Los Cerritos Middle School

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.

I love Lang Ranch. The teachers are so thoughtful and caring. We just had our parent/teacher conference after about a month an a half of school and the teacher literally described my child to us to a T. They were spot on. This shows me that they really care about what they do and they are very good at it. The school community definitely feels like a tight knit group and we are so happy to be Wranglers.

I attended this school for all 9 years and had a mediocre experience. I am dyslexic and did get help from a teacher that caught it early on but could only get actual help from recommendations that were on top of my tuition there. They did have somewhat of a program but was very unsuccessful because I did not retain any information from it. While elementary school was better than the middle school there, I still did not fit in and moved friends and friend groups multiple times because of students leaving. Looking back on some of the lower grades the teachers were very harsh on us and the kids in those grades now. Their system of "discipline" was turning a card to another color and the kids who were always on red would just continue their bad behavior. The education was okay and mostly just used courses from other teachers that they paid for. The only teacher that actually taught in elementary school was my fifth grade teacher who I think teaches fourth grade now. She actually disciplined students and helped me find books I could enjoy and actually read. She understands how different students learned and really helped me. Middle school on the other hand was not a good experience. The kids were mean, the teachers were always on you when you weren't the one doing anything(which could be said for all grades), and some teachers would even kick you out of the bathroom during break. I was alone for most of 6th and 7th grade so I hung out in the bathroom a lot. However, the rule was implemented when I was able to join a friend group. The English department really prepared me for high school. Do not send your kid here if you are not religious because they do not take other religions seriously. Middle school is not a good environment in general but is even worse here. My mom had to talk to the principal to get a list of the new students for the next year because she was so worried about me. Everyone is snobby and rude especially if you are a "weird" kid. Not to also mention that teachers with their children attending get special treatment. For example, the vise principal's daughter was in the play and gave her a bigger part and said it was because she was the vise principal's daughter. PE was not much better with the coach getting mad at me and sending me to the principal's office because I was standing for a minute catching my breath because I have asthma. I got a referral and accused that I was being influenced because my friends also got in trouble with me.

How this school has not been on our radar before this year is beyond me. It is an absolute GEM and our children thrive here. They focus on character and don't just 'talk the talk' but also walk the walk. The principles of family, faith, and character are what is so needed today, and it is taught in ways that are subtle, yet meaningful. The pride in their work after the day and the things they share with us is beyond anything I could have wished for in my kids as people, and academically. They do not teach to the masses, but instead tailor to your child and where they are in their education journey. We have an older daughter at a large christian high school, and this school would have been exactly what we wanted for her to prepare for that. Education is huge for us, along with faith and family, and our kids are not getting lost in worksheets, but rather challenged exactly where they are in their own journey and are growing in their faith. They also focus on self-accountability, a lost art with kids today. They believe in work, hard work, and taking accountability for your actions. We love this school so much, and will share on every review platform we can, because this place is unlike any other. They take the kids on real-world experiences to grow their understanding of the community around them. It is such a blessing after so many places in the area that simply have the bright and shiny, yet lose their kids and focus in the sea of keeping up with the Jones's. THANK YOU to the Academy for what they are/have done for our family, it is refreshing, and we could not be happier.

St Patrick's is the best school I can imagine. Each staff member is so kind, passionate, energetic and genuinely caring. They always put the children first, comprehensive growth and development for each student - both character building as well as academic learning. The school is all that I would like to see in a school, and much more. Blessed to be part of the St Pats family.

Great school with extraordinary teachers! The teachers here really care about the students. They take the time to go over progress and concerns with parents and make individualized suggestions based on the same. The scores and academics speak for themselves in that arena. Grateful to be part of this school community!