Topanga Elementary Charter

22075 Topanga School Road

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
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 other on February 10, 2024

This school is awful, they let me get bullied to the point where I had to leave the school, my friend gets harassed, and they just tell them to not talk. They haven’t removed a student who harassed other kids from the school , they also haven’t removed a kid who took a photo of his private part and showed students of all genders. This school experience was horrible for me and I hope they take action, and remove threats from this school experience. - a student that went here tk to 4th and apart of 5th.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2022

We absolutely love Topanga! Topanga is not just a school but a school dedicated to the arts, science and wildlife. My daughter is surrounded by the beauty of the oak trees and mountains vs a concrete jungle. I am also amazed daily on how much her vocabulary, reading, spelling and math skills grow.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2021

Topanga Elementary is a fantastic school. We have one child who just graduated 5th grade this past year and another child there currently, having moved him from a private school into TECS. If you are looking for a small-ish elementary school full of caring teachers and staff, an enthusiastic and effective principal, a supportive and engaged community of parents- and a school located in one of the prettiest settings in all of Los Angeles, look no further. From the science hikes, incredible musical theater program, impressive art program, band program- and the list could go on, this is a true gem. I wish that it continued through middle school!
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2021

Topanga Elementary epitomizes Topanga- beautiful, bucolic, quaint, tight-knit, charming... the teachers are beyond wonderful (especially during this crappy year), the new principal is rad, and all (most) of the parents in the community are very involved. I'm so sad that my daughter (who started here in TK) graduated this year, and that we have to move on.
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2021

TECS is the heart of the Topanga community and I am so proud my kids are able to experience the same school where I grew up some 30 years ago. The teachers and staff care tremendously, and now under the astute and enthusiastic leadership of Principal Kevin Kassebaum, will continue to flourish.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2021

All three of our children went here from K-6, and we just completed our family's 12th year at the school.A true country gem -- such a beautiful setting in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with parkland right behind the school for science hikes. Fantastic theater and arts programs, super supportive and kind teachers and staff. Can't recommend highly enough. Had friends bring their kids to Topanga Elementary after a disappointing experience at Viewpoint, and they kept saying how much better they liked Topanga Elementary (and $30K less per year!)
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2021

We had two children graduate this school (my youngest, just two days ago). We spent thirteen years with this very special community. The arts programs are phenomenal. The teachers all care so much. I only wish it were K-12. Can’t recommend this elementary school more.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2021

It’s an amazing community school. We have 2 kids here, and have been at the school for 7 years total, going on 8. It is the heart of Topanga and we are so lucky to have such a close knit group of students and families. The teachers are so caring, and have strong ties to the community as well. The parent organization / booster club is very active and hosts lots of fun events for the kids. It’s the best decision we ever made and I’m sad to have to leave! I wish we had a middle school!!!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2020

We have had 2 kids here and really love the community feel. The teachers really care about the students and there is excellent parent involvement from a majority of the parents. There are some that do not participate as much, but it seems to balance out. The new principal seems to have some very good and progressive ideas; is very invested in the school and is open to listening to parents/new ideas. Having a school in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains is such a huge advantage for the students. I wish the teachers would take more advantage of outside learning - nature based learning. We have been extremely happy and love our community school!
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2019

My children have thrived at Topanga Elementary
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2019

Its a great local school and community. It cant possibly be all things to all people, but it does a great job representing the middle ground of the broader community. Our children have enjoyed it and, with some parental influence, have left well prepared for middle school.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2019

If I could go somewhere else I would. The majority of the teachers are great, but the principal is lazy and doesn’t care. If your child has a learning disability go somewhere else because this school doesn’t have anyone qualified to work with them.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2017

Its a mixed bag, with lots of infighting between parent groups, territorial fights between the principal and teachers, territorial battles between parents and teachers and teachers vs teachers. Focus on your student and their experience, but don't get involved in the school as a whole, it is a mess.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2017

This will be the fourth year my two daughters have attended Topanga Elementary and I couldn't be happier. The school fosters community, allowing a naturally involved group of parents, students, teachers, and staff and the mutual relationship allows kids to flourish. Before Topanga, my girls were in a Montessori preschool and, unknown to us, one of them has a different learning style that was not fostered or even brought to our attention the three years we attended. At Topanga we realized the help we needed. The teacher and school immediately offered to help with an IEP.Topanga Elementary is also supported by a parent-driven fundraising committee, with all proceeds going back into the enrichment of the kid's education - no private charter companies managing this group.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2017

I fondly call it the Hippy Training Academy, and it is a trul remarkable school, for families as well as students. The setting is so unusual -- nestled in amongst the trees, with trails you can walk to get to school, and all a short drive from the urban mecca of Los Angeles. The education is so rich, with science, PE, art instruction, a musical theater production, teacher's aides in every classroom, and the most engaged parent community you're likely to find anywhere. I'm not sure how to make it happen, but in my next life, I hope to come back as my own child, attending Topanga Elementary.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2017

with 4 new and great teachers, the school is poised for great things. It's a great community experience. Great heavy parent involvement
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2017

My son has been a student at Topanga Elementary since Kindergarten. He was on the younger side of the kids in his classroom, and the school invited him (with our permission) to join the Friendship Club, which met once a week and focused on how to socialize. It really helped him integrate into the classroom. We've had 3 great teachers in a row, though I know at some grades there is a disparity between the quality/approach of the teachers--leaving some families feeling like their kid got the "bad" teacher of the two. Our principal, Steve Gediman, is a capable administrator and genuinely cares about the quality of the school and the education. That said, there still seems to be a few long-time teachers who are resistant to change & the perception is that they stand in the way of some of the progress the school could make. However, this is the exception rather than the rule. The parent involvement is off-the-charts amazing. If you show up & get involved you will meet so many families and create a wonderful social component to your experience with the school. School is good at communication IF YOU READ YOUR EMAIL. There is a weekly "Friday Focus" which details all major events at the school, and changes to the school schedule (holiday, early dismissal, etc). There is also a weekly assembly before school on Fridays, where parents can learn about some of the key events at the school, see presentations of class projects, etc. They have a decent after-school program (STAR) for K-5, or kids 2-5 can stay for the Beyond the Bell program, both til 6 pm. Ideal for working families. For the recommended $100 per kid per month donation to their fund, you get a LOT: teacher's aides, dedicated PE teacher, Science teacher--with monthly outdoor classroom experiences on the large campus, Art Trek program, Classroom Size Reduction teacher (as needed, above and beyond what district will fund), Planet Bravo tech education program, etc. For involved parents, this is a great fit. As with anything, if there is a situation that needs attention, you are your own best advocate--when we had an issue a couple years ago, we called the office and they set up an in-person appointment with the Principal and our teacher. While their approach to resolving wasn't what I would've directed them to do, the problem was resolved satisfactorily. All in all, really great school.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2017

We had a short experience at this public school, when we moved to Topanga Canyon from Ojai as outsiders, trying to get closer to our employer, not knowing anyone and trying to integrate after Christmas break. My daughter is eight; in third grade; pretty outgoing and has moved a lot and wanted to try it out. The school seemed like a good fit for us and had great reviews. I went to public school and we decided to try this one out, since people had said good things. She did well for the first two weeks, until a group of third grade girls banned her from their group; they were talking about boys' private parts and my daughter was appalled and told them it was inappropriate, so they banned her from their group. She had no friends and apparently there wasn't enough adult involvement for any of the teachers to know what was going on. She would come home from school every day and say that no one talked to her and that she couldn't make any friends. I found it odd that there wasn't an ambassador or a kid in charge of helping out the new kid; we've moved a lot and never had this trouble before. I emailed the teacher twice and left a message at the office, and no one ever got back to me. The principal never called me back either. We decided to move back to our quaint little private school and home in Ojai. I guess you have to know people to have an advocate for your child at this school. Of course, three months later, I'm still getting all the teacher's mass emails and mass texts, but no one ever had the time to call me personally. I wasn't impressed and have no plans to send my kid back to a public school.
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2015

We had an amazing first year at the school. The male teacher that has been mentioned before is fantastic. Our daughter thrived in his class and adored him. I volunteered myself and got to watch his approach. He is humoros, highly intelligent, creative and teaches kids the right amount of discipline. he treats them as intelligent human beeings and challenges their minds, by asking intelligent questions that encourage them to think rather than repeat. It is a true gift to have a person like him as your first teacher in Elementary School!
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2015

My son was in the male teacher's kindergarten class and I have nothing but the highest praise and appreciation for him and the school overall. I volunteered in the class every week and was able to witness, first hand, the academic rigor and peer socialization that he received in the classroom and at school. By the beginning of Spring, every child in the class was reading on his/her own and writing paragraphs. Most impressively, the teacher cultivates intellectual curiosity among the students by engaging and challenging them to understand the meaning behind the stores they read rather than just memorizing the content. As an educator myself, I appreciated his pedagogy because it fostered critical and analytical thinking not just rote learning.I also appreciate the tremendous efforts that the school and parents put into fundraising so that we have a teacher's aide in every class in addition to full-time science and physical education instructors. I have no problem contributing my dollars and own sweat equity to raise funds so that my child and all the children can have a high quality educational experience at Topanga Elementary. The ethos of the school fosters a sense of community and collective responsibility for all the children not just your own. I lived in Topanga for a decade but it was not until my son started kindergarten here that I felt immersed in the community.