Whittier Education Campus

Overall, I've been pleased with the changes.

I’m disappointed with my experience at Tacoma Elementary School this year. My son has attended for three years, but during his second-grade year, I’ve noticed concerning behavior from both his classroom teacher and dance teacher. There have been moments where my son felt singled out and antagonized, which has affected him emotionally. As a parent, I also feel disrespected and, at times, discriminated against in how concerns were handled. I hope the school takes these issues seriously and works toward creating a more supportive and respectful environment for all students and families.

This school is a joke. As a teacher of your thinking about working here, LOOK ELSEWHERE. There’s the inner circle clique of the higher up administrative that stick together and only protect their people. They are quick to throw blame and shift accountability to make sure they stay out of the line of fire. They point fingers and don’t do anything until the very last minute acting as if they realized the problem at first but it was brought to their attention. They are a bunch of snakes and backstabbers. They throw you in under a bus and don’t help and say your the problem, especially if your a new employee. They give zero about your expertise or experience for the love of teaching. THEY WILL DRAIN YOU. If your looking for a supporting environment DONT WORK HERE. This place is horrible. They need to fire all upper management and start over. They’ve been there too long and they have no idea how the real world or schools work now. What a waste of grant money

The best school to enroll your child!!!

I recently attended a formal meeting with school staff to discuss my son’s academic performance and support needs. The meeting included his teachers and the 5th-grade principal. Unfortunately, the tone and conduct of the principal during this meeting were unprofessional, dismissive, and deeply concerning.Rather than approaching the discussion collaboratively and with a problem-solving mindset, the principal appeared defensive and unwilling to acknowledge the severity of the academic challenges being presented. At one point during the meeting, it was openly stated that all students in the 5th-grade cohort are performing approximately three grade levels behind.This admission alone should have prompted immediate concern, reflection, and corrective action. Instead, it was presented as though this widespread underperformance was acceptable or unavoidable, which is deeply troubling. The school has stated that there are two teachers assigned to approximately 16 students in the 5th grade. On paper, this ratio may appear sufficient. However, when the majority of students in the classroom are struggling academically and performing well below grade level, this staffing model is inadequate to meet individual learning needs.Students with learning disabilities require specialized instruction, differentiated teaching strategies, and consistent progress monitoring. Simply placing two teachers in a room with multiple struggling students does not guarantee effective support especially if neither teacher is providing specialized education services or evidence-based interventions. It is unrealistic to expect that meaningful individualized support can be delivered when nearly every student in the classroom requires remediation. This is not a matter of effort or intention; it is a matter of capacity and structure.ring the meeting, my son was present and actively participated. He verbally expressed that he needs academic support and clearly identified the subjects in which he struggles—reading, writing, and math. His ability to articulate these challenges demonstrates self-awareness and a desire to succeed.Despite this, his concerns were minimized. Rather than being validated and addressed with a concrete support plan, his struggles were reframed as issues of confidence rather than skill deficits. While confidence is important, it cannot replace instruction. Confidence is built through mastery, and mastery is achieved through proper teaching, practice, and support.

Our son is currently enrolled in PK-3 at Sela. We were a bit unsure how he would handle the language immersion environment, but he has done nothing but thrive. He loves going to school and can't say enough good things about his day. His teachers are caring and communicative and, as cliche as it sounds, the school environment really is that of a family (parents and students greeted by name by everyone from the Head of School to the front desk staff). Dr. Smith, the head of school, sets the tone of appreciating diversity and striving for excellence.Like all relatively new organizations, Sela certainly has areas in which it is continuing to grow and improve (for example, avenues for family participation in the school community), but it has clearly mastered the most important functions of a school -- providing a first-class education in a safe, nurturing environment. We look forward to returning next year.