Broadway Elementary School

1015 Lincoln Blvd.

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
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 September 17, 2024

Broadway is the rare public dual immersion (Mandarin / Spanish) school on the Westside of LA. It's an incredible environment - made that way because of the intense support from highly engaged parents who care about their students and the overall learning community. If you're considering an immersion program, Broadway is the gold standard - with excellent academics, an active community and students who are being prepared to be global citizens from the first day of school.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2024

My son is in the Spanish Immersion program at Broadway and he’s thriving! He loves his friends and teachers and we’re thrilled he’s learning to read, write and speak in a second language. He’s always practicing whenever we’re out and he meets a Spanish speaker! Im glad he’s getting this cultural experience day in and day out. The parents in our program are very supportive of one another and it’s been lovely having our kids grow up in the same cohort. Parents are very active on campus and there are many ways to volunteer and be involved. Fundraising is a big part of campus life but the fundraising events are often very fun and the kids love them.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2024

Some of the teachers and staff of this school are not sensitive to diverse cultures. They need training in cultural differences and more of a focus on teaching rather than trying to change children's cultural behaviors and attitudes. Learning about unfamiliar cultures requires more than just learning about the food they eat and holidays they celebrate.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2023

I am blown away by how wonderful the Mandarin Immersion program is at our school. My daughter has an IEP and Broadway has been nothing but supportive from day one. While I was waiting for her BII to be official, the principal granted my daughter her resource specialist to me for 5 months!!!I don’t agree with how things are measured through this website. 6/10 for academic progress when we already have a 10/10 makes us look bad when you can’t progress from 10/10.If you’re a lower performing school and you have progress, it will look like that school is performing better which is simply not the case.Bottom line is our school is outstanding because of the communication and efforts of parents and teachers. We raised $409,000 last year because our parents rock it. It feels like a private school. That being said, it requires parents to be highly involved with fundraising and volunteering. That’s what funds all of our TAs and then some.I thank my lucky stars every day my daughter attends this school.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2023

This school has a great Spanish/mandarin immersion program that has been a great opportunity for children to learn a second language. My child has learned a lot already! However, there is an obvious favoritism towards one group. There has not been enough support for the other group and the teachers have not been able to give the equal amount or time/education to all of the students. Half of the program is left with 3 TAs vs 10 TAs. It is becoming increasingly unequal, unfair, and disheartening. My mother in law attended this school when she was a young girl and many things have changed for the better but there is still an issue of discrimination it feels like. We are fighting for the education that our children deserve!!! Teachers are great but it is very obvious that they are need of support and help. And it’s sad because there is enough money for that to happen but it hasn’t been being used fairly.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2023

First -- GREAT SCHOOLS Rating Is NOT a reflection of Broadway's excellence! We're a 7 because of our "EQUITY" score... and year over year improvement score. But how do you get points for improvement year over year when your test scores are already 10/10 -- you don't. Also, it's true there is some gap between low and higher income students: low income test scores are 8/10 but the school is getting a low "equity" rating because some wokester decided that it's a "bad school" because there is a 2 point difference in the test score outcomes of the students and year over year the test scores are consistent. Yet our low income kids are outperforming other low income kids in the state by a mile!! This rating system punishes other public schools too, those for example with special ed programs of course have equity issues! And they'll get punished for it thanks to Great Schools! US News ranks Broadway 9th out of HUNDREDS of LAUSD schools and among the top 100 elementary schools in the state because it has consistently fostered a community and teaching that produces academic results! Our son is in 1st grade and has some behavioral issues that his teachers were proactive in accommodating. They've also managed playground tussles well and taken our concerns seriously. We love that this school offers homework daily, testing, and assessments and believes that students can have fun (learning songs and silly ways to remember what they do) but also perform academically, even in kindergarten. The teachers are supportive and though of course some we think are a better fit for our son than others, we don't speak any Chinese at home and have been given what we need to help him thrive. Given the dual language situation, I do a lot of work with my son at home to ensure he's on top of what he needs for his assessments, but we love that there are clear goals and resources I can use even though I don' t speak Chinese (thank goodness for Quizlet, Chinese audio clips, and technology!). The parents are amazing and volunteer in droves -- there is so much passion and support for this unique community and I highly recommend it. But know that with that are parents who are supporting their own students and reinforcing learning at home. Also, if you're out of district you can still very likely get in! 7 years ago before Braddock opened 2 Manadarin classes, there were issues with space, but now there is room even if you're coming from Santa Monica or Culver City!!
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2023

I had my child attend Broadway elementary school. They struggled for years and I went to teachers, Principal, Administrators and was told there was no issues. Even when getting the lowest scores on state assessments. Once they were diagnosed with learning disabilities the school still denied an IEP. I would caution anyone with a child with learning disabilities who doesn't already have services and an IEP. There is inequity between the two programs due to socioeconomic reasons. Since the school booster club puts donations for each program separately for the allotment for TAs it promotes inequity. There are some good teachers at the school who care. However, there is a high teacher turn over in the Spanish program. The administration does not do a good job of overseeing new or long term substitutes to teach grade level subject material. While students in the Mandarin program get into the IHP few to no Spanish Immersion children get into the IHP program at Mark Twain. I hope the school improves for the Spanish Immersion program, special education and for the unity of both programs in the future. For positives there is a lot of parent involvement with school activities, beautification, and attempts to present different cultural celebrations.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2023

Our experience being a Broadway family has been challenging. The teachers at Broadway are wonderful and the quality of instruction is excellent. Unfortunately, the two programs are not at all harmonious. The parent led booster club insists on perpetuating a fundraising system that divides assets by program, which has led to inequity and discord. The previous, as well as current Principal have been complicit in this system that has steadily been the downfall of our school community. Broadway has the potential to be a spectacular school, and we hope in the future that parents decide to support the school in its entirety.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2023

My child has zero exposure to mandarin outside of school and is completely fluent and he’s only in 1st grade! The teachers are amazing, there’s loads of cool arts and science programs, and he is thriving. Couldn’t ask for a better school and couldn’t recommend this program more highly.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2023

My daughter graduated from Broadway in 2021 and got into the highly sought after IHP (individualized honors program) at Mark Twain. To give perspective on how great Broadway is compared to our neighboring schools. During her year out of 32 spots in IHP, 16 from Broadway got in and the rest of the schools trickled in with 2-3 kids max. Mark Twain had to limit the number of Broadway students for diversity because there was too many qualified students coming from our school. My son is currently in 2nd grade at Broadway and loves the school. Both my kids are now fluent in Mandarin. Broadway's teaching methods are second to none. There is a reason for everything that teachers do to prepare your kids for future success. The alumni's of Broadway are almost always high honor roll students at their respective Middle and High Schools from what I've encountered. There's a reason we are #9 elementary school in LAUSD and have a score of 98% achievement rating.Sure Venice has homeless, but what part of LA doesn't these days? We've been going to this school for over 8 years and it's never been an issue for us, especially when I'm getting a private school level education for my kids at public school pricing with the Mandarin program. With dedicated teachers and parent community, we absolutely love our school and highly recommend anyone to come see why.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2023

We have been at Broadway for two years. Coming out of the pandemic I have found a diverse group of supportive parents and staff who have become like family. I feel my daughter is getting the quality of a private school experience and rigorous education as I did at the private school I went to. Anything the parents have a concern with is quickly addressed and made changes for.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2023

I have two children at Broadway ES Mandarin Immersion (3rd & Kinder). It has been a fantastic school, from the academics to the community and the support of the children. I live in Venice and was concerned about my kids not having neighborhood friends, but Broadway has a mix of kids that live close by and some a longer drive away, and there has never been an issue of not having friends and a parent network. My husband and I are not Mandarin speakers, but that has not been an issue, due to the level of academic support they receive at school as well as the use of Google Translate when I need to help some with homework. The school also has great after school programming on campus, so it works well for working parents.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2023

My son is in the Mandarin program for almost 4 years now. I remember that I couldn’t be sure if Broadway was the right school for him or not when we were deciding on an elementary school. I took the school tour multiple times, asking the same question to Principal Wang, because we are not Chinese speakers and my son didn’t know a word of Chinese. He went to a play based preschool for 3 years, he wasn’t much of talker(yet), but an active high energy kid. My husband and I decided to challenge him and I am so glad that we made that decision. Not only did he transition from a play based to structured setting, he made friends, loves the teachers and school, and is doing great. Now he can communicate with native Chinese speakers outside of school with very positive comments.School is challenging and we as parents needed to support our kids. But teachers provide many resources and nowadays technology provides a lot of opportunities. All the teacher he had are wonderful. I think he is very fortunate to be where he is now. Principal Wang is often seen on campus talking to students, being firm and caring. In many school events, kids are coming to show and tell her what they did, what they thought and she is responding to all of them with a smile. She is always available when we as parents have concerns, and she responds quickly and clearly. As a LAUSD school, there are rules and restrictions, budgets are tight but it doesn’t slow things down. Parents have opportunities to be involve and volunteer. And we do have great school community. I am a very proud parent of my kid who is learning to be himself while at the same time challenging himself and respecting others.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2023

Both of my kids go to this school and we love it. We live in Westchester and the drive is 25 minutes, but so worth it. The principal and teachers are all amazing. This seriously is a gem of a school in the LAUSD district. LAUSD gets a bad rep, but this school stands out above all that. I wanted my children to learn Mandarin because even though I'm a native speaker, I terrible at teaching them and speaking to them consistently. My kids knew not a lick of Chinese before they started this school. Now my 2nd grader can write traditional characters and I love to show off with my family. They are all amazed about the fact that she can write such complicated strokes. My kinder is learning so fast too. The teachers there have a method that works. They get the kids to love Chinese through songs and art. If you go to this school, just know that you are getting a quality education with high caliber teachers and a principal who works tirelessly for our childern.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2023

I had the experience of touring the school with my child when she was 3 years old. We entered classrooms which form a circle around a playground and outdoor covered lunch tables and field. I was surprised to find so many parents of current kids, volunteering to give the tour. I was afraid that getting in would be very difficult as this school was ranked top 10 in los angeles and we'd need to drive an extra few miles to attend. I also grew up on the east coat and language immersion was unheard of except for a handful of kids in a trial program (french immersion). And those kids were 100% fluent and bonded as best friends for life. I was hopeful when I heard that "everyone gets off the waitlist". That proved accurate, I was able to register directly and I know of some parents who were "last" on the waitlist and got it towards the end of the process. It is competitive because this school has 5x more years of experience doing this type of immersion program than neighboring schools. And the Principal answers your emails personally same day, knows the names of every child, and most importantly has a great repoire and know how to get funding for the school and the kids from the LAUSD school system. My child now knows more than me, reads, writes, does math in Mandarin! We are an English speaking home.Diversity: It was fascinating to see people who looked asian like my parent, speak american/cali/English like me. I started to see how many different generations of Asian Americans (of all different ethnicities) have grown up here, speaking no Chinese or Japanese themselves. Safety: When I first moved to California, ironically I lived across the street from this school. So i have first hand experience walking the dog at night and being in the neighborhood and neighboring park and never had a safety issue. It's also cool that next door is a charter school with what look like High Schoolers in uniforms. It's a whole block of school age kids.Community: the facebook page is run by parents. The parents are very passionate yet easy to get along with. The parent volunteers are a force, from taking care of the teachers, door decorations, valet drop off, fundraising, chat groups, extracurriculars - the school is a well oiled machine that runs like a tesla.Teachers: I don't see any burnout. In fact the opposite. My kid is now in Kindergarten. She has 2 teacher, they switch 1/2 way through the day. The seem to really enjoy everything they do.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2023

Great amazing school! My daughter is in 3rd grade in the Mandarin Immersion program and my second daughter will join next year in K. I can’t say enough how great the Mandarin program is. Principal Wang is an extremely dedicated Principal, she is very responsive and returns parents emails within hours. She has selected amazing, dedicated teachers who truly love teaching and children, they are hard-working and completely dedicated to dual language education: for example, this year, my daughter’s English teacher has been awarded LAUSD best teacher of the year and is California Teacher of the year finalist. My daughter still talks a lot about her teacher in K who she loves and she is excited her little sister will be in K soon. The children spend half of the day in English with an English teacher and then half the day in Mandarin with the Mandarin teacher, it is a true immersive education and they will learn everything in both languages (science, maths…). We are Caucasian and not Mandarin speakers, my daughter loves Mandarin, she not only speaks (apparently with a very good accent according to native speakers) but she also reads and writes. Writing chinese characters has developed my daughter’s fine motor skills.The school is also a true cultural experience and immerse children in a different cultural, for example, around Chinese New Year, the campus is beautifully decorated, cultural activities are organized with the help of parents… Being immersed in a totally different culture make the children more curious, more understanding and appreciative of other cultures and difference, developing empathy as well as developing their imagination, creativity, critical and creative thinking. The Mandarin Immersion program is absolutely excellent in English as well, as proved by the very high test scores in English that places the school in the top 10 LAUSD schools; half the kids in the Mandarin program are identified as gifted and the hard-working teachers are constantly adapting to all the children making sure they all learn and develop a life-long love for learning.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2023

Broadway Elementary is the BEST SCHOOL EVER!!! It is the most highly ranked bilingual LAUSD school in US News & World Report (the ones above it are mono-lingual schools). When you choose a school do take a look at the US News & Wolrd Report list- it will give you a leg up! The teachers are fantastic, hard working, lovely and they go above and beyond because they really care. Sometimes they forego their lunch time to help a student who needs them. During the pandemic our teachers gave the kids a full day of school, when many other schools only had a few hours a day of instruction. And that’s just an example. Also, you will find the hardest working and most caring principal I have ever seen. She will answer all emails, talk with you and care for your whole family! Many other principals will just ignore your emails, or they will be super nice until you actually enroll and then…. Nothing! But one of the aspects I love most about Broadway are the families that come here. We have found the community, the village, that is so important to raise our kids. The families we have met here, they are AMAZING!!! We have traveled the world with them, we care for each other when hard times hit, and we just have each other’s back and have so much fun together. We have made lifelong friends here, for us as well as for our children!! The community in Broadway is accepting, supportive, inclusive and welcoming of all. Our kids are learning two languages, in a public school, no less! What a gem! In short, Broadway Elementary gives you awesome academics and a fantastic community. BEST SCHOOL EVER!!
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2023

I strongly recommend Broadway Elementary School to the parents who are seeking public elementary schools with great academics and multicultural education programs. My child joined Broadway’s Mandarin Immersion Program in the second semester of 1st grade. After only one week, she made several new friends and told me: “I feel I fit in at this school!”. After only one semester, her speaking and written Mandarin made significant improvement. This year she is graduating from elementary school. I am so happy to see a confident 5th grader who can fluently speak both English and Mandarin and, more importantly, is proud of who she is and where she comes from.We love the teachers and staff. Our beloved Principal Wang and Assistant Principal McErlean knows every student in the school and promptly responds to parents’ emails. The teachers are kind and skillful. They successfully help the students accomplish the required studies in English in 50% of the normal school hours and the studies in target language (language, math, and history!) in another 50%!! In addition, the double speed doesn’t sacrifice the quality at all. At Broadway Elementary, 86% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 84% scored at or above that level for reading. These numbers are almost twice the state average!The afterschool program is also great for working parents. There are many enrichment classes that we can enroll in for kids: tennis, music, coding, chess, dance, …… The program also has dedicated time for homework, which really helps the kids to form good study habits - finishing homework before playtime. My child enjoys the time in the afterschool program. She even asks me to pick her up late so she can spend more time with friends there. Overall, our whole family loves Broadway. If you are interested, come and join a school tour (check the school website for dates). I am sure you will be impressed, just like me several years ago :)
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2022

We are new to the Spanish Immersion Program and have been blown away. The community has been so welcoming and friendly. It is such a diverse, international place—a real gem. The principal is on top of her game and a true leader. My daughter was nervous to spend half the day in Spanish but now says she loves learning a second language.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2022

My son graduated from Broadway a few years ago and my daughter is currently a fifth grader. LAUSD schools all suffer from the difficulties inherent in running an oversized school district. However, Broadway itself is an amazing school. My five favorite things about the school: 1) Principal Wang - She is so responsive to questions and concerns. In contrast to my son's current school, where I receive responses after a week, if at all, Principal Wang always takes less than 24 hours to respond (usually less than a couple of hours) and provides clear guidance. She is always walking around the campus greeting parents and students in the morning. I've seen her pull misbehaving students aside and she is firm but still kind in her interactions.2) Diversity - My child is in the Mandarin immersion program but benefits from the school diversity. For instance, a couple of weeks ago the school had an amazing Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month Immersive Experience that she absolutely loved.3) Teachers - As with any school, we have certainly had some teachers we like more than others. However, there is never been a "bad" teacher, and many teachers are simply phenomenal. 4) Parent community - The school has a strong culture of volunteerism which helps bring about a lot of positive change on the campus.5) Immersion - I love that my children have proficiency in a language that I'm unable to teach them myself. Although I love this school, I don't think it works for everyone. Here are things to consider:1) Rigor is high in dual language immersion programs generally. My experience with the Mandarin program is that it is pretty academic. Kids who need more flexibility in the way they are taught, who are very active, or have difficulty with academics generally may feel that the teaching style is too rigid for them.2) Parents push donations and volunteerism. These things really make the school run well. However, I'm aware of parents who feel that the ask for donations and volunters (while never required) can be irritating.