“Wonderfull school, great teachers. Math program is great. Child is placed in math class according to his/her Math level. Challenging writing assignments, book reports. Music is available through participating in school orchestra, art classes, dance, PE are available. Parents are highly involved in school activities.”

“It is a great school, all the teachers in 6 years were great and committed. Extracurricular activities such as art, dance, music are given to kids. Despite changing 3 principals in 6 years, I am very pleased with the school.”

“It has been a great school for both of our children. Our children have different personalities and strengths and weaknesses and the school has worked very hard to make them both successful academincally and socially. The teachers and the administration are very involved and care about the students. The principal and vice principal get to know the students and parents and try to help cater to the children's needs. The vice principal is very knowledgeable about working on bahavioral issues--both good ones and bad ones.”

“Very rich academic program since it is a charter school,there are teacher's aid in every classroom, also high quality teachers and principal who attend to your child's needs with an open attitude. There is an orchestra so students can choose the instrument they want to learn, art and sport are great, also students can work on their student publication to learn about journalism, I think it is great for elementary kids.Parents are very involve in tutoring, great book reading, volunteering in the classroom and many other school activities. Overall, my child has blossomed during the last 4 years and we feel very lucky that this school is in our neighborhood.”

“We are very happy with the school. It is like a 'private' public school and they have music, art, PE, drama, computers etc. High level of parent involvement in both activities and fundraising.”

“Due to the large level of parent involement and monetary contributions to the Booster Club, there are many programs available to the kids: art, music, sports, theatre. They also have a full time teaching assistant in each of the Kindergarten classes.”

“My daughter has attended Westwood Charter since kindergarten, and is now in the fifth grade. She is very academically able and has been appropriately challenged intellectually, and very happy socially. The teaching staff is talented and very dedicated, and the parent body is extremely committed and involved. The booster club supplements the curriculum by funding art, music, and drama instruction. I recommend this school wholeheartedly.”

“Westwood has excellent, dedicated teachers and a highly organized group of parents; if you plan on having your children attend, be prepared to give of your time and/or money to the operation of the school and its many programs. Playground construction has been a headache this fall but there is an end in sight, and it looks to be a major improvement. The new principal is energetic, enthusiastic, and already popular with the kids after only a few months at the helm. We have two kids at Westwood and are very pleased with our experiences there.”

“Really great school. They do try their best to have good teachers. Campus is somewhat crippled, but the new playground is being build as I'm writing this, so hopefully in the fall our children will have a nice place to go to. Parental involvement is 100%! If you're planning on sending your child to this school - get ready! Whatever you can volunteer - time or money - it's needed and appreciated. Music, arts, library visit every week. Overall, very pleasant experience.”

“The parental support and active involvement at Westwood Charter are as good as any I've ever seen. It is rumored that the teachers in the upper grades 4/5 will be given extra students which would push the 4/5 combo classes up to 35-36 students per class and will make a major impact on the amount of personal attention that the teachers will be able to provide to each student. There is a new principal as of May 2005 and I don't know why she would allow such a student to teacher ratio. The teachers all work extra hours well beyond the regular school day and are dedicated and professional. Each grade level has two families whose teachers regularly meet and work together to plan grade level activities and field trips. There are not enough support staff at the upper grades but for K-3rd it is a stellar school.”

“I have two daughters at Westwood Charter, one entering third grade, the other entering fifth. They have both attended the school since Kindergarden. The teachers have for the most part been excellent. There is also very high parent involvement. It is a very good neighborhood public school, as good as any private school in the area, and the reason that many people move to the neighborhood. There are music, art and sports programs avialable. PE is only once a week. Music, art, and drama are offered on a limited basis. The music teacher is exceptional and the children really love him. My oldest daughter was in a mixed 4/5 class, which has some pros and cons. The class size in the upper grades (3rd and above) is about 30-32 students, which is not optimal. However, the kids are seperated by their ability in math and reading so this is good.”

“After years of leadership by a dynamic, albeit arrogant, principal who established Westwood as one of the 1st charter schools in LA Unified, the school and its faculty have been adrift for nearly two years under the weak and indecisive direciton of a principal who wisely and thankfully stepped down in the spring of 2005 after 2 uniquely unimpressive years. A new principal is now on board and parents and teachers alike hope that she can stem the recent alarming declines at Westwood. Turmoil at the top notwithstanding, Westwood is home to many fine teachers and many active, supportive parents - though a growing number of mediocre teachers have joined the faculty in recent years, a disturbing trend. The downright depressing physical plant recived a long overdue freshening during 2004, and the formerly barren and crumbling yard area is in the midst of a major, transformative facelift in 2005. I'm cautiously optimistic.”

“My child is in K at this school. She has learned an enormous amount this year and her teachers are great. Extracaricular activities are marginal. PE once a week, some singing (no instruments) and art sporadically (not very inspired). Parents are involved. Donations are down a bit and are very necessary. School feels under staffed. I worry about safety. I believe these are district wide issues and are not just an issue at Westwood.”

“The teachers at Westwood Elementary are extremely dedicated and the students benefit from an integrated approach to learning social studies and language arts. The music and extracurricular programs are limited, but fun. The sense that you belong to a community is the greatest aspect of the school. Greater than 95% of the students live in the neighborhood and nearly half walk to school with their parents. There are exceptional parents who work very hard, but even those of us who work are involved in the life of the school and our children's education. It is a large family, but truly a family. Our fifthe grader has been at the school since kindergarten and feels very attached to our neighborhood school. I will continue to value the school as a part of the community even after he graduates.”

“Great neighborhood, small class size, star program on site.”

“Academics are good but may not address the highly gifted students. Extracurricular activities are about standard for a public school. Parent involvement is very high which is of great benefit to the school”

“The academic progam is good, but doesn't quite meet the needs of very gifted kids as they get higher in grade. Music, art and sports are as good as can be expected from a public school. It would be nice to have more of them. Parent involvement is very high and is a great benefit to the school.”

“My child has attended Westwood since kindergarden and currently is in 5th grade. The school appears large but individual attention is not an issue. My child has enjoyed her time and the majority of the teachers are caring. The 4/5 team is a good way to prepare children for middle school as it pushes them to excel at a higher level.”

“Great school, great parental involvement, great teachers - too big though.”

“Westwood offers a curriculum based on the whole child. My children have been enriched by the creative, developmental, and solid academic program. They also have benefitted through the community based approach within the school by working as playleaders, big buddies, and reading mentors. I couldn't design a better school.”

“Westwood Charter School was the best time of my life. The teachers are so wonderful and care so deeply about their students. It is an exciting environment in which to learn and grow! I loved Westwood. It will always have a very special place in my heart.”

“As a family we are very satisfied with the quality of education offered at Westwood. We also are extremely happy that the teachers of Westwood did not submit to the district's mandate to adopt the Open Court Language Arts program! At all grade levels, the curriculum is integrated very thoughtfully and presented to the learners so that all constituents can access the information. The certificated staff are exceptionally dedicated to the craft of teaching and facilitating knowledge.”