Micheltorena Street Elementary School

My son is finishing up first grade at Micheltorena. He is doing just fine there. I have no basis of comparison with regard to academics but at this age they develop at their own rate. What I can say is that the teachers seem to really understand the kids as individuals and are compassionate and fair. They are open to trying new things, and one of them even volunteered to tutor after school for free!
The community surrounding the school is lovely. Many parents are involved with the school in ways that best suit their individual skills, be it fund raising, coordinating programs, room parenting or leading school improvement committees.
It is wonderful to be attending a local school where my son bumps into his friends at the farmer’s market, various playgrounds and parks and they greet each other as do the parents.
The principal is very involved as well and listens to parents concerns and makes considerable efforts to address them.
This is LAUSD and LAUSD budget, rules, and regulations. It is not a charter or a private school.

Our son started school here this year in the dual language program and we are thrilled. It is extremely community focused which we love and there is great communication between the administration and parents. The teachers are top quality and our son jumps out of bed to go to school everyday. We also love the free lunch and after school care. 110% satisfied. We highly recommend this school.

My daughter is a kindergartner at Micheltorena Elementary School and our experience thus far has been fantastic! Her transition from an English preschool to the Spanish Dual Immersion Program has been especially positive where she is excelling both academically and socially in both languages. As a parent and researcher/​professor of education, I am especially impressed with the school’s focus on the Arts (facilitated by Blue Palm, a non profit that integrates Arts based education into the curriculum), the dual immersion program (my child is reading and writing in both languages!), lessons in the Garden (complete with a chicken coop) as well as the school community/​parental involvement. The principal has worked diligently to develop strong relationships with parents and community members which has made our family feel as if we are truly part of a community (which is pretty rare in a huge city like Los Angeles). I am especially impressed with the teachers who consistently reach out and share the progress my child has been making as well as the principal’s efforts to hear parental concerns and feedback. If you are in the process of looking for an elementary school, I urge you to take a tour!

My two boys both attend this school, and we could not be happier with the principal, the teachers and the staff. Our youngest has been here since pre-​school (sadly, the state-​run pre-​school was shut down last year due to budget cuts — we were the second to last group through). Our oldest is now in 4^th grade, and in the Gifted program. His teacher is constantly in contact with me about customizing his education alongside the other gifted kids in his class. I have been encouraged to participate and actively drive my kids’ learning process by these experienced (many have been here for almost two decades!) and caring teachers. The four years we have been attending, we have not only been happy with the school, but thrilled with how much we — the parents — have been able to shape the curriculum of our own kids and of the school itself. Since we put our oldest in 1^st grade here, Micheltorena has gotten a big, new playground apparatus, an organic garden and a huge new library with a reading garden. We couldn’t be happier, and if we could, we would carry Principal Susanna Fufari through the streets of Silver Lake on a raised chair to celebrate her enthusiasm, her dedication and her complete love of our school and our kids.

I have 2 children at Micheltorena. We are new to the school, coming here from a very good public school in Philadelphia, a school that was built and funded largely by University of Penn. I must say that we are very happy with Micheltorena in many ways, both with the academics and especially with the school culture. M.E. has a great principal and teachers, diverse student body and the very best thing about it is the feeling of being a truly unique school with it’s own character, like a good patina this school has evolved naturally and at it’s own pace and is, as a result, is a beautiful thing.

We have two kids who are absolutely thriving at Micheltorena, with excellent teachers and a truly extraordinary principal in Susanna Furfari. When our first kid was born we were warned to stay away from here – and indeed, five-​ten years ago it did not have a good reputation – but when we toured the place ourselves we realized how much things have changed for the better. We have a very strong community of teachers and parents and neighborhood people working together. This is a school trending towards the elite, and any prospective parent would be wise to get their kids in now. The negative review below unfortunately has to do with the State run pre-​school program, not the school itself, and our youngest was fortunate enough to be a part of that before it was shut down last year (when this person is referring to).

Our son went to school at Micheltorena years ago. I can’t say enough good things about this school. His teachers were well trained and professional — enthusiastic about their work and very communicative.
Micheltorena Elementary School has been in the neighborhood for 100 years. It’s one of those schools where you’ll find parents parents that went there when they were young and chose the school for their children.
The best thing about the school is the neighborhood. Micheltorena is supported by its neighbors and community. The community built a garden on the Sunset corner and you’ll see neighbors out there every Saturday and Sunday working to make it better — adding solar panels, a sink with running water, teaching classes or having a meeting. The children use the garden for science classes.
The school hosts the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meetings in its auditorium. Both parents and students attend getting a first hand look at community and political involvement.
If you’re looking for a school that is more than a place to park your kids, this is it. You won’t just be getting a school, you’ll be getting a community — life long friendships.
[ It’s too bad about the fellow who had the problem with enrollment. I’m wondering if the school was not at the mercy of an LAUSD delay. ]

I am a parent of two children at Micheltorena, who have both been there since the first grade. This is a quiet, friendly neighborhood elementary school, a school where the office staff, teachers and kids really LIKE each other; you can see and feel it when you walk onto the campus. The principal is outstanding; she is always accessible to the parents and public when they have questions, concerns, or just want to discuss new ideas for the school.
The teachers are well credentialed and very experienced, as is described on their teacher pages on the school’s website,
; many of the teachers live local to the school and are active in the community. Next year, the school will implement the first year of its dual language program.
The school does not appear «great» when condensed into numbers and statistics on websites that focus on API scores; Micheltorena has roughly 25% of its student population as special needs /​speical education students, many of them coming from surrounding school districts like Ivanhoe and Franklin. When the API score, which includes test scores from these special education kids, is compiled, many parents are turned off and assume that the the scores are due to poor academics. However, my children have excelled at the school with teachers that they love, who are willing to individualize their teaching plans to different students’ needs. The parents of children in the gifted program also report that their children are challenged and provided with instruction that meets their needs as well.
The school has always focused on the arts, and at one time had the biggest elementary school orchestra in Los Angeles. It still has its orchestra which all children in grades 4^th through 6^th can participate in. Now the school is partnering with local arts organizations Silver Lake Conservatory of Music and Bluepalm, both who have supplemented the existing art curriculum with increased instruction and classes.
And with the school garden that is co-​managed by Silver Lake Neighborhood Council members and is open to the community, the school has truly become a community center.
It is a wonderful experience to be a parent at this school. Come join us!

I would think twice before enrolling your child at this school. Last May, I filled out an application to enroll my daughter to their Fall 2010 preschool program. At the time, the administrators told me they will be notifying parents on acceptance and date of orientation in mid-​July. July came and went and tried several times to get information about our application status. Every time I called I get an excuse such as «We will be calling you», «Just look for information to be mailed to you», and «We are still looking for a teacher.» I kept getting the run around until one week before school started, in September. This time, I was frustrated and panicking as school is about to start. Their excuse this time is the district needed to grant approval to be admitted because the program was a state funded program which was based on income but they still strung me around with no answer. Now, at this point it got me thinking, is this is a type of school I can trust my child with, where they procrastinate and couldn’t give you a straight answer? I am also upset for the fact that it is too late for me to look for another program as other schools have started or have a massive waiting list. Thank you Micheltorena, I finally got your phone call and we were denied one day after your school started. Parents beware and forewarned.