High Tech La School

Seeing that there are a lack of student reviews on here, I find this review appropriate. I can definitely say that this school has prepared me properly for college because of how the actual school is operated. The length of the classes reflect what a real college would have, which is about an hour and a half. There are no bells, which promotes students to arrive to class on time, and the teachers do care about their students. It is funny how other reviews say that the teachers do not care, but you have to go to them for help then they will give you more information than you need. This school is truly a college preparatory school because of how this school operates which has made college easier than high school.
—Submitted by a student

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

My son is SO happy here. My son is a 10th grader, heavily into the robotics team, and thriving in this environment. The college counselor and principal are fantastic. The teachers are great...I just hope that this jewel of a school will not be horribly affected by the budget cuts.
—Submitted by a parent

Brilliant teachers, challenging liberal arts, math, science and all intellectual disciplines. Don't let the name 'High Tech' fool you -- yes, the school uses state of the art technology, but humanities & liberal arts are astonishing. Housed in an architecturally stunning facility, gated, on the campus of Birmingham High School,my daughter has been enriched by this charter school beyond all her in her previous 9 yrs at two of the top private schools inLA (Before High Tech Los Angeles, CEE(thru 6th grade) & Archer School for Girls (7th & 8th) As result of HTHLA, she has a 4 yr scholarship to Kalamazoo College, featured '40 Colleges That Change Lives'
—Submitted by a parent

My experiences during my years at High Tech High were miserable. The staff is incredibly antagonistic towards the students, creativity is a mechanized system, the teachers rule with fear, and their communist grading system automatically smothers any unfortunate being who might dare to dream. Unless your child is as dry as a prune, sending him or her to this school will be a decision you will regret for the rest of your life.
—Submitted by a student

I was a student at HTH-LA, but left when things were getting out of hand. The school is slowly turning into a complete mess. If more than 3 teachers leave at once, something is not right. I feel the principal is getting too 'power hungry.' I would not recommend parents send their children to HTH-LA at this time. An event that I witnessed during school truly disappointed me. My friend ordered pizzas for us during lunch and as it was handed to us (after paying the driver); it was taken away. Many students did this in the past without any issues as there were no policies against it. The principal confiscated the 4 pizzas and gave them to the teachers to eat. Not only is this wrong and immoral but also illegal as the faculty never reimbursed us. This is only one event of many wrongdoings at HTH-LA.
—Submitted by a student

This is a terrible school. The teachers do not teach so that students learn. All the talk about computers and everything that its a fun learning environment. Its neither fun or a good learning environment it was a mistake putting my son there.
—Submitted by a parent

HTHLA is a school that cares about its students. The teacher take the time to hold weekly meetings in order to improve the learning environment of the school. They also have several interactive projects that allow the students to learn the subject and express themselves creatively. There are also several afterschool programs given at the school like FIRST Robotics (the HTHLA Team 4 has won several awards for their hard work over the years) and OTEAM. The college counselor is also very dedicated to her job and sends students several emails about available scholarships and college advice. Though the school does not have a lot of physical activities, the students still recieve an hour of excercise during xblock everyday and are given the opportunity to participate in events like Student Run LA. It is a school that practically guaruntees admission to a college.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is a 9th grader at HTHLA, and this is the first year that she has been happy and enthusiastic about attending school. She talks about projects she's engaged in at school, and I see meaningful assignments at home. I also notice that activities often tie into several content areas, so there are connections being made between subject areas. It's obvious that teachers plan together, and being a teacher myself, I know a supportive administration is crucial and that the teachers work hard to make this happen. I'm excited for our daughter and I look forward to what the coming years will bring.
—Submitted by a parent

Just a HUGE disappointment! While the school itself is clean and ultra-modern, the teaching is poor and lackluster. Most of the teachers teach as if it is 'just a job,' without passion or evidence of any enjoyment in their profession. The administration is equally without interest in the students. Emphasis is placed on academic performance, not learning. And the communication between teachers, administration and parents is weak to almost nil.
—Submitted by a parent

High Tech High L.A. compares favorably with some of the top $30,000+ private schools (and it is free---as an L.A.U.S.D. charter school). Its dynamic principal is a true leader who both inspires teachers---- creating a great 'esprit de corps' and is equally available to students and parents to address their concerns. Teachers are outstanding, and available for after-school tutoring on a regular basis. For the teenager interested in science and technology---it doesn't get any better than H.T.H.-L.A. Oh, the school is also state-of-the-art beautiful and creates motivated college bound students, without regard to socio-economic, gender or racial background. The college counselor/ adviser is first-rate and very much on top off each student in exploring the best options for them as an individual. I count my blessings every day as my child attends this incredible school.
—Submitted by a parent