Crenshaw Senior High School

Hello, I graduated from Crenshaw in 1989. My wife graduated from Crenshaw in 1985. My son is currently a senior at Crenshaw and he has attended the school all of his high school years. Crenshaw is one of the greatest hidden secrets in Los Angeles if you want your child to attend college. My son will attend UC Riverside after graduation of high school and I will not have to pay a dime. As a parent, I had to send my son to outside SAT prep classes. I understood the entire system before I decided to have my son to attend the school. He will graduate in the top 5% of his class. Schools and organizations are throwing scholarship money at him. Have a strategy before you attend a school like Crenshaw and you can be very successful in your attempt to getting your child into on eof the top 100 colleges or universities in the nation. Don't expect the teachers to do all of the work. Hold your child accountable and you make sure tht you do your part as a parent. research your options and work with the principal and staff at Crenshaw that knows about the secrets. They will assist you if you seek and ask the right questions.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended Crenshaw (Class of 1984). I, like Larry Elder, am proof positive your kid can get a quality education at Crenshaw. I am an executive at one of the largest health insurance provider in the nation. MV Woodland Hills, CA

The education, better still the lack of education at Crenshaw is atrocious. I have been tracking this school for the past 7 years monitoring their academic progress, and during this time Crenshaw their students have failed to meet the state required academic performance. When asked why this is happening, Crenshaw immediately point to their gifted student program. What about the other students -- the average students? Are they not as deserving of a good education? The best academic years of Crenshaw were the years when the now Patrice Ruchen, Jazz Musician and former baseball great, Daryl Strawberry. What is the solution? Crenshaw should be bid out students should heavily tested and counseled for academic and occupational training as to their abilities to earn a living after graduation. Parents should be mandated to participate in the testing and counseling and the recommendation of the counselor.

i love this school and its awesome. but the teachers are doing their best!

I think that Crenshaw High is not all that bad. The staff are working there hardest to gte the students in shape. Crenshaw high is a great shool. Only if the students stay focus, and not into alot of trouble... So Crenshaw High is a great and what makes it great the hard work they do for the students.So like a everyday announcement ...GGGOOOO COUGARS....LOL
—Submitted by a student

I'm a current student, I believe if your going to enroll your child. Make sure its the Gifted Magnet, the classes are hard but the teachers care. And its a great prep for higher learning.
—Submitted by a parent

Crenshaw Gifted Magnet is great. All students and teachers work really hard preparing students for college and beyond.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a little on the fence about the school. My husband and I are previous gradutes of this school and things definately are different than they were 30 years ago. Notifications of upcoming events don't go out often and I get surprised by my child telling me of something coming up. I don't always have time to go to the website to keep abreast of the ongoings of the school. My daughter expressed liking her teachers, as they, she and she is doing fairly well. I don't like the fact, my child finally seems to be doing well and some of her teachers are being moved to other schools due to low student enrollment. My child is in the Media Academy and those staff members do seem to track my child's progress as soon as she falters a little.
—Submitted by a parent

I thinks this is one of the worst schools in Los Angeles... the security of students in non-existent. The only thing on the students mind is clothing, shoes and BS. Academics is not a priority. My daughter is constantly harassed and intimated. I am in the process of removing her from this environment, it is definitely not conducive to learning. The kids are so distracted, and worried about safety they can not learn anything! If your child is interested in learning, don't enroll them into this environment!
—Submitted by a parent

Hi, I was an student attending Crenshaw High School, this would have been my third year. From the experiences, I feel Crenshaw truely is a bad school for mature, and responsible students that are trying to get somewhere in life. The school doesnt provide as much as they should, I mean, it has lack of security, lots of bad teachers, terrible priority skills and loyality, they dont stick to a foundation. They're trying hard to make things right, but in the wrong areas, they aren't thinking about the students success, they give up way to easily. I feel bad for saying it but I think no one should go there. The school has lots of potential, but the wrong people are in charge, really brillant kids, wrong order system.
—Submitted by Venon Hemphill, a student

NEGATIVES: I am a Latino student at 'Crenshaw High School.' I've been attending the school for a full year now, and I've noticed that the new principal hasn't really done much to improve the way people think about this school (it's image). You have a few great teachers (Mrs. Mc Culloh. There's lack of real security, and its not really racially or culturally diverse at ALL. Like someone said before, 'Most of the money CHS makes, goes to the athletic department,' I was only given about 2-3 text books the whole year, which we really didn't use except for one. In my expirience at CHS, , you might want to pick your kids up from school, dont let them walk alone! POSITIVES: Mrs. McCulloh!
—Submitted by a student

The school has a great arts program, but they need more teachers and less students in the classrooms.
—Submitted by a parent

I think this school is a great opportunity for a student that really wants to learn. They have a lot of special programs to help meet the needs of struggling students, but the students must be willing to apply themselves and take every opportunity offered to them. It may not be in the best of neighborhoods, but if you have a strong child I do believe he can make it at Crenshaw.
—Submitted by Princess, a parent

Both of my daughters graduated from Crenshaw. My main concern is that it seems they have a difficult time attracting and keeping good teachers. They often have long-term substitutes. My daughter that graduated in 2004 kept getting a new substitute for her math class (geometry). There were about four different subs in all. She wound up barely passing the class with a 'D' because of the constant changing of teachers. They also had a big turnover of principals and other administrators.
—Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately, Crenshaw needs so much work. Extra parent involvement, books, tutoring is important.
—Submitted by a parent

I think this school is wonderful. It has a great music department as well as the teachers. They seem to really care about our children. it's not in the best neighborhood, but it's safe.
—Submitted by a former student

Crenshaw High School is under going a transition with a new principal and many new APs next year (2005-2006) . Small learning communities are scheduled to be implemented in the 2006-2007 school year. Overall students' daily attendance needs to be higher. The shining points are the teacher training magnet, gifted magnet, new media academy and the entrepreneurship & business academy. Stand out teachers can be found in many academic departments.
—Submitted by a teacher

This is for Crenshaw high i belive that it is a good school not great but very well kept. Even though there were some cases in which they messed up alot with my me or other kids this school is very good in some ways. Like their art department they help chldren discover their true talentin some ways. Their media depart is outstanding tooo . They have very new cameras and othe equipment that they let the kids use and get use to for their future career. but crenshaw is somewhat over crowding i guess. Their is alot of misjudement and other things here . For instance their are alot of punk rockers and skate boarders at the school and some of them hang out in the middle of the quad and some people make fun of them , talk about the clothes and thats just not cool,not cool !
—Submitted by a student

I graduated from Crenshaw High class of 1973. I am the Alumni President and also the Community Liason for Crenshaw. I have surveyed the campus for over 8 years. There are so many needs that it's so overwhelming. Crenshaw does not have a strong parent group to interact with the school's Administration and Teachers, therefore major educational projects are not monitored. The funding from the Los Angeles Unified School Board has gotten smaller and smaller. There is a need for reading materials and tutorials in the library, teaching aids and supplies, more counselors, more school security, less students in the classroom, more volunteers and more money is needed to enhance these areas to produce a more productive student. There's also a need for workshops to help those under performing students to read better and to increase their testing skills. Until the Board addresses these issues Crenshaw High will continue to be an under performing school.
—Submitted by a former student

Crenshaw High is an excellent institution for learning. I graduate in 1994 and I was apart of the Teachers Training Magnet program. Things on the outside are going to happen, but as long as students understand the reason they are there, the campus is safe.
—Submitted by a former student