1145 Apache, Topanga, CA 90290

I am writing this review to express my deep disappointment with the current leadership at Woodland Hills Elementary, specifically regarding Principal Christina Desiderio. Under her administration, the school’s rating has dropped from a 10, and it is entirely clear why. Whenever valid concerns are raised, she continuously blames COVID—an excuse that is long past its expiration date.The most alarming issue is her blatant disregard for student safety and basic facilities. The school restrooms are constantly broken and have non-functional locks, getting to the point where children are actually afraid to use them. Furthermore, she completely ignores issues of bullying on campus, leaving children vulnerable and without support from the administration.Her handling of a severe facility issue last year was also unacceptable. When mold was detected in several classrooms, she forced those students to learn outside. She explicitly forbade them from temporarily using the empty auditorium simply because she was hosting a 4th and 5th-grade play in there and didn't want anything interfering with her publicity event.This perfectly highlights her main priority: public relations over student well-being. Principal Desiderio seems to only care about taking pictures and posting curated "achievements" on Facebook. If a situation requires actual problem-solving and cannot be spun into a positive public post, it is swept under the rug.She has a terrible track record of being unresponsive to the community, and she is frequently absent from the campus, constantly asking her administration team to cover for her. Worse, when parents actually try to confront her about these ongoing problems, she resorts to threatening and intimidating them instead of working toward a solution. It is no surprise that teacher morale is heavily impacted, with many educators expressing very negative views of her leadership behind the scenes.Woodland Hills Elementary used to be an incredible school, but our children deserve a principal who is present, transparent, and focused on providing a safe, functional learning environment—not just managing a social media feed.