Herbert Hoover High School

Hoover is a pretty good school if you are enrolled in the AP or honors programs. There's a pretty big difference between AP classes and regular classes in this school. My regular classes have a handful of desperate, loud students seeking attention by being rude. My honors and AP classes are full of students who are committed with their school work and at the same time are very easy to get along with. Beware of the terrible math teachers in Hoover!
—Submitted by a student

The cleanest , more secure school and clean record in the whole other schools . we had a bad experience last year in private school ,so after search, we found Hoover high school is the best for my daughter .because teachers are polite , more understanding,more patient and the most important thing no discrimination between A's student and lower student .
—Submitted by a parent

we thought this school was going to be great, but my sister has had the worst experience so far with the kids. She has been the victim of terrible racism and is constantly made fun of for her skin color and how she looks. It's crazy that this is going on, she just moved in with me from Ohio and is a very nice straight A honors student, the parents of these children should be very embarrassed.

This is a nice school in a beautiful city with great people. Low crime area with high standards. A lot of Armenian kids which is a plus.
—Submitted by a parent

This school tops off about all the schools in the GUSD. I have been to Clark High School, Glendale High School, and the best one is Hoover. Hoover offers so many AP classes that the other schools do not offer. Hoover also offers the BETA and VAPA program which are special awards for students who take at least 5 simesters of a business class or arts. This school is the only school in the GUSD that offers 'Virutal Enterprise' which is a great class for students to learn about businesses today and gets you prepared for the real world. Unfortunatly the only dowwnfall to this school is the construction. It has been said it wil be done by the start of the 09-10 school year but we are not sure. Overall If you live in the Glendale/La Crescenta you should attend Hoover High School.
—Submitted by a student

Unfortunately after many visits to this hi school & being involved with other parents, I have to say that there's the minimum standards in any possible category for this hi school. students smoking, gambling & using lots of profanity during & after school hours is a regular . This school definitely needs lot more attention, either from staff & parents as well.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a former student. I have subsequently done quite well, partly because of the great education that I received in this school. I know other past students who have done quite well as well. The bottom line is: This school is great; however, like anything in life, if one does not put in the effort, one will not succeed. All the problems listed in these reviews are irrelevant. I think that if one is willing to work hard, one can definitely flourish in this school. If one is disinterested, one will not do well. I wish all the people complaining about this school had a chance to go to other countries in which education is considered a priviledge and not a right and in which people value the opportunity so much that they are willing to work and do not look for defects in the system.
—Submitted by a student

My son just graduated from Hoover Higher School in 2007. He is attending University of CA San Diego. He graduated from Hoover as top 4%. Mr. Welsh, the principal is the best. He knew my son since he was attending the elementary school in the GUSD. If parents feel this school is so bad, why not send your kids elsewhere instead of all the complaining that I see here. It takes parents involvement instead of just expecting the school to do it all for the child. My son is very well known in this school district due to my husband and I, with our involvement in his studies, volunteering in his schools (both elementary and High school years) also he was involved in every academic competition that was there and because of his acamdemic accomplishments, our son is well known in the school district due to his academic achievements.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my child's first year at Hoover after transferring in from a private school. So far, I have been very happy with her teachers and have had the utmost cooperation from the counselors. (She has some special needs and they have been extremely supportive.) The curriculum seems quite rigorous, and they have many interesting electives from which to choose. The worst things about Hoover are the overcrowding and the fact that as a public school, they have to take all students. Tha means even those that cause discipline problems and who have no interest in being there. Unfortunately, unlike in our former private school, fights are not a rare occurence here. This is always the challenge with public high schools it seems. Despite this, my child is happy here and I agree that academically, Hoover offers a great deal to motivated students.
—Submitted by a parent

School offers a lot of extra cirricular activies. As long as your child is involved in the school, he/she will get the most out of their high school experience.
—Submitted by a former student

My daughter graduated three years ago. I was always impressed with the teachers, for the most part. The one teacher that I had concerns about has since left. Other than that, the teachers were skilled and willing to meet with me about any problems or questions that I had. There were two principals who were very friendly to parents, but my daughter felt that they were insincere.
—Submitted by a parent

Good academic programs with great teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Hoover High School has a great range of academic programs, including a choice of 23 different Advanced Placement classes. It has a dedicated staff, diverse student body, and good support programs for students. It is located right across the street from the local middle school and one of the elementary schools, giving it a community feeling.
—Submitted by a teacher

My daughter is an extremely smart girl, and graduated in spite of the administration. Hoover is extremely disorganized and the administration is completely backward. If your child is not in the AP program or at least in honors classes, expect them to get lost in this school where it is so hard to be seen already, with so many students. There is such a lack of commitment to the kids. Some teachers really do care about the kids, but the administration is so wretched that they almost lose some of their effectiveness. They are all treated like criminals and low lives, even if they aren't. This shouldn't be the way high school is. It should be a positive experience. Hoover needs a major overhaul, in my opinion.
—Submitted by a parent

Wow. I can't believe that there are this many positive reviews of Hoover. My older brother and sister went to Hoover in the 80's, and it was much different. I graduated a few years ago. I enjoyed my overall high school experience, despite the school. The administration is a complete and utter joke. Their priorities are backwards. The teachers are pretty decent, but only if you are in the AP programs. In fact, I had many teachers that I adored. I managed to get into a great school, along with the rest of my AP buddies, but I saw so many kids get left behind, and at that age, you need support, and I did not see any from the abominable administration.
—Submitted by a former student

A wonderful school with opportunities for students who want to excel. Great AP program with qualified teachers and a decent athletic program as well. Overall a well rounded school with a good deal of diversity. Situated in a nice area that is safe. A great high school experience.
—Submitted by a former student

I am a student attending Hoover and there are a lot of problems. First of all the school is very over crowded, in fact it is so crowded that I barley make it to class on time. Another problem is that a lot of the teachers have accents and it's hard to understand what they are saying so there for it is hard to learn. One of the biggest problems there is that there are a lot of disrespectful students that attend there and waste class time because they do not care about school. I do not really feel safe at the school after school because there has been a killing across the street and also there is a lot of loitering of men in their early 20's. So personally I would not send any kid to this school.
—Submitted by a student

Hoover was a great school. The counslers really care and most teachers will do alot to help students succeed. If you send your student here, make sure they are in one of Ms. Stantens classes. She has a wonderful hands on approach and she really cares about all of her students. To have a teacher like Ruth Santon in your life is truly a blessing.
—Submitted by a former student

This is a great school for growing and learning. I had a gratifying experience and I admire the leadership of the teachers. Mrs. Stanton had a bond with her students like no other, she is very approachable and I respect her enthusiasm in making a difference in our lives. Ms. Viezee had a unique way of getting her students to come to class, but it worked. The co-principle at the time was Mr.Welsh, and he was honest and admirable and had my utmost respect. I graduated 6 years ago. I have a degree at UCLA and am now working toward my Phd in Psychology. Thank you to all the teachers who have contributed in making me into the person I am today.

My daughter was assigned Shakespeare to read during summer break. Did it occur to anyone in the English Dept. that this was reading that would require schoolroom diagnosis to master? Can't summer reading be easily enjoyable and educational? Is anyone paying attention to what is being assigned! I think not.
—Submitted by a parent