Here are some excerpts of reviews posted on various websites.
"I adore Grand View Elementary School. Some of my best childhood memories revolve around my experiences at the school. I had amazing, dedicated teachers who I continue to keep in contact with to this day. I am so thankful to have been a part of the school's Dual Language Program because I believe that my success as a student has a great deal to do with the impact of that program. I excelled in middle school, earning a scholarship that would reward me from 7th grade until high school graduation with $1200 every semester to pay for any educational expenses, (which included purchasing a laptop, taking a trip to New York, and visiting many museums and plays/musicals.) I graduated middle school with many honors and went on to high school where I also excelled and graduated with honors and went on to a four year college. The Dual Language Program gave me many advantages when it came to school work, learning foreign languages, and getting jobs. I know that if it wasn't for the Dual Language Program, I would have had a harder time in French class for sure! It is my opinion that the Dual Language Program is a MUST for parents who want their children to succeed not only in school but in life."
"We enrolled our kindergartener after being wait-listed at the "other district language" schools, admittedly, not our first choice. It should have been. I can't believe more parents aren't pitching up tents to make sure they get in. They will be soon. It's the only 90/10 DL program in all of LAUSD, which I've researched, is the best way for a non-native speaker to master the 2nd language, and actually excel at it. It's been around for over 20 years, the teachers, the principal, the parents are GREAT!! We recently had hundreds of volunteers over several weekends, beautifying the school - painting, planting, murals, cleaning, fixing, etc. It still needs more work BUT the very passionate and active parents and teachers will get us there. Concerned about API scores? Don't be short-sighted. Our Kindergartener is thriving and now even corrects my Spanish. The DL teachers put on a Spring Festival where the kids dance and sing in Spanish. There's art and music 1 x per week vs. 1 x per month like the other schools. The parents are working to make GV the school of 1st choice for Spanish Immersion."
"My kids LOVE Grand View. They love their teachers and their friends and there's a real sense of community. The principal, Mr Ortiz, really cares about this school. The teachers are really committed and I know that those in the dual language program are all highly educated with master's degrees or certificates in bilingual education. We decided to permit into the school for one reason: Spanish language. The beauty of it is, since the school has a very high Latino population where Spanish is the language in the home, my kids are playing with their friends on the playground IN SPANISH. It is a true immersion situation. You will not find this anywhere else in West LA. We are very pleased with our choice, and we're on the way to giving our kids the bilingual education we both wish we'd had."
"We were unsure of the 90/10 Spanish/English ratio, worried it would be too much Spanish all at once. We didn't want our daughter to feel alienated in a class with all Spanish speakers when she knew so little herself. But after doing research and meeting with wonderful parents and teachers during the tour last year, we decided on Grand View and are thrilled with our decision. Our child was speaking and understanding Spanish within a few weeks. She's singing songs, reading and writing in Spanish-AND English! Her teacher and staff are FANTASTIC, passionate, skilled, loving. Her classmates are great kids, and the demographic of her school is a great balance of kids from all walks of life, ethnic and racial backgrounds."
"My child is in the Spanish dual immersion program. There are great, engaging and caring people in the program with lots of parent involvement and there are people who care and a show a true concern for the students. I don't live in the immediate school zone, but I easily permitted in and find it welcoming. The teachers have a passion for teaching in the dual immersion program. There are many social and special events in evening that create a great community. A great parent center too."
