1432 Valley High Ave
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

I cannot say enough good things about Ladera! My son has been going to this school since kindergarten. We has Autism and started out in their Special Education Class and by 3rd grade was fully mainstreamed into General Education. He is a whole different child from when he was first diagnosed, and I credit a lot of it to the support Ladera has given him. He will be starting 5th grade in the next few weeks, and I am very sad it will be his last year at Ladera. The teachers are all amazing as is all the support staff.

At one time Los Cerritos Middle School was the best Junior High School in CVUSD. Their math program was top notch led by a team of exceptional math teachers. Their Science program offered an Honor Science option that none of the other middle schools offered. Their English Department was difficult, but set students up for success at high school. Many school-choiced for their music department that included a jazz band that regularly performed at Bogies and a Choir that won the state championship and put on musicals that were better than the high school's offerings. This has all changed. The teachers who produced those programs have all left Los Cerritos through early retirement or choice. The math department is still run by one of the superstars left, but other than her, the rest of the school is not as it was. The music program is gone--the band teacher lost his battle to cancer, and the choir teacher chose to go to a local elementary school. Every department in the school has lost their lead teachers, and it was not due to Covid. It was due to poor leadership that is neither supportive or present. The school was given a great deal of money through measure I to upgrade the buildings, and the LCMS leadership chose to put in windows instead of building a new science lab, performing arts center or even just updating the classrooms from the 70's. This school cares more about what things "look-like" than actual learning, and this is why their top teachers left. Looking for a middle school to send your child to? I encourage you to ask Colina, Redwood or Sequoia where they spent their money. It will tell you what their leadership values. LCMS cannot retain good staff. Their test scores are showing it. The school who was once the school-choice CHOICE is now the school where parents are choosing to go elsewhere. Bullying is a problem. Their teachers are average at best. It is unfortunate because they were once a wonderful school both academically and creatively. If you are looking for academics go to Colina or Redwood. If you are looking for music go to Redwood or Colina. If you are looking for mediocre go to Los Cerritos. My oldest two children went to LCMS and it was the best three years of their lives. My youngest cannot wait to graduate this year. What a difference caring leadership, and staff make--go to a middle school who has both.

My experiences as a parent at WHS have been exceptional. We receive necessary information (email, phone call, text messages) on all relevant issues. My daughter enrolled in both AP and honors classes every semester and found these classes to be challenging. She does stay up late doing her homework and studies daily and still has enough time to participate in the after-school extracurricular activities. She was able to find time to hang out with her friends and have good social network and support. She's able to maintain high GPA from freshman to senior year and has been accepted to several UC. I admit WHS has a lot of kids from high-net-worth families with influence due to the area; however, many of these kids are polite and respectful. This was my biggest concern being that few parents I spoke with informed me of the predominance condescending kids at WHS due to their family wealth. I can assure you that this is just bad rumor. WHS does have few bad apples as with all public schools. Most kids are good at recognizing bad behavior and can easily ignore and avoid these misguided peers/children. Overall, I highly recommend WHS for the resources, staff, teachers, and safe learning environment.