Carthay Center Elementary

I would look elsewhere. There are a couple great teachers and the PTA really put a lot into the school but its not enough to carry the whole student body. Security is not good. Administration is lackluster and sometimes very insensitive and seem exhausted. If you ask any questions they kind of just stare at you... they seem bothered. When issues arise the school has no interest in collaboration with parents whatsoever. Communication between the school and parents is on existent, al communication comes from the PTA. There is no ficus on social emotional learning.Parents have been verbally assaulted by other parents on school property and the principal makes excuses and tolerates bullying between students which trickles into the parent community. The energy gets hostile. The community is not welcoming past the first two months and fails to practice inclusion. They claim to have all these amazing gardening classes and arts opportunities but the kids go in the garden maybe once every three months and they failed to even light up the stage during the winter program duo that everyone could be seen. Carthay is an unorganized mess and almost feels like its haunted because the energy is so dark. kids deserve better!

It can be a good school. They have a few brilliant and amazing teachers. A lot of parents are really involved in helping the school. Unfortunately, the leadership is terrible, it's tired and uninspired. The principal is rude and very difficult to work with. She's just going through the motions of satisfying the district's minimum requirements rather than really caring about the children and providing excellent education. It's a sub mediocre school. If you are looking for a school that cares about your child, this is not the one.

Fall 2023: This is my kid's last year at Carthay. My kid's been at Carthay from K to 5 through a lot of turmoil! Teachers strike, pandemic closures and Zoom learning, and another strike last year, yet Carthay kids survived and thrived with our amazing teachers, staff, principal and families. I know my kid did great - no learning loss! Our test scores actually went up A LOT after the pandemic. Every single one of my kid's teachers have been awesome. Teachers are available to talk through instant messaging, email and in person. Parent volunteers are welcomed into the classroom to help with hands-on activities, planning parties, and field trips. Super active PTA group with parents who work really hard to raise money through fun community events to pay for extra enrichment programs LAUSD won't pay for like garden science, PE, California Dance Institute and our expansive kids edible garden & chicken care. Our principal is insanely hardworking and is literally at the school from dawn to dusk. You'll see her everywhere. She's even helped us weed the garden on a weekend and clean up and take out the trash during events. The wonderful staff are welcoming and helpful. Overall our experience has been very positive and we will miss Carthay!

FALL 2022:Think twice before you choose this place. Horrible admin, lack of communication among all. Safety issues, observed young children walk out the gates as they look for their parents and staff in lala land unaware kids walked out the gates. Observed staff belittling children. School does not deserve to be open. Children need to speak up and parents need to communicate better with their children

The current data shows that students made the highest academic growth in 3rd -5th grade on the SBAC for the 2022 school year. Teachers focus on small group instruction which addresses the needs of each students. It is a school that teaches beyond the 4 walls in a classroom. Project based learning is done outside in the gardens and the outdoor classrooms. Children understand the impact they have on the environment and what is needed to save our planet. Great place to learn! Parents are very supportive and participate in many activities. Parents are vested in the school.