High Tech La School

It's funny that many of the parents love the school but the students don't. It's true that when a small group of students are to blame for something, the entire student body is held accountable. "Unfair!" they shout. But since this is primarily about whether kids have to wear a uniform on Fridays or not, it doesn't matter much to me, but obviously the kids care, and because of that, so should we. The technology is just pathetic for a school calling itself high tech high but they seem to be working to correct that. The support staff is amazing and helpful. A couple teachers should be let go - they bristle if you question them (the principal defends them to the death). The rest are quite good and even if they make mistakes, they own up to them and try hard - what else can you expect? No one is perfect. English, History, Math and Science all have phenomenal teachers. They need an art and music program very badly and it's unfortunate that they do not value the arts. It's a glaring omission. There is a real connection between math and music, but it's missing entirely here. Lastly, most of the kids leave school by senior year. Now THAT you should think about.
--Submitted by a parent

The school is only good if your student is highly academic. If they struggle at all, forget about Hi Tech. Teachers don't care unless a 504 is in place and they have to. And even at that they are not really supportive to parents. There is also no team sports or arts/ music programs available. Principal is probably the worst I have ever encountered. She lacks professional aptitude and compassion. My son won't be returning next year. Horrible experience.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is a senior at HTLA. I have never seen more brilliant teachers and caring staff. Not only will you have a top education in a small classroom environment...you get college advice EVERY year of your child's high school experience. Also, really DON'T let the name fool you. I think the English, and History classes are stellar. My son is getting scholarship already, and this is because we have such great college advisers on staff.
--Submitted by a parent

Like others on this thread, I think this school is excellent but for a couple of teachers. Yes, that's the case at most schools, but it should be noted that a couple of the teachers (in the early & later grades) routinely fail to promptly post grades and pointedly single out students with snide remarks who inquire about such, thus creating a atmosphere where students fear addressing concerns with the teacher. In a small school environment such as HTLA, that is a serious issue that affects academic performance. The irony is obvious since the school places great emphasis on student responsibility yet certain teachers disdain it. It's unfortunate because these teachers, as one student notes on this thread, are not quality teachers and blame the students for failures that are, in fact, their own.
--Submitted by a parent

The excellent education my son received from High Tech High -L.A. has served him well as he enters his senior year at one of the top engineering schools in this country. It has been 3 years since he graduated from High Tech High, and I still talk to people about what a great start it gave him as he completes two degrees in both Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. He gained an incredible foundation and was served well by a staff of highly dedicated teachers. The principal is absolutely amazing and juggles the needs of each student with unique ability. I have found that complaints about the school come from students who haven't really applied themselves or figured out how to mine the unlimited resources that this school has to offer. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity for my son's excellent educational experience at this school---and see in hindsight that it is given him enormous advantages in the years since he left.
--Submitted by a parent

We couldn't be happier with this school. Amazing school building, supportive staff (& principal who listens to you), and many of the teachers are stellar. Every school has one or two teachers that don't fit, and this school is no exception -- but in all it was an amazing opportunity for our son and made ALL the difference in his high school education. Very small size worked well for us and it feels like a close community, and made it less intimidating for the students.
--Submitted by a parent

I am currently a junior attending this school, and the only positive thing I can say is that the school looks nice. The teachers honestly don't care about the students, and drug use is very prevalent. The school has the worst technology program I have seen to date, and most of the computers are damaged. The faculty at the school punishes the entire student body for the actions of one or two students on a regular basis. The math depatment consists of teachers who shift the blame onto the class when everyone fails a test, rather than accepting responsibility and reteaching the subject. The science department has one good teacher, the rest have fail rates in the 40-50 percentile. The english department is actually very good, so if you plan on being an english teacher, the only job that class will help with, then please sign up. Otherwise, Please, don't attend this school. You will regret it.
--Submitted by a student

My son is in the 9th grade and thrilled to be attending this awesome school. He has finally met quality kids that he connects with. The teachers are easy to communicate with and have been very cooperative with any issues my son has had in the classroom. They have a wonderful robotics program and is looking forward to competition.
--Submitted by a parent

Great small school with good teachers that take a real interest in their students. The schools Robotics team make tech fun!
--Submitted by a parent

Communication with this school is very poor. This is baffling, because HTLA has tools that should make it easy -- Moodle and Powerschool. However, while some faculty members make full use of this technology, others virtually ignore it. Coupled with the fairly heavy homework load, that can really undermine a student's ability to keep abreast of everything that's expected.
--Submitted by a parent