Calahan Street Elementary

18722 Knapp St.

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

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 December 13, 2024

All four of my children attended this school with the last one finishing 5th grade in 2023. The teachers my children had were remarkable and to this day we still have a close bond with some Teachers. Principal Wells is a warm and strong leader and cares for all her students. My kids still miss her. My kids loved being a part of the GATE program for gifted students. They also have intervention groups for kids falling behind in Math and reading. They have an excellent special education department that provided my sons with speech and social skills. They handled the global pandemic online incredibly well considering online wasn't the norm for them. The school is truly a friendly and safe community for kids.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2020

Calahan is a fantastic school. Teachers, parents and alumni all speak well of it. My daughter loved her teacher and this school. She learned so much
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2020

I am beyond impressed and happy with the way how the Calahan staff and online learning was handled here. After hearing a few other parents and other schools, and how disengaged the teachers were or just “whatever” about the online instruction, I could tell Calahan was not. They really did go above and beyond for my child to be able to still learned and kept parents updated with all the updates. Our teacher made herself available no matter the time for any questions and made sure to keep the kids engaged no matter what. I am really happy with this school and do not understand why it is not rated higher. The current challenge has not been easy on our kids education but Calahan has really proven to really care about the education of our kids even through obstacles.
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2020

This is an exceptional school. The staff and teachers are warm and helpful. They care about the students. My boys go to Calahan and they have succeeded all expectations academically.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2019

Two of my sons attended kindergarten at Calahan, both had a great experience for which we are extremely grateful, specially after not having a good experience at another elementary school that my oldest attended to during his kindergarten year. But this second time around in Callahan, I noticed a slight decline, I witnessed bullying when I didn't witnessed it the first time. I found out a teacher feeds the wildlife which invites critters and animals into the yard, too close to the kids for comfort and no one is supposed to say or do anything about it. The principal is nice but sometimes non existent, I know the school has lost several activities and enrichment experiences throughout the years but have been replaced with activities, like weekly assemblys, etc that are just a waste of time and that teachers nor kids are happy about, but nobody dares to complain. I also noticed how a few of the personnel in the office can be rude and unkind to parents, sometimes even to kids, while most of the teachers and administrative personnel are wonderful, caring, respectful, and really providing a great environment and experience for children to learn and for parents. We love Callahan, we just hope these issues can be addressed for the sake of the children attending the school. And truth be told, if parents would care enough and invest time and care in their children, this school would be a top school, it already has amazing teachers and staff doing an incredible job.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2019

Excellent! We reccomend it to everyone!! All of my son's teacher have been phenomenal!
Submitted by parent on October 13, 2017

Great school and great teachers, blessed to have my kids go there.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2017

Calahan has been a great place for our children. It's a wonderful community school with excellent teachers and staff who seem to do a great job teaching the kids to respect each other as well as treat each other with kindness and support. Feels like a good old fashioned community school.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2016

Calahan Charter School in Northridge, Ca. has a red ant investation on the yard where the children play and they are biting the children. My daughter was bitten several times on her legs with pictures to prove it. A woman who works in the office at Calahan Charter was advised of their red ant investation on the yard and they are biting our children. Her response, "The kids just need to stay away from that area. Or, how can they bite you if you're wearing shoes?" I guess she dosent realize ants crawl. She was more concerned with debating the issue with zero sympathy or concern than offering up empathy and construction plans to correct the problem. How can the children stay away if they are unaware. I suggested a warning sign be posted and extermination to take place. So far nothing has been done and the children continue to be bitten by these red/ fire ants which indicates the schools lack of concern for the children's well being. Other children have complained and others still unknowingly playing in that area. Some are even kicking the ants which land in their faces per witnesses. The schools lack of concern in moving forward on the issue is unforgivable. To know they do not have our childrens best interest, safety, health and protection as a priority is umsettling. If nothing is done very immediately, I'm moving forward to the districts superintendents office and others.
Submitted by parent on November 24, 2015

my daughter has attended this school for a few years now. and this has become the worst school as far as the teachers really caring about your child's education.things are just to hard if teachers have to help a struggling child ,they complain about how it effects them and continues to give bad report cards with out any solutions and ideas to help this little girl. Really sad that she just being pushed a side like she is a problem.this is a school where your child will be left behind.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2015

This school is amazing it has many fun events feild trips also kids thriving and learning and it also has great kind teachers and kind staff and a safe campus
Submitted by parent on December 27, 2014

Calahan WAS a wonderful school! THE TEACHERS ARE WONDERFUL EDUCATORS AND THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT OUR SCHOOL AND ALL THEIR STUDENTS. Since Dr. Jacob left it has gone downhill. EVERYTHING that made Calahan special has been taken away by the current administration and LAUSD! Teacher morale is at an all time low! The new administrator and LAUSD has done everything in their power to make sure that teachers do not speak up or 'cause problems' for all of the changes! I have had three children culminate from Calahan with wonderful experiences. My youngest child is in 2nd grade and has been looking forward to experiencing all the things her older siblings got to do. However, those have all been taken away. The PE program was exceptional, but Maltez has made it very clear that a "small drop in the API score clearly needs to be addressed and perhaps more time has been spent on physical activity." However, what he failed to mention was that most scores throughout LAUSD had fallen. Calahan had many traditions for many years and those are no longer available. I just wish that the LAUSD cared to learn more about the students and their community before taking away from their learning.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2014

Principal Jacob was a horrible principal! As a parent, I am thrilled that she is now retired and away from our children. Our school system deserves supportive, enthusiastic, and positive facilitators. A school principal is the primary leader in school building and unfortunately Principal Jacobs did just the opposite. She was not an effective leader and she cared less about the needs of her constituents. Her views and opinion on education were preconceiving and biased. Great principals take responsibility for school success! Great principals lead teaching and learning! Hopefully she looks back from her experience as an administrator and regret some of the subjacent decisions she had made. So long Jacobs! Enjoy your retirement! Our kids are now free from your academic restraints!
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2014

This is a great school with a wonderful staff and caring teachers. I was blessed to get my daughter in this school this year. She starteed K, her teacher is Mrs. Keith and I can tell you that within a week my daughter is already rhyming. Love the school, love the staff and teachers> THank u Calahan for making parents want to bring their children to ur school.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2014

This school's administrations is disappointing ... They don't help you at all...they accepted my child for kindergarten, after attending the first day...I receive a phone call at my work from the principal stating my child could no longer attend this school. I was VERY upset!!the following day I went to the school asked to speak to the principal, they made me wait for more than an hour to tell me she didn't have time to talk to me. After all that time being there I just saw all the staff chit chatting and standing around really doing nothing.
Submitted by teacher on August 05, 2014

Calahan Community Charter is a stellar school with a caring staff, supportive parents, and remarkable students. I feel blessed to be a teacher at Calahan! Visit our school website to learn more. :) www.calahankids.org
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2014

This school is great. I thought about private school for the first years of my childs schooling but after kindergraden I was beyond happy with the teachers and shes been there since. This school is better than some private schools, top notch teachers!
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2014

Well this was my first year, first son, first kindergarten ever, I'm a young parent, wife and I work full time, so we go home tired. this school has the option of YMCA [heard they are great and they look great]. Ms Cohen was awesome, my kid has some authorities issues, and she help many times calm him down, she was amazing. Kindergarten = Addiction,sustraction, reading ...WOW you guys were great!!! I think we are ready for first grade. Office Staff , seen then once or twice they look kinda lost...but they were nice. About the principal just seen her for events, BUT they have a lots of events, so it make me feel involve... Math nite, loved guys. Fridays yogurt.... Cant wait for next year. Keep the good work calahan staff !! PE also great, we found coach at local costco and he recognize my kid, we have a small talk. Awesome guys
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2014

Our 12-year old son went to school here for all of elementary school and now our daughter attends the first grade. It is our neighborhood school and we love it. The teachers and office staff are great and very welcoming. Also, the after school enrichment program is awesome. No complaints.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2014

I almost did not consider this school at all based on the 6 out of 10 rating here (though I see it is an 8/10 on other sites), and the last two reviews make this school sound terrible...however, I found it to be the exact opposite when I went on a tour. From what I can tell Calahan Elementary looks to be an outstanding school that is more deserving of a 10 rating. Granted I have only done the tour, but I am more than sold on this amazing school and all that it has to offer, and cannot wait for my daughter to be able to attend next year. Not only are the teachers, staff and principal warm, friendly and welcoming, but they obviously value methods of positive reinforcement, and a well rounded curriculum that caters to the development of the "whole" person rather than seeing students as just a test number result. I was also very impressed by the atmosphere on the campus between students as well. I found Principal Jacob to be accessible, knowledgeable, caring, and most importantly taking steps towards a positive progressive model of project based learning. Along with academics, they offer weekly PE, art, music, and gardening, along with many field trips, AND the library is OPEN.