10721 Helendale Ave
Tujunga, CA 91042

This school used to be amazing. Ever since the current principal started (in March of 2023), the entire school culture has changed for the negative. There are wonderful teachers at this school, but they are limited in regard to the support they can provide because of how this principal is running the school. He has no ability to use common sense when making decisions, does not take disabilities and developmental stages and behaviors into account when applying discipline practices, purpose isolates the parents from each other and operates under a cloud of secrecy and isolation when dealing with incidents.Last school year (2023-2024), he called the police on MULTIPLE kids 1st grade or younger for MINOR developmentally related incidents which resulted in the POLICE talking to our kids without our presence or consent. Most of these kids have disabilities such as Autism or ADHD and were mostly (if not all) Latino boys. When called out for this behavior by parents, he CALLED THE POLICE ON THE PARENTS!!! He is a machine for LAUSD and has no ability to think critically about any situation. The culture at this school has diminished greatly, the teachers look scared to share any concerns or opinions. They quite literally seem like they're being silenced. These teachers and staff are amazing, but cannot thrive under this leadership. I am now considering pulling my kids out of this school because of this principal, despite there being wonderful teachers, special education staff and school psychologist. His practices do not allow for a positive school environment. Under his "leadership", it's no wonder that this schools rating has dropped down to a 2.

Most teachers at this school are decent people; they try to teach us how to learn and are always ready to help if we reach out to them. As for the rest of the staff, they rarely keep students informed, and their only apparent goal is to push us into Advanced Placement (AP) courses. I personally heard them trying to enroll two girls in AP Biology, even though the girls were getting poor grades in regular biology at the time. Even when collecting signatures for graduation, you are handed a poorly designed form containing contradictory information. I had to run all over the school to get my copy, even though the teacher for my third-period class was supposed to issue it. I remember once complaining about being bullied by other students; the school counselor responded quickly, and we began addressing the situation. Unfortunately, I wasn't satisfied with the outcome: even after the bullying issue was discussed in class, the teacher made it clear that everyone faces bullying in life and that it is normal. I remember how that particular teacher got angry when she saw a student wearing a hat during the Pledge of Allegiance. He asked if he could keep it on, but she walked right up to him and snatched the hat off his head; it turned out he was bald, and I saw how deeply he was hurt by it. Realizing she had acted wrongly, she didn't apologize; instead, she announced to the class that hats were forbidden and declared that she felt absolutely no shame for her actions. I don't know why she treated us that way, perhaps because we were not native English speakers, but she was truly rude and disrespectful. Furthermore, it was only after a student attacked another student that the school installed cameras and began calling the police to patrol the premises. Back when I first arrived and was in the 9th grade, I often saw used condoms on the ground. There was even a recent incident in the restroom, which is why the only restrooms currently open are the ones in the main building. What’s more, I actually witnessed the act myself—on the outdoor steps near one of the classrooms when I was in the 10th grade. The school offers a wide range of sports and summer educational programs. Thus, the safety level is 1/10; teaching quality 8/10; school organization 4/10; quality of school food 3/10; teachers' attitude toward students varies, sometimes 9/10 and sometimes 1/10; college preparation 7/10. Just remember one thing, you have to ask about and find out everything for yourself.

We have a student in the special education department here and I can't say enough great things about the support we have at Mt. Gleason! Everyone is so caring and kind and my son FINALLY has friends. The schoolwork is challenging but not insurmountable, and the curriculum is diverse and hands on. The entire staff has only ever been helpful and kind and I think this deserves a review here!