1975 E Woodlyn Rd
Pasadena, CA 91104

My child does not like the school. She complains of the slow learning pace, especially in math, and that she does not feel it is a safe learning environment. As a parent, the leadership of the principal is concerning. She is primarily concerned with the performing arts and the elementary school. In meetings she had voiced her opinion about wanting more white families to attend and blames the discipline issues on foster children. The learning environment of the middle school appears to be an afterthought. How can 2/3 of the students be on the honor roll and the test scores be as low as they are…grade inflation and low expectations. Many teachers have left with newly certified teachers with a lack of experience taking their place, which is a disservice to the students. Long term subs are also leaving because of the non-supportive leadership.

A lot of people in Pasadena send their kids to private school, but our oldest son wanted to go to PHS. We went in with low expectations, and have been very impressed.PHS' greatest asset is its teachers, the majority of whom are stellar. I can't say enough good things about them; they are so dedicated and genuinely care about their students. Just this morning, one of my son's teachers called me on the phone minutes after I sent him an email explaining that my son was sick and would miss his exam. Last month, his AP chemistry teacher arranged an all-day field trip to the Wild Animal Safari Park to work in their labs.One of my kids is in the the Law and Public Service Academy and he loves it. Again, the teachers in that academy are stellar. I have heard that kids really love the App Academy as well. If your child is coming to PHS from a non-PUSD middle school, I recommend plugging them into an academy so they can find community. One the negative side, the facilities are severely lacking, but PHS is set to get a major upgrade in the next few years. My kids are getting a great education.

Wonderful school environment, there is a lot of parent involvement which is comforting to know as some parents do not have the luxury of time to be involved. We just wish the classrooms would not only look but actually be organized. The teachers are great overall but a little more focus on keeping the classes neat and clean and tidy would add brownie points to this school.