Palisades Charter High School

I was considering switching my son from Pali to New West this year. I was thinking a smaller school might be better for him. He has enjoyed the Pali social life a bit too much, and his grades have suffered. However, the principal at New West was the rudest I have ever met. I would NEVER put him in that school now. This experience made me appreciate Pali more, and what it has to offer. I love that Pali has a beautiful campus, many sports teams and a real school spirit. It is a true high school experience. Dr. Magee was beyond kind when I first met with her regarding my son's attendance at Pali. She is warm and welcoming and doing a great job. I am more grateful my son is attending Pali after that experience.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 2 kids at Pali and currently. There are certainly many positives such as the local and school safety, amazing college ctr., excellent sports program, and involved parents. Teh teacjers ar every hit and miss. The AP and Honors teachers are generally excellent, but the regular classes are sadly inferior. If your child ONLY tales HOnors and Ap, they will be ok and probably achive great things college wise. If they have some regular classes inmath and science in particulr, they will be ill prepared by their teachers and many unmotivated students in those classes. For a public school, it is above average.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two boys one who graduated Pali and the other in college now. Generally the school is excellent in many areas. I agree that the math department is very weak with poor teachers. Both my sons are science oriented so a weak math department makes everything else difficult. They really need to work on getting better or more motivated math teachers,
—Submitted by a parent

Pali has many wonderful teachers and a great student body where tolerance and inclusion thrive, positives that should carry a lot of weight. The biggest weakness at Pali is the math department, their test scores speak volumes and illustrate the severity of the problem. The math program emphasizes group learning which could work in theory but is not properly implemented and supported by the teachers. Every (and I mean EVERY) student that I know has a math tutor because they don't get adequate instruction or support from the teachers. Even with tutors, the students still struggle because the tests can be confusing with two different methods being taught to them. In 11th grade my son scored "advanced" in every area of standardized tests but was barely "basic" in math. One day, Pali will have to address these issues and stop sweeping the parent's concerns under the carpet.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so pleased with this school. It's my son's first year and his teachers are excellent!!! Great opportunities and diversity at this school! I love that I have access to all his assignments and grades through the teacher's web. I even get phone calls letting me know my son has a quiz to study for. The parent liason always keeps you informed of school meetings, events, etc.
—Submitted by a parent

this is a great school and I am hoping my daughter will benefit and go to college with the knowledge she is learning from this school. They have great teachers and a great opportunity to achieve great sucess in her life with the courses she is taking.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 daughters who went through the pali system from K-12. The oldest is doing very well at cColorado College. #2 will be attending Vassar in the fall. 'nuf said.
—Submitted by a parent

Palisades a great school. It has an amazing campus, but most importantly a patient staff ready to teach.
—Submitted by a parent

I went to Pali for 4 years, had an amazing time, and went, fully prepared, to Stanford University. I don't think there's much more to say.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter has received a first class education at this school. The student mix is fantastic and the campus is very impressive. I would never think of paying for Buckley, Harvard Westlake or Lycee now.
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing school with dedicated teachers and staff giving our students a great opportunity to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Palisades Charter High is one of the BEST public High Schools in California, maybe even in the nation. # 1, it is a beautiful campus - there is green everywhere, Its very open, you can see the mountains, and the ocean. # 2, we have many great faculty, staff, and students. # 3 we have many diligent and very intelligent students creating a great environment. This school is like no other. I am very happy I attend PALI...I love it, its wonderful!
—Submitted by a student

Pali treats students in regular classes like trash. Since when are average students considered deficient? Other students think of them the same way. Math dept. is still appallingly bad; some teachers verbally insult the students, with admin's knowledge. Read all the negative review of math dept on this site, going back years. Socially it stinks. Overcrowded with bused in students.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been reading all the reviews and comments about this school. I know that no school is perfect and there is always room for improvement. The challenges Pali faces can only be solved by parent involvement and positive energy. While the teachers might be protected by the district, we as parents can yield a strong voice if we choose to do so. My suggestion for the parents who are disgruntled with the administration or the teachers or any other facet of the school is to become part of the solution. Get involved with a committee or attend board meetings, make your voice heard and offer solutions to what you consider problematic. I encourage you to do something other than complain.
—Submitted by a parent

it is a pretty good school come from venice high school. The teachers are really helpful. They have [tutoring] for every subject all the time.
—Submitted by a student

I currently attend pali and I am in 9th grade, but my dad has been working at pali since before I was born and from all the time I've spent here I can say that it is a great school and the campus is amazing.
—Submitted by a student

I would rate Palisades Charter High School 5 star in comparison to other Public schools. Pali met or exceeded all of our expectations. The environment is A+ and my daughter took advantage of the AP and honor classes extensively. Like all Public High schools, the classes(Except for AP) were too large, some administrators were better than others. The same could be said for the teachers, although generally I would say we lucked out. The math department defintely needs improvement. On the other hand, Kudos to the Drama Department. the Athletic Department, the Band, ando the Academic Decathlon Team. If you son or daughter is already a good student, then there is no reason not to consider Pali as an alternative to Private School.
—Submitted by a parent

Pali High has been a huge disappointment. While there are plenty of bright, highly motivated kids, the school has been plagued by a long series of weak, undermotivated, and ineffectual administrators saddled with an alarming number of terrible teachers who are fiercely protected by UTLA. It's status as an independent charter school does not seem to benefit the students in any discernable way.
—Submitted by a parent

Pali administrators feel that they have good teachers to prove they don't need any honors courses. Most of the teachers are horrible and should not be there. The math dept is awful and I've addressed some of the issues with the head of the dept, but nothing had changed. Honors courses are far and too few, especially since most of the incoming students are coming from honors and gifted programs that have prepared them for any challenge. If you decide to send your child to this school, stay close to your childs education, become a voice in what needs addressing, join the PTA or just get involved.
—Submitted by a parent

Palisades is an excellent high school. It offers a wide range of choices for students who excell academically and provides support and assistance for those who do not. There have been recent changes that will make the school even better: a strong Executive Director, a new and experienced Principal, and a Director of Instruction to focus on the quality of instruction in the classroom. The athletics program is broad, with many outstanding coaches and the drama program is highly regarded. Now they only need to offer a great instrumental music program (to match the growing choral classes) and make the school more user friendly.
—Submitted by a parent