Ocean Charter School

12870 Panama Street

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:27
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 February 26, 2024

OCS excels in providing exceptional emotional support to students, though it struggles with academics rigor, particularly in math, where the educational offerings are notably limited.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2023

My son left this school last December with a lot of trauma, a nice campus, parent participation and better lunch than LAUSD, those are the only things good about this school, forget Steiner's lectures about kindness there is no care at Ocean. My son told me in September last year that there was an older child beating him every day with a rope (kids have access to balls and ropes in recess with very little adult supervision), despite my emails, the school didn't do anything for two months, my kid was suffering every day, then I tried to offer external help, an ABA and recreational therapist payed by me to help during recess, the principal refused due to "liability reasons", in December the kid beat my son again, there was so much written proof of negligence that I ended up hiring a lawyer. Eight months later my child is still completely traumatized by that school and experience. If you have a kid with special needs, if you like pro active caring principals and assistant principal, if bullying is a concern: stay away.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2021

When we toured Ocean Charter we fell in love with its philosophy of a whole child approach and child focused curriculum. Unfortunately we have never been more disappointed in a school. Our son expressed on several occasions that he did not feel challenged and wanted to learn more. We asked to speak to administration about this four separate times and we were blatantly ignored. Our son came home with tons of arts and crafts but what was missing was the tie in to the general Waldorf philosophy or learning.We ultimately decided to move on. It's a wonderful parent community but the lack of acknowledgment from administration is really what made our final decision easy to no longer continue at OCS.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2020

My daughter is very happy in this school. OCS develops curiosity and empathy.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2019

An average school with a high focus on Arts & Crafts. Not very diverse, especially where staff is concerned. School is always trying to find new ways to get money from you. And although I do appreciate that it's a free public Wardorf School, it may as well charge a tuition fee.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2019

I'm grateful we have access to this free, public school that teaches an arts-integrated and whole child curriculum that is usually only found in the private school environment. My son has been attending this school for almost 5 years, I appreciate that my child learns not just academics using a rigorous methodology, but also that there is focus on character, that they learn about being a good steward of the environment. I can see and feel the dedication of the staff, faculty and parent volunteers.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2019

In addition to being prepared for further education in high school and the children develop a strong sense of independent critical thinking, self confidence, and concern for others.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2019

A 10/10... I am so grateful this school exists. Their focus on the whole child is paramount to a well-rounded education. It's not only about test scores or grades, but the social and emotional development of each child. I feel like we won the school lottery, literally. Once the new campus is built this will be one of the most sought after schools in Los Angeles. Visit their website and sign up for a tour to see for yourself.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2018

I find that American public education is a bit antiquated and ill preparing our kids for a modern globalized economy. That’s why I feel that Ocean Charter is such a breath of fresh air in a public school system so focused on academics and not on whole child learning. The early years are filled with a curriculum that places a lot of importance in the development of a child’s social/emotional skills. There is a heavy emphasis on the arts and language that may require some supplemental learning in math and science. Despite its short comings, Ocean Charter is by far the better alternative to other public and private schools. Ocean Charters and the Waldorf approach have been much superior to all the schools that we have looked at (and there were many). I have been completely satisfied with our experience thus far and would highly recommend Ocean Charter to those who value an education that teach children to be a well rounded and consciencous person.
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2018

Or daughter just started her 5th grade and she was warmly welcomed by other students. The community is great and so is her teachers. She is very happy at OCS!
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2018

Our son is in the first grade this year and he is doing great. We were lucky enough to get into Ocean Charter after experiencing an age inappropriate elementary school that focused way too much on academics and test scores. At just 5 years old, it was misery watching my kid get drilled and then having a letter sent home indicating that he was falling behind on literacy skills just 7 weeks into the school year. That's the reality of our kindergartens today. Not so with Ocean Charter. They take on a whole child approach and use arts integration in a real and comprehensive manner. They are a public Waldorf school where you learn academics through community building, communication and daily rhythms – and it's a great fit for our family. They must teach to CA State standards (so yes they will learn, and yes they will be tested) but what is beautiful about it is that there is no pressure to perform. My child loves school. OCS isn't for every family. They don't begin to read until first grade, (similar to Denmark and other countries) so if that makes you nervous, look elsewhere. They also offer Japanese language, culture, and arts for their students. Finally, this school is K-8 – a real gem in that if our child continues to thrive, we won't have to search for a middle school. It's a great alternative thus far. The community is caring.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2018

My child was hurt by not only kids in his classroom, but also by students that are twice his size and 3 grades above at recess. This school did nothing to keep him safe. The students in the class were so out of control, that the teachers could not get any teaching done. What a waste of time spent there!
Submitted by other on November 11, 2017

Initially my parents and I were concerned about how my sister would adjust to attending Ocean. Coming in as a transfer from another charter school in Inglewood, we worried if the complete change in demographics, teaching style, etc. would be too much too soon. Well I am happy to say she is thriving at Ocean! She really enjoys her Japanese and strings classes which are courses that were not offered at her previous school. The staff and other families here have been nothing more than warm and welcoming. Being the first college graduate in my family, I've noticed the difference quality secondary education can make and it seems that Ocean is right on track for preparing her for high school and beyond. Our only regret is that we didn't find this school sooner!
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2017

Ocean Charter offers a holistic approach that incorporates movement with learning. Compared to other highly rated public schools, I think the curriculum at Ocean is broader and more diverse which will ultimately develop more critical and creative thinking in the kids and prepare them for the 21st century. My two boys seem to be thriving at Ocean Charter and the alumni that return for events say that Ocean has well prepared them for the transition to high school.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2016

(Translated) When we found out about Waldorf Education, we were devastated to realize that we would never be able to afford this rich, artistic, whole-child experience for my children at a private school. Thanks to the dedicated teachers at Ocean Charter, who each take on several years of preparation beyond the California K-12 Teacher Credential, to become Waldorf teachers. Even the two principals are Waldorf trained Sure, there are "public school" elements, but...it's Waldorf Education for free! We are so happy to have our two children at Ocean, one at each campus. We're committed to be here when the school moves in to the brand new, unified campus in Del Rey, under construction now.
Submitted by other on January 31, 2016

I have three kids at the school and they are all thriving! The teachers and staff are all fantastic. They are committed and energetic and that is the most important relationship. I saw a previous comment below from someone complaining about administration after one month at the school. The observations in that comment are not even close to reality. If you want a well rounded child that is exposed to an amazing experience where school is a nurturing extension of family, you should go to Ocean Charter.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2015

This review has been a long time coming. My child attended OCS from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Now that he is in high school and looking toward college, I am continually reminded how grateful I am for those foundational years at OCS. The Waldorf curriculum is an arts integrated approach, which is expressed beautifully by the students at this school. They learn though singing, drawing and movement everyday. The stories they hear, the artwork they create, it lives in them. They readily show it to you in every interaction. It's such a special gift to see your child participate in these rich experiences, to have teachers who really know them as an individual and to have your child love what they do at school everyday. But don't miss out on the real gifts in attending this school. These experiences teach your child to be a lifelong learner, to stretch themselves farther then they (or you, their parents) thought they could stretch. Having moved on to high school, I see these gifts everyday in my son. He has a strong sense of perseverance, collaboration and he really wants to understand what he's studying, not just memorize enough facts to get a good grade. (His current teachers love these traits and recognize them in many OCS alumni.) This has served him in every way possible, academically, socially, spiritually. He understands the need for balance in all areas of his life and does a better than average job of achieving it. I credit his years at OCS in large part for those skills. As you consider any school for your child, just know that there are bigger things at stake in your choice than scores on standardized tests and whether your child was the first in their class to read. If you meet my son, or any OCS student for that matter, you will not notice or care about their test scores or their early literacy skills. What you will be struck by is what a well-rounded, engaged, self-reliant individual they are. I could have written this review at any time while we were at OCS, on one of our tougher days, when it would have been hard to speak about it as the cumulative experience that is was. I'm glad I waited. I'm glad I can tell you with new perspective that I would do it again. It was one of the best things we could have done to give our son the education we think he needed and deserved.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2015

My son s class at OCS is a lot like the one I went to as a kindergartener--emphasizing art, singing, stories, make-believe and outdoor play, letting kids be kids instead of rushing them to achieve academically. There's no homework, so we can actually have some family time after school and work. And instead of stressing technology, Ocean emphasizes an awareness of nature and the seasons. Kids aren't bombarded with characters and brands on T-shirts, lunchboxes, etc., because parents agree not to send their kids to school with them. It's true that parents sometimes have to request their names be added to group emails and school events could be better organized, but more important, the school is a great fit for my son. The school s test scores aren't as high as others , but then standardized testing is not something OCS focuses on. If you're a parent who will stress about whether your child is reading yet, Ocean Charter isn't for you, as it's not aligned with traditional approaches or assessments of learning. That said, the Waldorf philosophy does emphasize personal, social, artistic and moral development, and it's amazing to get access to that style of education at a public school.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2015

New to LA is was very excited to be able to send my son, 5 years old, to the kinder program at Ocean. We lasted about a month before I withdrew from the school and transferred to a another school in my area. In my opinion Ocean has championed mediocrity. There is almost a profound lack of communication between parent and school admin. In the 5 weeks we attended I did not receive one email from school admin telling us any of the happenings in the school or in my son's grade and classroom. Another problem we faced was suddenly my son got very anxious about going to school everyday. He loved his previous kinder class and school until we got to Ocean. I believe the admin has figured out how to keep kids turning 7 years in their kinder program, in most any other school these kids would be going into 1st grade. So now my small son is navigating the playground with very large boys who are socially and emotionally light years away from a typical 5 year old. And on most days it is survival of the fittest in their playground. I believe the biggest problem this school has his lack of leadership. The executive director is non existent and from what I hear prefers to be called CEO.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2014

Feel so blessed! A Waldorf inspired eduction in a public school setting- amazing! Our son is so happy- the staff is incredible, the school has a homey, natural, beautiful environment, and the children are so sweet and wholesome there. If you get in via lottery, you definitely have gotten the golden ticket!