Broadway Elementary School

Broadway is really two schools. The Mandarin Immersion program is perhaps the best in LAUSD and one of the best educational experiences in Greater LA. The regular school is regular LAUSD. Instead of an "8" rating it should be 10/5 to reflect the differences. The MI program will be relocating 2013/2014 and the destination has not been announced. Many of the parents are attracted by the Mandarin component while other just want a great school. The principal and teachers are dedicated and the parents group is amazingly involved. Some would say too involved as the parents are generally highly educated, mostly affluent, and often type A . There is a lot of support for families without a native Mandarin speaker in the house but be aware this is not a place for parents who just want to drop off their kids and not be involved. Success in this program will require effort from the parents. If you are up for the work and can get in then I would highly recommend the MI classes. By the time these children get out of college English and Mandarin will be the only languages that matter.
—Submitted by a parent

Madarin immersion program at roadway school attrct me to go to their tour. I am impressed about their principal Susan Wang and teachers are so devoting.

We permitted out of Westchester and make the commute along busy Lincoln Avenue every day to Broadway for its Mandarin Immersion program. I was this close to relocating our Bilingual (Mandarin/English) and multicultural family to San Francisco before I heard about Broadway. We appreciate the teachers, the support staff and Principal Wang's collaboration to provide a safe, supportive and yet challenging school program for any child who wants to learn.
—Submitted by a parent

Broadway has the best Principal and the most amazing support of the families that have children there!
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing and makes me proud we chose to send our kid here. The principal and staff are committed, the parents care and the kids are being challenged.
—Submitted by a parent

Principal Wang has done an amazing job leading this school in a positive direction. We chose this school over our local school because of her and the opportunity for our son to learn Mandarin and the challenge it would provide for him. I am impressed on a daily basis on how much he has learned. The teachers are very committed to the program and go above and beyond the basic requirements of their job. Amazing program to be a part of!
—Submitted by a parent

Our family chose this school over our local community 10 out of 10 school primarily because of the new Mandarin Immersion program that was started in 2010. We've had no regrets whatsoever. The children spend half of the day in English instruction and the other half of the day fully immersed in Mandarin instruction. It's amazing to see how much children can soak up at this age. By the end of kindergarten, students were writing, speaking, and reading in both English and Mandarin. The teachers and principal are extremely dedicated and go above and beyond to ensure a rich, fun, and warm educational experience. You can really see how much care and love they have for the children. Equally amazing is the parent community, which is highly active, dedicated, and super helpful. In my daughter's words, "a school without Chinese would be really boring."
—Submitted by a parent

My son has learned more Mandarin within the last 2 months than what I was trying to teach him in 5 years! This immersion program works. All the children (from many different backgrounds) are so excited to sing, speak and write in Mandarin. My son has only been in this school for 2 months and I am amazed at his progress of learning: both English and Mandarin. I particularly like how diversed the students are! My son has a high level of intellectual curiosity and can be easily bored - this program is perfect for him. And, he loves his teachers!
—Submitted by a parent

We moved from downtown to attend this school. Bilingual and bicultural education are very, very important to my wife and I. She is from Taiwan and I am was born and raised in the US, but lived in Taiwan for 6 years. We both wanted a community that reflected our diverse backgrounds and to give this balanced 'identity' foundation for our girls. We have been happy with Broadway. The parent involvement in the school is amazing. The principal (as all the other reviewers have noted is great). The concept -- dual language immersion is one that has very solid research support in terms of long-term outcomes. It also just makes sense for us as a family. The teachers, so far, are strong. Our daughter loves the school. She actually looks forward to doing the homework. And my wife is a regular volunteer. For us, so far, it has been an excellent choice.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids is already very fluent in Mandarin, know how to read about 100 chars. and write about 30-40 words. Our primary language at home is Mandarin; our biggest concern is if the kid's English will be discounted at the 50/50 teaching method. After couple of months of school, my hat is off to both English and Mandarin teachers. My child's Mandarin is progressing due to differentiate teaching and at the same time learning lots of new words & math in English class as well. My child cannot wait to go to school every day, and very excited about the new things learned in both languages classes. My child is also enrolled in various enrichment afterschool classes by STAR, we are extremely fortunate to get into this school. We also love the parent involvement here on campus. We are so glad that our child is on this path of dual language immersion. My child is so proud of our heritage and the ability speak Mandarin Chinese.
—Submitted by a parent

We chose to go here over our community 9 out of 10 school because we wanted that extra something special. We've been very happy with the teachers (friendly, keep lessons fun), Principal Wang (bright, responsive, personable), and the other parents. We've participated in several school events and had playdates with families. The parents are so committed to their children and the school. And hearing the kids speak and sing in Chinese is the best!
—Submitted by a parent

We are so grateful for this school! We are in the BMI program. Principal Wang, the teachers, and all of the support staff truly effort to treat our children as individuals. My daughter has been given a great deal of patience and interest, as have all the children. The English and Chinese teacher have been wonderful, making both a new language and the LAUSD mandatory program imaginative with music and art. Broadway still needs the parents to participate to help the school reach its full potential, but I believe this is a good example for the children.
—Submitted by a parent

What an amazing program, school, faculty and principal. We left Santa Monica USD to attend Broadway Mandarin Immersion, and I am so glad that we did. I was inspired by the leadership and passion in Principal Wang, and the teachers are amazing with the kids. The parent participation is so wonderful, and I see many parents donating their time and money for the kids. Truly a wonderful environment for learning, and the community is closely knit. I was confused by the reviewer that claimed the school wasn't warm and friendly. I've made some amazing friends, and we've had playdates with numerous kids from our class. Totally differing experiences, but as you can see by the vast majority of the reviews, BMI is a wonderful school. Don't waste your money on Private school when an amazing opportunity is free to the public. You won't reet your decision.
—Submitted by a parent

Not a very warm or friendly place, but the kids are learning a ton of Mandarin.
—Submitted by a parent

We also left an excellent Westwood public school to attend Broadway and am so happy that we did. The school is amazing! The teachers, principal and program is outstanding. The teachers are so dedicated to making the mandarin program successful. The classrooms are very welcoming and the parents are very involved.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter just started the immersion program and after a week she is saying a few words in Chinese and loving her classes. The teachers have found a way to make the dual language program fun. I was afraid it would be overwhelming for my kindergardener but it's not! I took her out of a 10 school in the neighborhood for this opportunity and I can tell it will pay off.
—Submitted by a parent

We declined a magnet acceptance to our school of choice (a 9 school) last fall in order to send our son to Broadway's new Mandarin Immersion Program. We are very happy with our choice. I am impressed by the teachers' ability to engage the students in hands-on ways in order to teach them Chinese in a fun way, and also by their genuine care for the students. Principal Wang is also very approachable and responsive to specific concerns we have had over the year.
—Submitted by a parent

If you don't want to spend $20,000 a year for a private school on the Westside and want you child to learn a second language, then head to this school's Mandarin Immersion Program. I also left a 10 school to come here. At first I thought that I would put him into the program just to "try it out", but now I realize that the students, teachers, parents and especially the principal are top notch. My son LOVES his school and so do I.
—Submitted by a parent

WOW! We were in one of the "10" schools in an affluent Westside neighborhood, and the school was very strong, but we were looking for something more. When we met Principal Susan Wong, we were blown away. She's amazing! She's encouraging, firm and nurturing. She strives for excellence, and her teachers are very committed and great. They go the extra mile for the kids. This is a school to watch, and the Mandarin Immersion program is quite impressive. We have two boys at Broadway. The school is doing well from a "testing" perspective, but the school focuses on the whole child - respect, discipline, confidence, social skills, etc. I couldn't speak more highly of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

We love love love this school - My son just started in the Kinder Mandarin Immersion class, and he is thriving. We don't speak the language at home but he comes home and teaches his younger brother all the fun things he has learnt. Love the teachers and Principal Wang, she is wonderful.
—Submitted by a parent