28316 Blacksmith Dr
Valencia, CA 91354

We’ve had experience with public schools in other states, so coming to West Creek Academy was a bit of a shock for us.Even though the school has a high rating, the day-to-day experience doesn’t really match it. Between ongoing funding issues and teacher shortages, things often feel inconsistent, and at times it feels like the school is just doing the bare minimum to get through the year.The PTA is very visible and active, but from a parent’s perspective, much of the effort seems to go into showy, performative events rather than meaningful improvements to academics or real support for teachers and classrooms.Like many public schools in California, there seems to bean unspoken expectation that parents will fill in the gaps with tutoring, enrichment programs, and extracurricular activities. Because of that, families who have the means often end up moving to private schools.Overall, this school feels like a reflection of the larger issues in California’s public education system. It’s important for families to understand that a high rating doesn’t always equal a strong or rigorous academic experience.

One look at your skin color and they treat you bad

I’m so glad that my child is at AOC! It’s a small school, about 400 students total, which makes for a tight-knit and welcoming community. My child tells me all the time how everyone is so nice and respectful of one another. At AOC, kids take some college classes at COC, so that upon graduating, they can earn up to 44 units toward their college years and get a lot of their basic college requirements done. The school encourages self-advocacy and maturity, allowing the student to take the lead and preparing them for life in college and beyond. They also teach how the student learns rather than applying the same methods to everyone. I appreciate their group-based and even play-based learning and truly fostering a love of learning and curiosity. I’ve been recommending the school to local friends—it’s a gem in our community.

This school has been very disappointing. Some of the teachers have not been honest about what really happens with the students. Once a child gets into trouble, they become a target instead of being helped to do better. That is exactly what happened with our son. We feel that some teachers are unfair and even unkind in the way they treat him. It’s heartbreaking to see this, and we no longer feel comfortable or safe with him staying in this school.