Valley Academy Of Arts And Sciences

I really like this school because it is diverse and I felt very welcome at this school

Love this school. It's clean small and was a great fit for our child. They offer great classes in Dance and teachers are understanding with homework if it needs to be made up. They are all very caring and supportive of the children. I highly recommend!

Great sports and academics at this school.

This is the best school in the Valley. Smaller than most but influential in academic culture and fostering awareness and compassion for current events. Students at this school are encouraged to have a voice and discover their inner leader. My daughter is thriving here and my son will soon be there as well. Thankful!

This school is not for everyone. It is a school that focuses on arts and, to a lesser degree, sciences. If you feel lots of homework is important, send your child some place else (GHCHS). If you feel nearly 40 hours of instruction is sufficient to educate your child and you don't think overtime on homework is necessary, this might be a good choice. VAAS provides for learning outside of the classroom through interesting projects, but the time demands are less than at other LAUSD options. My son had a pleasurable learning experience and this school was a good fit for him. Because of the smaller school size, he had a chance to participate in athletics and performing arts that he wouldn't have had at a larger facility. Some course offerings were unique, like "forensics." English courses and teachers had a slightly different emphasis that deviated from emphasizing strict grammar and syntax. Critical thinking is often stressed over rote memory in course offerings with both positive and negative results. Mathematics may be an area that needs improvement - my son's experience is consistent with the low standardized test scores associated with VAAS, so potential engineers might benefit from GHCHS. The campus is well-organized and maintained. The office staff is very helpful and pleasant. It's a good school overall and depending on your child, it might be the best option or something just "OK."