California Creative Learning Academy

2709 Media Center Drive

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

charter

School Map for Los Angeles Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 27, 2023

I highly recommend Cal Creative. Their project based learning with arts integration and a whole child approach has our kids thriving in school. The staff is thoughtful and compassionate and they set a great example for the students. I'm so glad we found this school. The community is amazing. No regrets!
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2023

My son has been at this school for almost 3 years now. The first year was amazing, he had a WONDERFUL teacher. However, these last 2 years have been chaos. I wanted to see the positives of a learning experience that is inclusive and arts-integrated, but they have completely disregarded academics here. My son is VERY far behind academically because he is held to almost zero standards of learning. I have no idea what goes on in the classroom all day, but he never has homework and is unable to do simple ENTRANCE standards (it's now almost the end of the year). I wanted to love this school, but I can no longer keep my child here to fall further behind his peers.
Submitted by other on November 04, 2022

Okay so I went here many years ago but let me tell you something… I DID NOT LEARN ANYTHING!! I went to this school from K-3rd grade And, I didnt not even learn how to count money or tell time. Thats how bad it was. We did not learn anything math or regular english but instead they would focus on dance or on music which is fine if they taught us the basics first so when I moved to another school I was so far behind the other kids that I had to be taken out for extra lessons. It was really bad. I will admit that I had some fun memories here but if you genuinely care about your child's education and future for college then probably consider another school.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2022

I would give this school 0 stars if I could. There is no learning here. They don’t even give the kids vocabulary words. They don’t learn math. No homework. There are lots of kids with behavior problems. If it wasn’t for my daughter’s friends- I would have been pulled her out. Instead, I tutor her and try to teach her what they are not teaching her. It’s really a sad scenario. This school is the worst ever.
Submitted by student on September 08, 2022

Part 2 to another review of mineIn my last statement, I mainly talked about the education and school by itself, but my main issue with being in this place are about the students here. To put it simply, they have nothing but empty dark souls. In my three years of being a middle schooler here, I have been harassed, called all sorts of profanities as well as slurs, and have been a target of bullying just because I like to have some quiet within the classrooms. I have an ear sensory issue, I can’t do anything to prevent it or stop it, so when I hear loud screaming from the desks behind me in class, I can’t help but tell the people behind me to be quiet. Due to this, I have been known as an “annoying” girl amongst my peers just because I would rather be doing my work in class with an empty mind. When there are people constantly talking around me in their very loud voices, I can’t focus on my work. Unlike them, I’m actually trying to work on my assignments so I can have a pretty decent future. Certain people in my class love to revolve their whole personality around being a “mean girl”, someone who gossips constantly and finds joy in picking out kids insecurities and using it against them. They are all loud, annoying, and obnoxious in my opinion and are the main reason I loathe being in this school. MANY classmates last year, more than half to be exact, left this school, some moved to other cities/states, but it was mainly due to the nature of this school and how much of a mess it is. Most of the people that left were my friends, my few only friends at this god forsaken place, due to the fact I hate everyone else in my grade other than my last few friends remaining, I can’t build a relationship with anyone else. They say this school values “friendship” and yet do nothing about the fact kids are constantly picked on and then get a gentle on the wrist when caught. Kids here are not disciplined enough and just walk all over the teacher and their rules, I believe if there was more heavy ground put down on these certain students, then we could have a healthier environment, but no, we are left with kids who are the prime reason we haven’t been able to use the computers for a month because they mistreat them and throw them across the room, still, no punishment. I’m only a month into the school year and am already touring new middle schools so I can transfer. Congrats Cal Creative, I will look back on the days and only feel misery towards my middle school years.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2022

Great family involvement - it might be what’s saving this place and certainly is what kept us there so long. Teaching staff has their hands full between the noise factor of the space, and behavioral issues within the classroom which one on the teachers (more on that below). Academics are not the strong suit - both of my children fell critically behind and were not prepared for their next steps. My oldest was there his entire elementary career and I regret not pulling him sooner. My youngest had an IEP that was completely mishandled and when he was in 2nd grade we finally pulled the plug on the place for that reason. The school culture is very chaotic. The method of holding kids accountable for their behavior is utterly non existent. They call it cool tools but what it creates is a lack of accountability. Children who literally threw furniture would remain in the classroom while the rest of the class was told to exit. The child was never held accountable. My child was in a classroom where a teacher was hit in the face by a student. The method of repair was to talk about it afterward but the student was never held accountable. Not modeling boundaries is a dangerous social construct, and that is the culture the admin holds in high regard. IMPORTANT NOTE: Our final straw was during an “active shooter/lockdown drill” when the principal decided to NOT inform staff that the drill would be happening. She then sent the PE teacher to bang on doors and pretend he was an active shooter. My child’s 5th grade class was in a single stall bathroom. The children were a wreck and were crying. Their teacher took it upon himself to leave them in there to go out to see what was happening. The children locked the door behind them terrorized that something would happen to him. When my son learned this was a surprise drill and they had been put through that hell for no reason he was livid. I can’t even put words to what that does to children, nor how it made us feel as parents. This TRAUMA INDUCING drill was an utter disregard to their emotional well-being and lacked all empathy. When I spoke to the principal about it she defended her position without apology. She should have lost her job for that gigantic misstep. She is still the head of that school. We are grateful for the friends we made here, but wholly wish we had chosen a different school for our kids early years.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2022

Low quality instruction in art classes. They are artists, not instructors. They do not understand the need to communicate clearly up front, and set appropriate expectations.Support staff are inexperienced and often behave as babysitters. Most need implicit bias training and ongoing monitoring.Children get left behind at this school. Teachers aren't held to high standards and are allowed to do as they please. One great teacher per grade just doesn't cut it or provide an equitable learning environment for students. This is not a school for children with learning differences.Staff are disorganized. With so many digital communications per week, it is such a disappointment when you can't attend a school event because it was only announced the day before.The school motto is "you are my other me". But, this is generally only the case the person looking at you sees themselves reflected back.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2021

We love LFCSA! We have 2 children attending and plan on having all 3 of our kids there next year. I love the emotional learning aspect of the school my kids have learnt how to communicate better and deal with conflict. The arts integration is amazing, I love how my kids get to learn through different art forms. We are extremely happy with LFCSA!
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2021

We are so grateful we started attending this school midway through kindergarten after a rough start in our local school. The difference was night and day. From our very first visit we felt like we'd found our educational home and a place with people we could lock arms with to ensure our kid didn't fall through the cracks. It's been a dream. We have a child with special needs. Our first school experience was adversarial but LFCSA has always shown a great interest in making sure each child, teacher and classroom as a whole is honored. We are so very grateful we found a soft place to land where our kid is thriving. During the pandemic I've listened to the complaints of so many of my friends as it relates to their kids' schools. I've been so impressed with LFCSA. They have been committed to making sure the students and parents have the support they need, are learning and connecting. Our teacher (3rd grade) has been sensational! I absolutely recommend this school
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2021

This is a very special school and an incredible and welcoming community. My son has been here since 2nd grade, and he’s flourishing and loves to go to school everyday. His ideas are respected and he’s encouraged to continue to learn in ways that are working for him. Go tour the school and see this special place yourself. You won’t regret it!
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2021

My son has been at LFCSA for 6 years, and we've been very happy. He benefits from the smaller class sizes and the flexibility with different learning styles. We like all the hands-on projects and the progressive curriculum. I know that no school is perfect, but LFCSA is working great for our son. Instead of rote memorization and focusing on state tests, they are really getting him to connect with learning. And their ability to support students emotionally makes a big difference to us.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2021

We are so thankful to have found this special school! My 2 boys have attend LFCSA and are absolutely thriving. Their project based, whole child approach to learning is so thoughtful and effective~ my very active boys remain engaged and challenged. A standard school setting was NOT working for our children- they were bored, not challenged, and quickly got into mischief. At LFCSA they are challenged, their individual needs are attended to and they actually LOVE school. Class sizes are small, the teachers are excellent, and the school as a whole is racially and economically diverse. And they are excelling during this pandemic under the worse circumstances. We are beyond grateful to be part of this community. What a gift.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2020

I am so thankful to have found this school! My daughter is in her second year here and it has been such a great fit for our family. The school places a strong emphasis on the social and emotional development of students (school motto is "You Are My Other Me") and successfully integrates the arts into academics, even for the younger kids. The school also puts resources into supporting parents and caregivers with opportunities to learn from parenting and child development experts. The school creates space for difficult conversations and has recently started a diversity, equity and inclusion committee. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to volunteer and stay involved and the PTA is active. The remote learning environment due to the pandemic is also working really well! My child is learning, engaged and excited about school.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2020

This school has helped my daughter thrive, feel confident, express herself, and be able to work out issues that arise with other kids. The teachers are extremely wise, compassionate, and passionate about teaching. PTA is amazing too! It really is a wonderful community here. Our entire family has benefitted from the school’s whole-child approach to learning.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2020

10 out of 10. I've never been more sure at a time in the world that is so unstable, that we are in the right place at the right time. Our social-emotional needs for the world are rarely met, but this school does an excellent job attending to SEL.
Submitted by student on July 14, 2020

It’s a mess. I’ve had teachers yell at me for pointing out things and once I got yelled at for sticking up for myself. One of my teachers cried and blamed the students for basically being kids and being rude/not paying attention. All while when students weren’t paying attention, did nothing. The food is GROSS! I get good grades and STATE test scores (they don’t have real tests) but I can tell that I’m not learning enough and I’m not getting pushed. I’m worried for going into the next school year and being behind after going there for so long (3 years) The “art” teachers yell at the students for being loud and not perfect, they treat the classes as if they as if they’re making up for the shortcomings in the curriculum and actual learning. The place is packed with middle schoolers, little kids, and elementary kids so it feels so cramped. I know people in different classes (the same grade) who talked about these lessons they take and I now realize that there is not someone in charge of lesson plans. If there was, I would have learned too, yet I didn’t. Something I’ve noticed based on their website and Instagram page is that they often say how they have a “garden” which is actually some dirt and wooden planting boxes (that are all dying for that matter) but they yell at students for going into it and I’ve never had a lesson in there. They send kids to the office and forget they are even there. Sometimes if a kid gets in trouble, they have to stay out of class and miss things. They’re so cheap that as opposed to actually reusable ice packs, they use those one time ones that you have to squish the pack inside to make it cold (which all specifically say not to refreeze because of risk of FROSTBITE) and put them in a freezer and never clean them. There’s a dome thing which multiple kids have broken arms on (they’ve closed it multiple times and reopened it) These problems are just a few. This school is for some people, but it should be for younger kids below 3rd/4th not above. I’ve had a lot of terrible experience here. Please don’t send your kid here, regardless of how it’s integrated with art, the sacrifice learning important subjects and concepts. Don’t hurt your kids ability. I’m sure you don’t want them to have to catch up, or fall behind. You’re better off at a public school in the area which will give them better support hope this helps!
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2020

This last week I was one of the parent chaperones on the 5th grade Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) field trip. This experience was a wild one, and I am particularly impressed by the staff: Ms. Buckley, Ms. Catudio, Mr. Wenger, and Mr. Leo; I'm particularly grateful for my fellow parent & grandparent chaperones.But this is a put up for the school philosophy and how it's impacting the kids.I've been chaperoning and volunteering in my son's classroom since kindergarten - when he was not at LFCSA. We came to LA when he was in 3rd grade, and we came from a very different school environment.I've seen the way kids form cliques, how they subtly belittle each other. I've watched kids compare, judge, and bully in many varied forms. I've observed children feel left out, forgotten, lonely. On some level I accepted that was just the way it had to be, to be a kid in school.In the three-days at CIMI I observed the opposite in this group of kids.Of course friend groups existed, and not everyone got along all the time. There were moments of attitude, eye rolls, moods that needed adjusting, but overwhelmingly these kids exhibited a mentality of inclusivity, kindness, openness, and support. Even in those moments of tension, I witnessed so much understanding and community that I was genuinely floored.These kids are about to enter middle school - a time we can all agree is THE ACTUAL WORST - and still, on what feels like a fundamental level, they continue to lead with honesty and kindness.The training they receive in social-emotional learning has already begun to affect the way they interact with each other, and will hopefully follow them wherever they go for middle school. (If it's not still LFCSA.)The value of this education is not always easy to quantify, but we should definitely not ignore it. I'm impressed with every single one of them, and grateful for this special part of the LFCSA experience.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2020

Null at this point. Had to pull our kids out. In general not a good experience.
Submitted by other on September 19, 2019

Excellent— my child have grown and thrived at this school.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2019

I have two children who are special needs kids and I enrolled them to LFCSA for this school year. It's only been 4 days since I came to this school with my children with great hope because especially my first kid like drawing and talented. But, I'm really disappointed and frustrated with the people at your school.I don't understand why your school staff are treating us rude. All the treatment my children received, all the treatment I received, was our first time experience. No anywhere cannot compete with the rudeness my children (who needs special needs) and I have experienced at this school in the last 4 days. My first son, who is isolated from all the kids and sits at a sofa from day one. He sits there all day long without a desk, a seat, a friend... Then there is 2nd child, who can't come after the whole child when they come into the classroom from the playground, and no one brings him in, so he's left alone outside. They seem invisible to you people. Far from learning.Also school staffs treat me like criminal who has to be watched, supervised, followed until I'm out of the gate. Your staff and faculty treat me as a strange criminal, ignoring my greetings. I do not understand how people who teach children and work for children, can treat me, a parent, and especially my kids like that. There are no words to explain the pain your school has left in me and my poor babies who cannot even express their feelings.School staffs (especially, Michelle Jones) and teachers were rude to me and they didn't know how to handle with my kids and didn't even care. So today, I removed my children from this school in a week. I hope there will never be a parent who goes through things like me again. Also If you have plans to send special children to this school, don't send them to this school because you might have experience like me.