Short Avenue Elementary School

The Science Mania Fair this year (2013) was outstanding! Kids prepared rocket blasts, mold farms, salty water buoyance tests, checked plant growth in all imaginable conditions, checked the number of seeds in different types of apples, compared biometric parameters of hands, looked at DNA and 300 more other experiments all presented at the SHORT AVE ELEMENTARY Science Mania this year. And this is one of the reasons why our 3 kids are at this school- OUR school, our community school. They love the school, the teachers, and the principal. On the side note- the involved parents are doing fantastic job- raised money for arts program (among other things). Thank you, involved parents!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I couldn't be more proud to be part of the Short Ave. community. After touring numerous schools (many of which have APIs over 900), and observing the same rote, uninspiring programs, I took a chance on our little neighborhood school. What an unbelievable gem of a school Short Ave. Elementary is! It has an incredibly strong instructional staff with teachers that are inspired and passionate about what they do. The students are caring, and the parent group is extremely involved in the decision-making. The new principal, Cindy Paulos, is a brilliant leader and works tirelessly to ensure that the school is an exciting and safe learning environment for all the students. My daughter LOVES her school and her eagerness to come to school every day reaffirms my decision.
—Submitted by a parent

Excerpted from Dr. John Deasy's endorsement letter to prospective parents 4/5/2013: " I have walked through the classrooms of this school and observed examples of first rate-rate teaching where students are engaged and actively learning ... I could feel the strong sense of community in the school among teachers, students and parents ... the academic performance of the school is strong. Our internal calculations estimate that the API for 2011 would have been 864 (not counting the invalidated scores), and for the 2012, the school would have scored 834...I am proud of the new principal, Cindy Paulos, and all that she has accomplished in the past year. She is a strong instructional lead and well-respected by the staff and parents. Ms. Paulos has also developed monitoring procedures to ensure that there will be no issues with testing this year. As you tour the school and interact with the teachers, staff and students, you will recognize the sense of dedication and devotion from all stakeholders. I am convinced that Short Ave. will be the best choice for your child." [Interesting to note, just losing a blank test booklet is considered an irregularity.]
—Submitted by a parent

In researching schools from charter to private, I learned about a quiet little gem, right in my own back yard. I sent my son to the outstanding SLRDP preschool here, but had not truly considered it further until the following year when I was performing my due diligence. The thing that struck me most about Short Avenue wasn t the inspired Reading Garden or the fabulous new library but the *strength and caliber of the teachers*. Every classroom I observed, I was delighted to find an experienced teacher worthy of entrusting my son s education to, a teacher who seemed to shine a little brighter. The other thing that stood out was the parents the degree of their involvement, commitment and dedication. In 2012-2013 we were graced with a new, passionate, caring and focused leader with a vision to guide our beloved little school back on track towards our distinguished school goal. My first grader is easily doing second grade math and reading on a third grade level. His teacher radiates exceptional qualities considered by some as a once-in-a-life-time teacher. How very blessed we are here at our charming neighborhood school.
—Submitted by a parent

Del Rey families, as you're considering where to send your kids next year, don't overlook Short Avenue! Before you make a decision, visit the school. Meet the principal. Talk to the parents. Hear about how incredible and hard working our teachers are. Allow yourself to be surprised, rather than dismissing your neighborhood school outright. Did you know that we have art education in all grades? A beautiful library? A school-wide science fair? Ballroom dance? Gifted and Talented programs? What we can offer is only limited by the imagination of the dedicated teachers and parents who put the time in to make things happen. We're on the other side of a couple of rocky years, and have only good things in store moving forward, led by a principal who is as dedicated to our students as any leader across LAUSD. My family and I are reminded daily that we made the best decision for our daughter in choosing Short over a charter or private school -- a wonderful school that we can walk to. Walk!! We've lived in this neighborhood for 13 years, and have never felt so much a part of it as we have at Short the last couple of years. I can't wait to see what the next few years bring.
—Submitted by a parent

THE most charming, nieghborhood school that is sure to ease your mind as your children learn in a nurtured atmosohere. This hidden gem of a school is wrapped in the arms of wonderful teachers eager to teach, proven by API scores of the same and higher magnitude of past years that were swept out from underneath them, a new principal anxious to prove that an inspired leader can reproduce elevated API scores as well as school moral, and empathetic parents willing to forget the past and forge forward under new administration. Parental involvement is the essence of this alluring Pre-K through grade 6 school. Though it's a core group of supportive parents and relatives that carry the majority of the responsibility of holding fun-raisers, carnivals, and entertainment, it is brought on by ourselves and is truley gratifying. We are all just parents with the same goal; for our children to get a powerful education in a atmosphere balanced between adequate nurturing and discipline all the while having fun and being able to embrace the innocence of childhood. I think we are achieving this. My son's beaming eyes and ear to ear smiles as he reads daily is my reassurance of a well made decision.
—Submitted by a parent

Short Avenue is an amazing little neighborhood school that feels like a family. WIth a new principal this year, who is committed to the needs of all students including gifted, great things are in store. My child is starting 2nd this year and I wouldn't consider any other option. Its time to stop listening to all the negative hype and form an educated opinion of your own.....Short Avenue is the best choice.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is finishing up kindergarten at Short Avenue. Full disclosure: we started the year with a shade of uncertainty given the negative press in the LA Times two days before the first day of class. But our daughter (a young five year old) has had an absolutely delightful year at Short, and we are choosing to return to our little neighborhood school again in the Fall despite the opportunity to enroll in a brand new Westside school with a lot of great things going for it. My family loves being a part of the Short Avenue community, and it's a shame that more of the young families in the neighborhood don't realize what a little gem of a school they have right within walking distance. The only reason I'm giving the school four stars instead of five is because of the ambivalence I have about the principal. It sounds like we have the opportunity to get new leadership in next year, which, given the strength of the teaching faculty and passion of the families who go there, can only give Short the opportunity to shine again. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to return next year at this time and give Short a five-star rating.
—Submitted by a parent

Principals come and go. The last principal made it clear that she worked for the district not the school. The teachers work for the school and are loyal to the school. The heart and soul of the school is the teachers. They run the school not the principal or the booster club. The teachers love the booster club. So do the parents. There are not any girls in the fifth grade who have brothers who are three. Perhaps you should do your homework before spreading such vitriol on a public forum.
—Submitted by a parent

Short Avenue has certainly seen it's share of administrators and I do believe, each one has shared their strengths in ways that have best supported the school needs during their post. Our current principal works very hard to orchestate the union of a very diverse and passionate population. As one of the original founders of the booster club, I believe the school has made profound strides in attracting the community, the private sector and new parents from the neighborhood. Friends of Short Avenue is proud of their accomplishments and their motivating force has always been the spirit of the children and the commitment to excellence demonstrated by the teachers. We are a wonderful little school and have always been extremely responsive to the positive inspiration of a new parent.
—Submitted by a parent

Let me preface this by stating the school's teachers and staff are great. The principal is terrible and we wish that Principal H was still around. The current principal is very weak and now the test scores have started going down thanks to his lack of leadership. He is never around and when he is, he talks a lot and does little and just puts everything off so that someone else will do it. Sort of like a politician that didn't make it in politics and decided to go into education. Now the school is run by their booster club that used to do good things, but since Principal H left they don't listen to anything the parents have to say and act like bullies. It is really sad because the school used to be so much better than it is now. Our daughter is in 5th grade and we have a 3-year old son who will not be attending if things stay the way they are. It is sad that such a great group of teachers has to deal with this.
—Submitted by a parent

My children are gifted and they have thrived at this school. I think the poster below needs to look inside her heart and take responsibility for the behavior of her child. Blaming the other parents is ridiculous. Perhaps the other parents are concerned for the safety of their children and their teacher. Its not the schools fault that the VP, Nurse, and Psychologist are only there one day a week. Its the district that did this not the school. There are plenty of kids at Short with IEPs who are thriving. When you child has violent outbursts and they become a danger to the other children of the teacher, they don't belong with typical children. Its just not fair to the children who come to school and are well behaved.
—Submitted by a parent

Disorganized and not the place for kids that don't fit the mold. Although the teachers are good and the staff well-meaning, my gifted child with special needs is miserable at Short. My family is ostracized by the other parents and the administration is just trying to get my child out of their school instead of help. NOT THE PLACE FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS! and take a number if you want to see the vice principal, nurse, or school psychologist, each of whom are only at school 1 day per week and totally overloaded.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and administrators go above and beyond the call of duty to provide a quality education to all the children who attend the school. People care at this school, which is one reason for it's success, and the parent's group, Friends of Short Ave Elementary has given time and money to help get the school the resources it needs. I'm inspired by the teachers, administrators, parents and students at Short Ave Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

It is a true neighborhood school. The students are a rainbow of diversity. The parents are engaged and active. The grounds are comfortable for an elementary school child.
—Submitted by a parent

There is no doubt. This is the best school in the area.
—Submitted by a parent

I have three daughters and two already graduated from Short the teachers are WONDERFUL! And the STAFF is the BEST!!
—Submitted by a parent

Short ave has been my home for 17 years both my daughters 21 and 18 present 10 5th grade they all have had an education that I'm proud to say we are Alumni and present parents of Short for a long time. I also was honored to be apart of the Office Staff and miss it everyday. Due to cuts i also was removed from a place i called home. i cared and took pride in keeping every student safe and every parent updated needs cared for everyday for 16 years. Go Short Ave Mrs. Teresa Burdette
—Submitted by a parent

Its a very caring and forward looking learning environment. Progressive Indeed !
—Submitted by a parent

A very good school needs help !
—Submitted by a parent