Coolidge Elementary School

421 North Mission Drive

School District

San Gabriel Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:23
Type

public

School Map for San Gabriel 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 October 14, 2022

We live in the direct vicinity of Coolidge and our daughter just started attending Kindergarten this year. Like most parents, we were nervous to see the continued drop of Coolidge's Great Schools rating and even considered the private school route, but after attending the summer kick-off and meeting teachers, teacher aides, administrators and parents within this school's community, this has been nothing short of a great experience. My daughter is happy, her lovely K teacher, Mrs. Ferrante, is so dedicated, caring and also provides a well-rounded curriculum for kids of varying capabilities. You can tell that the kids adore her and she's built a strong relationship with them. Principal Feng is involved, even going as far as knowing every child's name at drop-off and pick-up. I appreciate seeing that he spends most of his time on campus and not at his office desk. The students also know him by name and it's a great sign of his involvement.The parents at this school are involved and contribute heavily, which makes for a lovely community. I believe we can help as parents to truly impact the experience that our children can receive here! I know public schools have challenges to work through around funding and class sizes (would love to see these go down, if possible). I believe the staff are doing their best with the circumstances and we hope to see continued improvement across the campus facilities (playground equipment upgrades, in-class materials need some replacement, etc). Overall, these are things I'm looking forward to learning more about how the PTA can work together to address, but so far, we couldn't be happier that we decided to send our daughter here! We recommend you look past the rating and commit to working with the school to figuring out if this is a fit for your family.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2022

I am a student who has attended Coolidge and it was amazing for the first 3 years. Personally the teachers care about bullying but they don't do anything to stop it. In Coolidge its either you love it or you hate it, for me I loved it but now I have to deal with bullies on my own with no-one but my 4 close friends to back me up.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2022

We have been at Coolidge for 5 years now and the school is nothing short of magical. It’s a place where the parents, leadership, and most importantly educators greatly invest into the education and well being of the students. Most of the teachers have been at Coolidge for more than 10 years and some over 20 years. The teachers we have had so far have been communicative and transparent as well as dedicated and invested. A few of them have been exceptional at making sure my daughter is meeting and surpassing grade standards. They have identified where she might need one on one help but not so that she will pass her tests rather so that she can ace her tests! My son continues to excel beyond grade standards and his teachers have challenged him by offering differentiated learning and enrichment opportunities. The leadership and administrative staff have changed in the past few years and there has been a major shift in the direction of the school. Principal Feng is incredibly personable and takes the time to listen and address parent’s suggestions and concerns. He has a strong sense of leadership and I have no doubt that he will bring more opportunities to the students. The office staff has always been pleasant and helpful. The PTA is active and strong; they embrace new families and are true allies to the students and parents. My kids truly love going to school everyday and I love taking them to this safe and nurturing place we consider our second home. We feel incredibly blessed to be a part Coolidge and it’s community.
Submitted by other on January 10, 2022

The school has staff that supports the children. They truly care about the children and they also have great teachers who teach in their own ways to make school fun while also learning.
Submitted by other on December 16, 2021

The current GS score (6!) is not reflective of Coolidge. As an educator myself (I'm a UC professor, who does research on education, parenting, and mental health), I chose Coolidge as a place where my child would have high-performing peers with whom to keep academic pace, while also having real friendships and a safe, tight-knit community. This is a small, neighborhood, public school in all the best senses of those words. Teachers are dedicated, lifelong educators--there is such stability and loyalty to this school, dedication to our students. Principal Feng arrived shortly before the pandemic, and now that we are emerging cautiously out of triage/emergency mode, has exciting new programs to unveil. Staff know and care for the students by name, PTA is active and dedicated, and the values/heart of this community are in the right place. Basically, if you're looking for a schooling experience for your child that combines a healthy mix of peers doing music/golf/basketball/dance (and doing math and reading several years above grade level) with peers whose families take nothing for granted, Coolidge is that rare, perfect place.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2021

Coolidge is an example where it's worthwhile to look below the surface. Admittedly the school's rating is concerning, but based on personal experience, we feel like the education our kids are receiving is a strong one. If you dig through the data (which looks to be outdated by two years), you'll see that the part that drags down the overall rating is the Equity component. While that's an important area to address, I think there are other factors related to that, many of which are out of the school's control, that contribute to it being rated low.Every single teacher who have taught our kids so far, from kindergarten through third grade, have been great. Most, if not all, have been teaching at Coolidge for many years, but they seem to bring fresh approaches to the classroom. That's based on my observations during the COVID era, but also pre-pandemic when it was still possible to volunteer in the classrooms. My kids really enjoy the teachers, their classes, and school in general. The fact that there's excitement each morning to go to school is all you need to know about the type of environment at Coolidge.The school is smaller, which makes it really feel like a community, and the school and the PTA do a good job at creating opportunities for parents to get involved, even with all of the pandemic-related restrictions. I do take issue with one of the comments in another review that said the PTA caters to stay at home moms. I couldn't disagree more. Consider that Coolidge PTA meetings are held at 7 p.m. and on Zoom, with many events happening in the evening or on the weekends, and then look at a neighboring school PTA in South Pasadena, which hosts their in-person PTA meetings at 8:30 a.m. with many events happening right after school in the mid-afternoon. Clearly, Coolidge PTA is doing more to make it easy for all parents and families to participate. (That said, I do think the school would benefit from more parents getting involved. One of the downsides of it being a smaller school is that there are fewer parents who could potentially help out.)I'm glad we have a school like Coolidge in the neighborhood. The staff genuinely cares about being educators, which is, considering how long they've been at it, cannot be taken for granted.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2021

I have had two kids at Coolidge. One has recently graduated and one is currently still attending. We LOVE Coolidge. Growing up in private schools, I was initially worried about sending my kids to a public school. However, my fears were quickly put at ease. The teachers and staff are amazing. We have had 3 different principals during our time at Coolidge. All three have taken a great interest in helping my children succeed both academically and emotionally. The current principal is so caring. He took the time during the pandemic, when the kids were schooled virtually, to have special zoom meetings with my son. My son was struggling with the lack of social interaction so the principal asked if he'd like to "hang out" on zoom every week to chat about cool video games and other fun stuff he was interested in. My son looked forward to it every week and I loved hearing him laughing and talking about things he was interested in. Every teacher we have had from Kindergarten to 5th grade has been wonderful. Each teacher took the time to listen to any concerns we had for kids and worked with us in finding the best solutions. The families at Coolidge are so friendly. I was nervous at first to volunteer but wanted to be involved. The PTA welcomed me and encouraged me to take part in the activities the school offered. Being involved has been a great way for me to get to know the faculty and staff on a deeper level, as well as many of the other Coolidge families. I will be so sad when my youngest child graduates from Coolidge. It has served an important role in the upbringing on our children and we are so pleased we are there.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2021

Coolidge is a beautiful school in the middle of a wonderful community. Unfortunately the school lacks any kind of real leadership. Teachers have been with the school for a long time and seem to skate by. Many of the beloved teachers don't bother teaching anymore and education needs to be supplemented here with additional tutoring and outside help. Parents MUST be advocates for their children, keep an eye on their report cards and call and check in with the teacher, otherwise your student will be LEFT BEHIND. The school doesn't care. The PTA is very myopic and don't seem to have any fresh or new ideas. They also cater to the stay-at-home moms making it difficult for moms who work to participate. The shame in all of this, is that the children who come here are great. Bright, kind and welcoming. I think the biggest takeaway is if you go to Coolidge, you must be involved in your child's educational journey, you cannot trust they will care for their learning and progress. That's on you.
Submitted by other on March 11, 2021

We have had awesome teachers from K-3. I mean, really, really awesome... wonderful people that get to know your child and are invested in their education and all-around success. Having amazing lower grade teachers really sets you up for a serious shock and disappointment though when you hit the upper grades at Coolidge. The teachers in 4th and 5th grade are stunningly terrible. Yes, terrible. The kind of teachers that make you wonder why the heck they ever decided to become teachers. The teachers for these grades have little interest in the students and their education. They have no idea what they are teaching or even testing on, and there is a blind over-reliance on online packaged curriculum content (predating the pandemic). And having to try to explain this type of teacher behavior to your kids kinda stinks, especially when you don't really understand it yourself. Are we following the 7 Habits or not, Coolidge? These teachers are not setting the example, and there is absolutely no accountability. If SGUSD is really invested in success for all students, it needs to be staffed with teachers that walk the walk. It's so disappointing. Unfortunately, the current principal seems to lacks confidence/drive as well. The school needs stronger, more engaged leadership.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2013

Coolidge is an amazing school! The principal, teachers, staff, and PTA impress me every day with their dedication to the students. There are so many engaged parents. I would highly recommend this school. I like having my children attend a school where I can feel so comfortable talking to the principal, teachers, and staff. They care and it shows.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2013

Staff seems genuinely committed and involved - it's nice to see them at extracurricular events! Lot's of parent involvement! I see a lot of the same people volunteering, and I wish I could do more, but maybe it goes back to the 80-20 Rule. The PTA is ALWAYS asking for volunteers so it's not for a lack of trying. The PTA is huge at this school and provides a lot of funds for programs, supplies and events. I don't know all of the Board Members personally, it seems like a pretty diverse crowd (age & race wise), but again, it'd be nice to see some new faces and maybe a couple dads. Some of the parents seem to have a sense of entitlement; to the point of thinking they can request certain teachers. This is a public school - you get what you get and you don't get upset. It is interesting to note, that over the years I've seen at least 3 families pull their kids out to go to private school and then come back a year or two later, proclaiming that private school wasn't all that they thought it would be. At times, I think some parents are annoyed that they aren't at the school district a mile north, but can't afford the extra taxes, housing costs that moving there would entail.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2013

I have two children who attend Coolidge, and we absolutely love it! The principal is fair, professional, and knowledgeable. The staff is enthusiastic and kind. I have found that the teachers, as well as administration, work as a team with the parents for the children. My kids are excited about school and learning new things- this is a testament to the entire staff. We have been a part of the Coolidge family for several years and are very impressed!
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2013

***xxx*** Coolidge has been a great school for years. The climate of the school has been warm, inviting, friendly, and you just got a sense that this was a great place to send your kids to school. For the past few years the school seems to be changing, and I am afraid to say, it has been for the negative. Before I go on, I need to say that the community surrounding Coolidge is great. It has low crime, an educated population, good sports and extra curricular activities. Concerns: The transparency between the administration and parents is getting blurry. The school is starting to go down the path of doing what s best for the administration/staff and not what s best for the kids and the community. There is a growing concern, among current parents, about the conflict of interest, in the number of substitutes that are parents of current students, who are very active in the current PTA, even though they might be qualified to be a substitute. Positives: Coolidge has a great PTA who supports the school by funding instructors for PE, Art, and Music. The top 3 annual PTA functions for the kids are: the end of year talent show, spring festival, and the student spirit sticks. Updates to come.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2013

I don't understand any negative reviews of this school. Both my children are students here, and we find the faculty and Principal to be very professional, caring, and good at their jobs..
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2013

Be very careful about attending this school. The only good thing is the PTA; lots of parent participation and involvement. However, the administration is the problem. The principal and some of her staff are the most unprofessional people I have met. They obviously don't know how to work with children. If your child is different in any way, this is not the place for them. The administration will undermine your parenting decisions because they are not in line with what they think is "correct". If the school doesn't know how to work with your children, they will continue to send them home and suspend them rather than trying to get them back to class. They will mark your kids present for the entire day even though they have sent them home. The principal has no business being a principal at this school.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2013

This is the worse school my child has been too. Everyday when she comes home she's crying because the kids their think she's weird, she's in 5th grade and she feels just horrible. She told me the principal their doesn't like her and that other girls spread rumors about her, when she tries to talk to the girls to stop making her feel bad they just run away and scream FATY! My daughter almost cut herself on the leg but didn't because luckily I stopped her in time. I don't like this school at all for my kid.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2013

This is the second school year for my child in Coolidge Elementary school. I gave a one star rate in the first year (2011). In March 13, 2013, my child came back home with arm fracture. She was hiding from us and afraid of telling us. She was crying whole night and said she was scared. The next day, we checked with doctor, took x-ray and urgent care. We found out that her classmate pulled her hair, then came back with a pencil stabbed on her. This is the way that school and school district handled the problem. CYB. The boy is till in the class and nothing happens to him. My child have stayed in home for three weeks. The school and school district have failed to provide safety learning environment for children. Please stay close look of your child and be warn!