Walter Reed Middle School

4525 Irvine Ave.

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:26
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 August 18, 2023

I'm noticing that most of the reviews for Reed come from IHP parents and students. We do like this school but are NOT in IHP and I notice quite a chasm between IHP and other academies. The school overall is very nice but there is not a sense of community in the other academies. Moreover, there is a stratification at this school that is very disturbing. Hard to miss that the richest kids/families are all in IHP and all other students are then scattered into different academies. Is this because only well-off families have highly gifted students or because only well off families can afford tutors and can advocate for their students? Not sure about the whys of this, but it is noticeable how much more cohesive and nurturing the IHP program is as compared to the other tracks. It also seems that they have more exclusive events including IHP parents arranging get-togethers and even a dance night on campus just for IHP students. An exception to all of this though, Walter Reed has an amazing music program that is a feeder school into North Hollywood H.S.'s music studies. If your child is interested in music or already plays an instrument and wants to continue on, this is definitely the school for you. The classes are amazing and the opportunity to play an instrument priceless. This is where you'll find community outside IHP.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2022

My son had a great experience at Reed MS.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2020

Dedicated teachers were extremely responsive to both my child's academic strengths and needs. Homework levels varied, but were overall manageable. Teachers were individually strong in their respective subjects.
Submitted by student on September 29, 2020

Overall it’s been a pretty good experience.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2020

Surprisingly strong academics. A bit heavy on the homework side, but preferable to a bored child. School also has advanced programs.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2020

We came from outside LAUSD and although the bureaucracy has been pretty amazing, I am otherwise really impressed. Experienced, skilled teachers. Challenging work in the IHP program and art. My child even likes PE! They are handling COVID schooling at home really well I am very grateful for this program, which is finally meeting my child’s needs. NB another review says everyone in IHP has tutors. We don’t know anyone with a tutor for schoolwork. That said I know quite a few people who do serious work outside of school and in the summer. Lots of academic classes via CTY, enrichments, heavy music lesson rotation, early SAT practice etc.
Submitted by parent on September 18, 2019

6th Grade child at WRMS IHP. I could not be happier. Teachers are really strong and get respect. P.E. is an hour a day. Music is a high priority and rigorous but fun. I wish every school had an IHP. The community is focused on making sure the kids get a great education at the level that they need without being bored or held back. Could not be happier (wait I already said that). Go Wolves!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2019

An absolute nightmare. The very first day the school was filthy. Garbage everywhere and food on the walls. Dirty. Smells like mold and mildew after rain. Teachers who are protected by unions are not doing their jobs properly and take out their frustrations on the kids. The demographic chart above is completely inaccurate as is the 27:1 child to teacher ratio. Try 36-38:1. This used to be a great school. Those days are long gone. Talk to other parents, do online research about specific teachers and you will see. What an absolute disappointment. As for the few at Walter Reed who actually do their jobs and are good at them, go to another school before the reputation of this one rubs off on you.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2018

I was very happy. My kid had his ups and downs (like any kid), including a bullying incident and requests for intervention with kids/teachers but it all came out really well.
Submitted by other on June 01, 2018

twice my child was sent to the hospital by bullies and neither bully was held accountable. Depressed my child into a breakdown
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2018

Never ever had so much parent/school communication whatsoever on the most rediculous of things, does not cater to learning differences well AT ALL. Not all children learn the same way and some may need some extra attention than others does not change the fact that they are any less Intellegent. Most cases they are even more intellegent because their own teacher cannot keep them stimulated. Oh and let’s not forget a PE teacher who gives essays for homework as if all of the core classes homework wasn’t enough. Also if your not good at being athletic expect a D or an F. Since when do you get a grade based on how fast you can run.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2017

Our son is in the STEAM honors program. He is challenged and has appropriate homework and project for assignments. He has also been on some great field trips. The teachers great a positive environment and Ms. Gamba the principal has a good presence on campus. I highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2017

Overall, we are pleased with this school--it's clean, safe with good parental involvement. Here are our observations about the IHP program:1. Rigorous program for highly gifted students--worth it if you can get in.2. Be prepared to be solicited for a lot of contributions. Each family is expected to give at least $500. Well worth the price of tuition but not appropriate at a public school. Each semester families are asked to give extra money to each teacher. You can opt out of course but for those who opt in and sign their names to the cash gifts, it's just in time for teachers to be posting grades. Never sat right with us and Friends of IHP disagreed with out concerns. 3. Lots of homework but not busy type of homework. Assignments are a much higher grade level, and the students do a great job. 4. Almost every IHP student has at least one subject tutor. 5. Student diversity in IHP is way below LAUSD average. 6. Students are motivated, over achievers. Most of them communicate and interact at a very mature level. 7. Teachers are very talented, especially Ms Sofio and Mr Graham. Wish we had more of them! However, some teachers don't want to help students who struggle in a subject or fall behind. For instance, after a bad grade in a class the teacher would not meet with us or respond to emails with questions about how we could help. And our child received even less attention after that. Conclusion: IHP is an excellent program but beware of the exclusive atmosphere. Other notes: both our kids love this school, and we're glad we sent them there. They made a lot of strong friendships, learned a lot, matured, went on great field trips, etc. We frequently recommend Reed (IHP and other programs) and appreciate that there is such a wonderful public school in our community.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2017

We had a terrible experience at this school. I would not recommend it.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2016

This school is very clean inside and outside. The Plant Manager works very hard daily and is helpful to all staff and students. The principal Mrs Gamba is as nice as they come and honors her role as leader of the campus. As all LAUSD schools, the district still has budget issues and all staff is worked to their limits to keep the students education,safety and cleanliness its top priority. At Reed, they do the job. keep up the great work
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2016

Walter Reed Middle School is a wonderful place, especially if your child is part of one of the Small Learning Communities. The teachers are high quality (with few exceptions) and having experienced other schools, I feel comfortable saying that the quality of education is one of the finest in the district. Not only that, but overall the student body is kind and accepting of all types of children which is a major accomplishment at the middle school age. My child had an excellent experience and grew academically and emotionally while a student here and I am pleased that my second child has just started here as well. They also have a wonderful music program (choir and instrumental).
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2016

I had high expectations for Walter Reed. I had heard positive things about it from other parents. Additionally, I had a good experience with the school in the past with my son. Unfortunately, I would not say the same thing about this school today.The past three years have been terrible to say the least. Most of the teachers seem overwhelmed and unable to provide simple communication on my child's progress. I have made repeated attempts to contact teachers, but seldom were any of my calls returned. Additionally, the academic rigor is not what I would have expected for a gifted student. Most importantly to me though, is the fact that my daughter was not treated with respect or compassion by many of the people working in the school. I was continually shocked at the way my daughter described how some of the teachers spoke to the students. I would like to say these are my only complaints, but the complaints are too numerous to mention. However, my biggest complaint would be the school counselor, Ms. Gianni . She was discouraging and rude. She seems to think it is acceptable to point out the flaws in kids, rather than, building up their self-esteem. She was disrespectful to me as a parent and made the past 3 years the worst of my daughter's education. I regret not sending my daughter to a different school when I had a chance. There is little effort made in going above and beyond what is expected of them as a school. However, I will make a few exceptions to this statement... Mr. Zwiers tutors kids in his own free time. He was always available after school and went above and beyond what was expected of him. Ms. Bugjik makes learning interesting for her students. She also shows the students that she cares. Mr. Seguro (the vice principal) is student centered and kind. This school could be a good one again ,but they will need to set their standards higher as a school.
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2016

The staff, parents and students strive to work together in a united force, with opportunities for enrichment and support for the full population. Having seen 7 years of students cycle through the school with multiple siblings, we are thrilled to see WRMS continue to develop into an institution of high learning standards, community support and inclusion. It is refreshing to see a staff and parent support that offers communication for all stakeholders willing to get involved. It certainly takes a village. It would be nice to have larger numbers of parent volunteers involved in campus support, however, the dozens of dedicated parent leaders we have witnessed certainly have raised the bar for student support over the past several years. Parent efforts throughout the school have also found support from the current administration, working above-and-beyond in their care to create open communication and inviting all stakeholders to get involved. We appreciate the dedicated staff who give focus attention to student development and care to offer a variety ways to support various kinds of student learners. The school day and after-school enrichment programs, and yearly activity planning efforts are marvelous. Keep up the great work! Thank you from the grateful parents of 2016 8th grade graduating class .
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2016

This is a wonderful school led by a fabulous principal. They have excellent academies for their SLCs (Smaller Learning Community): Environmental, Technology, Humanities, STEAM, Culinary and of course IHP (Individual Honors Program). And their music program is outstanding!! Highly recommend Walter Reed Middle School!
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2016

There's just something wonderful about Walter Reed. The music program is terrific. The musical has a pit orchestra populated only with 7th and 8th grade students. Not every teacher is great but the majority of the teachers are and I have never meant a staff more caring about the students. The administration is very accessible and they work hard to keep the school's character and excellence alive. My child knows students in different grades and academies and feels very much at home there.