Braddock Drive Elementary School

We have been fortunate to have our two children attend Braddock Gifted Magnet (this is separate from Braddock Elementary which shares the same campus but operates as a separate school). We love the small school community, rigorous academics and wonderful teachers. A recent study about the school proves just how formidable our little school is: http://projects.latimes.com/schools/magnets/cst-scores/list/ This year we are seeing an increase in class size (not happy about it) but overall the quality of the curriculum and students is wonderful. With all the LAUSD budget cuts, we hope this gem of a school in a slew of mediocre LAUSD schools continues to be a beacon of light for parents looking for a great school option. Yes families come from all over and it's not as easy to have a neighborhood environment but the classroom experience for kids is top notch and each of the 4 magnet teachers is amazing. If your child is identified as a gifted or highly gifted student, this school delivers. More info at www.friendsofbraddockmagnet.org.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is really a good school.All the teachers are very nice.Staffs are very polite.My child loved this school very much.Neat and clean atmosphere.As a parent I like this school .My child does not want to miss the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I am truly grateful to have my son in Braddock's Gifted Magnet. The teachers are superb! The magnet office is fantastic! The principal is extremely dedicated and loving. If I had to identify a complaint it would be the lack of parent involvement. The school really tries to encourage involvement, but I just don't ever seem to be satisfied with turnouts. I realize that the school can only do so much to get parents to come. I get the feeling that the parent culture is a hands-off approach to schooling. If we as a school could change that culture, and get more parents involved in our children's education, we could have the shining jewel of LAUSD on our hands!
--Submitted by a parent

Unless you don't work, I would not recommend enrolling your child. I'm all for parent involvement but this school relies heavily on it due to extreme budget cuts, lack of imagination and motivation. The office staff is lazy, rude and unfriendly with a sense of entitlement. Except for just one person there, who is amazing and should be running the school in my opinion. The lack of unity in this school is apparent. There is never a sense of joy or real presence there. My child was part of the magnet program and the division in the school is clear, which I find arrogant. Not because the magnet is "better" but because their magnet program doesn't even live up to the banners on their walls. This Title I school needs a real eye opener. Your magnet kids and parents shouldn't be pulling all the weight.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has been amazing for us. We have two children at Braddock, and not a day goes by where my kids don't rave about something they have learned, the teachers they have, and the friends they have made. Having also come from private schools (like other reviewers have mentioned), we were so pleasantly surprised by the small class sizes, the VERY pristine classrooms and the wonderful resources that are present in a LAUSD school. We feel that we 'hit the jackpot' with Braddock. -- very blessed indeed. We would recommend this school HIGHLY! It has been superb.
--Submitted by a parent

Braddock Drive Gifted Magnet is an amazing program. Coming from a private school I was a bit terrified but my daughter and I both fell in love with the amazing group of magnet teachers. They are amazing!!
--Submitted by a parent

I can only speak with certainty about the gifted magnet program at Braddock, it is a wonderful opportunity for any child that is 'identified' gifted through LASUD. Like the previous comments from parents it is like giving your child a 'private school' education without the cost. My son is doing very well even with the challenging curriculum. The teachers are developing these students into the leaders of tomorrow. The students are taught 1-2 grade levels above the grade level standards for LAUSD. The principal and the staff really care about every student and it shows!!! Call the magnet office and ask for a tour...you will not be dissapointed.
--Submitted by a parent

The Magnet program is wonderful it is indeed an undiscovered gem. Small classes and gifted students create a fast paced challenging learning environment. Joyce and the teachers are superb and put the childern first. Don't make the mistake of judging the school by it appearance. It is really a diamond in the rough. The childern are very nice. The playground is well supervised and very little bullying is evedent UNLIKE Cowan Ave school in near by Westchester where bullying and disruptive students were allowed to degrade the quality of education in most classes. My daughter came into this school with potential and has really excelled. My daughter's test results were near perfect! Socially the same childern advance with each other from class to class. This allows them to develope real friendships and improved social skills. This was a real frustration with Cowan Ave School. Westchester parents please take a look !
--Submitted by a parent

Braddock Elementry has a gifted program that is far better then the private school my daughter was previously attending. Gifted children think differently then other kids and it's imperative to find a teacher who speaks their lanquage of intelligence. My daughter scored high on the CA Standardized Tests and she was able to get in. There is still room in the second and third grades as of this writing, Oct. 1, '08.
--Submitted by a parent

Regarding the Magnet program, it's an undiscovered gem. Small classes, gifted students. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade teachers are amazing, creatively adapting the curriculum, using technology to extend the learning,actively teaching at a high level. They genuinely care about the unique learning profile of each one of their students. The instuction in writing is very good. Very diverse population and the teachers capitalize on the different backgrounds and interests of the students and families. The 5th grade in the magnet is the exception, very low level of instruction, no creative assignments, and a very unpleasant class climate (bullying, name-calling, cliques, etc.). Magnet is not really integrated with the home school, except when it comes to including the magnet school's CST/STAR test results so that the home school can get out of Program Improvement.
--Submitted by a parent