Whittier Elementary School

1320 Northwest 75th Street

School District

Seattle Public Schools
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

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 July 30, 2024

Excellent administration and caring teachers with an active and engaged community. Whittier has great leadership and that makes all the difference. What makes this school special is the performing arts, visual arts, and physical education specialists and great academic supports that the community supports.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2023

Our daughter went a while at this school and it's about the politics! My daughter was beaten up 3 times in one week. I met the principal in the hall and they turned around and walked the other way, avoiding me, which angered me as I called out their name. Finally after nothing was done about my daughter being beaten up 3 times in one week, we pulled her out and put her in private school, where she got the best education because she could focus on schooling rather than being beaten up! She felt safe & we're glad we pulled her out. She was/is much happier and was a straight A student after that in every grade!
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2022

Last year was our first year at this school and in this neighborhood. Fantastic community and support/involvement from parents. So far have loved the teachers.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2021

We had a terrible kindergarten experience at this school. My child had a developmental disability and was continuously pulled out of class and isolated for not being able to do his work. The staff and leadership were more interested in pushing my child out of the school than in helping them or providing assistance. I have talked to other parents and know that my child is not the only one this has happened to. Staff looks the other way while this happens for fear of retribution.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2019

2018/2019 was the best year so far. Previous years were hard, but I’m writing this review because I think the leadership is making a big difference and we have some wonderful new teachers. Parent community and financial support are STRONG!
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2018

It just feels unhappy a lot of the time. Recent climate survey was down 40 points and in the fifty percentile. I want my teachers to be happy and confident.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2016

Our son is thrilled to go back to Whittier this fall. As a struggling student, he's had the chance to work with top notch, committed teachers who keep us informed of his progress and relentlessly encourage his growth. The principal has been accessible (she hosts morning meetings about once a month and is responsive to e-mail) and the staff passionate and smart. We feel so lucky to be a part of this community and appreciate the leadership and vision from the principal who has made the school the wonderful place it is.
Submitted by parent on March 11, 2015

I'm not certain how some of these negative comments are reflected in reality. Whittier is an EXCELLENT elementary school! My son has attended for six years and loved just about everything about it. Every single teacher he's had has been top-notch; Whittier's test scores are above both the Seattle and state averages; and the administration has addressed every single issue (and we've had very few). To say bullying is condoned is patently ridiculous. Now, if you're expecting a private school experience for $25K a year, you'll probably be disappointed. But as far as public school performance is concerned, Whittier is excellent.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2015

I attended UW's MIT program and interned in a number of SPS elementary schools over the course of '05-'08, which set my high expectations for public schools. The test scores and demographics online make Whittier look like a great school. Unfortunately, Whittier has been nothing but a disappointment since our arrival: terrible for new families not entering through kindergarten--little orientation or effort made to properly place students in leveled programs; the school had a high turnover of principals in the last 5+ years, over which time the parents and PTA gained too much power in the school and the teaching staff became dysfunctional and feudal, per the current principal; veteran families are better equipped to navigate the strong vs. weak teachers; and most glaringly: the school tracks the kids at the end of kinder with no hope of movement up or down (assessment and teacher recommendation dictate initial groupings, but then the kids are stuck. No kids move down to avoid parental upset, which means no kids can move up. New kids are just plopped in groups with minimal data and then stuck.); the Spectrum students and local affluence are what inflate the scores for this school.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2014

Whittier has outstanding demographics and a very involved parent and community base. Both of my children are in the Spectrum program at Whittier, and I never imagined I would be so pleased with a public city school. Whittier is a fine example of what city schools can be like again in good neighborhoods in the post-busing era. My youngest is taking up the unicycle now, making her a real Whittier Wildcat.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2014

Whittier is a great school, and my child is very happy here. She is doing well academically and socially. Parents are very involved at this school, with a strong PTA (I really don't understand the reviewer who said most parents work and are not involved and use the school as a babysitter? Not true in the slightest, what an insulting thing to say to working parents like myself). Parents just raised a huge amount of money for the the PTA fund, and are welcomed at the school. My daughter has had good teachers, and like at any school some have been stronger than others. Her current teacher is amazing. We also have a strong principal and I've found her to be very receptive. Like all schools in North Seattle, Whittier is facing an overcrowding problem, but we are using creative solutions to address this.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2014

Ten years ago this was the school to get your kids into. I knew parents at the top private schools who pulled their kids out of Seatte County Day and UCDC once they got into Whittier. No more. It has a negative culture that is about punishment, humiliation, and exclusion. Too bad. Also it is a mostly working class school and many working class parents look at school as free babysitting. The problem is the involved parents left, so most parents work and do not check up on the rude staff and burnt-out teachers. Or worse the burnt out over worked parents seem just as negative to their kids.. So they accept this type of mediocre education environment. While I choose this school for all three of my kids, if I was enrolling a child today, I would look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on December 23, 2013

I so agree with the above poster about administration being rude. I have found so much rudeness in that schhol, among some teachers, staff and certainly the office staff and administration. It's seems to be part of the culture of Whittier, at least part of Whittier. So disappointing.
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2013

upset about the poor response and rude attitude from the admins. The admins promised to call me back regarding the matter caused by school or district before noon but never did. I ran to the school in person. My appearance made the administrator no choice but reported this matter to the principle. The principle said that was error caused by the computer's glitch, even though the accurate information was appeared on the district s website and the official mail sent from the district, and was confirmed by the district s operator when I called earlier. Another officer even reminded the principle that matter maybe a simple mistake by the wrong label attached but the principle ignored an idea. I wish I did record our conversation so to reveal her rudeness. I couldn t leave the school with an unfinished because the hard feeling my kid might be encountered when she was being excluded from the program and away from her old friends. After waited for 2 hours with two little kids had no lunchat the office, the principle gave a mercy and made a call to verify my kid s status and put my kid back to the right program. As simple as it seems that people with power plays the game.
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2013

Continued.. I simply asked for the solution since the school started the following day (the notification was sent out on Saturday so that left me one day only to get things straight before school started). She said it took a few days to verify my kid s status because everybody was busy. She even commented Parents took whatever the school gave . Couldn't she try to have more senses about the kid's feeling when the kid's friends and other parents see her walked to the different program! What if the kid cannot go back to the program because every spot was taken. The whole conversation made me feel that no sincere feeling from her.