Reviewing the Mandarin dual language immersion program: the school and strong parent community have been amazing. The program is organized so that kids learn half the time in English, and half the time in Chinese. This is "double-learning" -- they go through a full elementary school program in both languages. The school also responded amazingly well to the pandemic, with teachers taking the initiative to send daily recorded lessons without skipping a bit before LAUSD even figured out what to do, then nearly a full year of Zoom, and now in-person learning with weekly testing. Kids are happy and learn lots. Can't recommend enough! read more

I recently enrolled my child in the Mandarin Immersion program at Braddock. Since I did my research, I had high expectations of the program, but surprisingly, Braddock has actually surpassed them. Not only do I feel Braddock MI is taking the best approach to individualized student learning (CGI math, writers workshop, etc), I also *very much* appreciate the progressive, light and flexible approach to homework. They get it. Moreover, the MI program is now also an integrated STEM program. Bonus! Putting the educational quality aside though, the absolute best recommendation I can give is this: we've been to three schools before Braddock (two "well-picked" preschools and one other STEAM elementary). My LO hated going to them all. Hated school. Cried when mommy had to leave. You get the picture. Braddock is legit the very first school that my child actually likes going to. The teachers are GREAT with the kids and actually make them excited to learn and be there (between you and me, I've checked in on the classrooms... shhhhh). LO actually walks into school while waving and smiling at me. You can't ask for more than that... bilingual, STEM, progressive, individualized high-quality learning, and a happy kid who's actually excited to go to school. read more

Preface: My son previously attended a Spanish immersion school for kindergarten. After seeing the level his peers were at, I was highly disappointed in the program. To be fair, he is a TK child so he was older than some of the kids in his class, but I was worried he was not being challenged enough. He was grouped with 2-3 other kids at his level and were left on their own while the teacher tried to accommodate and bring the rest of the 20 or so kids up to speed. There was also one other TA who was only with the class TWO hours a day - this is VERY little time for a language immersion program. Upon hearing some more positive reviews for the Mandarin program @ Braddock through a friend whose child attended since kindergarten, we toured the school and decided it was a better fit for us. Also, when I refer back to his previous school in my examples, I am only specifically referencing the Spanish Immersion Program, not the school in entirety (as there are other language programs offered). Now: Our son has adjusted tremendously well with the Mandarin program. He no longer complains he is bored, and is surrounded by peers at his level. According to his teachers, he is caught up now with the language - and has been for the last few weeks (he went into the program with very little to no knowledge of the language). While the program is fairly new, a considerable difference you can see with the parental involvement is that they ALL are proactive. At his previous school, there was very little parent involvement, and because it has been around for years, everything was status quo. Here @ Braddock, I know what my son is learning on a weekly basis, and we get frequent agendas sent out to help us plan for homework, tests, etc. The room parents are VERY dedicated and clear in communicating updates well in advance - which is very helpful for working parents. There are also PLENTY of opportunities for the kids/parents to bond outside of the class/school - these are all carefully organized and well-thought-out so I really appreciate the room parents and other involved parents/guardians taking the time to plan activities for the families. A key thing to note as well, is that because it is a language immersion, having a full-time TA is CRITICAL. While the asking donation per family is higher than his previous school, it is used to provide a TA for the kids FULL-TIME. One additional perk to the school is that they do offer STAR for aftercare so that is a HUGE bonus. My son actively looks forward to hanging out with all his friends in aftercare. CONS - The school could use a little more foliage (more greenery like trees) to provide shade for the kids when they are playing outside. It would also be nice to have some type of padding under the play structure as it's all concrete but these are aesthetics/wants that can vary among parents - to me, I'd rather have a better learning environment, with attentive teachers and parents which the school/program provides. read more

Once a "not-great school," Braddock is definitely trending upward. Home to probably the best Mandarin Immersion program in California (among public schools), and they have recently attracted some top-notch teachers. Principal Lopez is humble & open to new ideas. Are there things that could be better, such as more trees & greenspace / less asphalt? Yes, but such factors were decided decades before the current administration, and will take years to rectify. The buildings are older (probably built in the 1950's-60's), but charming in their own way. If there are any issues, I voice them to the teacher or the principal directly. We are paying their salaries, after all. read more

Excellent school with excellent community support and great administration. The community around the school is very involved and are always looking for ways to improve opportunities. There is a magnet program for gifted children, Mandarin Immersion program, as well as a traditional PreK-5 program. read more

Just enrolled my daughter her. It has great reviews I made quite some research and this school is great. Of course it's not a new building, fancy but what I really want is for my kid get the best education and so far this is what I can get. There are way better schools, unfortunately they aren't taking more kids out of the area. So, for now Im happy to take her here is a drive from home but for her education is worth it. read more

I have a child in the new Mandarin Immersion program and a child in the Gifted Magnet, both at Braddock. It's only been about 1 month, but I'm overall happy with our decision to be at this school. The positives: very involved parents, especially in the MI program. amazing teachers in both programs. the Principal is easy to talk to. It's rare to have a Mandarin Immersion program, and it's also rare to have a public school gifted program--and Braddock has BOTH! I have many friends that are envious of the fact that we can be in a Mandarin Immersion program. And regarding the gifted magnet, one parent told me --t's like private school education (academically) but it's at a public school price! The MI has 2 classes for kinder. the gifted magnet has 1 class per grade. The drawbacks: it's LAUSD and a Title 1 school, so there are no resources for in-school enrichment programs and campus improvement. However, the parents have improved the school dramatically over the past month. I expect that it will continue to improve. No school is perfect, but I think this is a great school overall. read more

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We just got accepted in the full Immersion Mandarin program! We are so excited that we got in. Braddock was our first choice since we toured the school and met Principal Lopez. We applied to several Charter schools and few Full immersion, but nobody felt as right as Braddock dr elementary. The school is big, with a nice yard, the outdoor tables are covered with plenty of shades and the classes are bigger than my assigned local school. We are very excited that this new program just started and our kids can learn Mandarin in a public school! read more

We recently enrolled our child into the Mandarin Immersion program at Braddock elementary, and so far we love the energy of the parents and what we've seen of Principal Lopez and especially the teachers. In a short period of time the parents have organized a board, established a STAR program, and performed fundraising for two TAs, one for each of the Mandarin Immersion kinder classes. Things are off to an awesome start and we look forward to seeing the program flourish at Braddock! read more

Great magnet program. Amazing staffs esp. the magnet coordinator. Challenged work and great parent involvement.

My son is finishing kindergarten in the Mandarin Immersion program. Loving it!! Great teachers! Great parents' involvement! My son who didn't know any Mandarin before can now understand and speak in simple everyday conversation! I am truly impressed. A year ago, we got accepted to different chartered AND magnet programs in our community, and it was difficult for me to make the decision to go to Braddock. A year later today, I have no regret! read more

My son will be joining the new Mandarin Immersion program at Braddock Drive Elementary School this fall. We are so excited! Principal Lopez is a joy to work with and very responsive to our needs and collective vision. The program uses a 50/50 immersion instruction model, teaching Mandarin (traditional characters) and English during the day. Teachers only speak Mandarin during the Mandarin session, so kids are fully immersed into the environment. There are two incoming Kinder classes for 2016-17, and the dual class room structure is the most effective and best for results. Goal is to educate children to be bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural. The parent community is strong, despite all of us being first timers at the school. My son already speaks Mandarin from home, but we are choosing this school because it helps strengthen his skills in an inviting peer environment as he ages, so he does not feel forced to speak the language! Also know many other non-Mandarin speakers pick up the language quickly via this immersion model without being too overwhelming to the non-Mandarin parents. Come join us! Your kids can learn to speak, read, and write Mandarin in a fun setting, without regard to any pre-existing knowledge! https://braddockdres-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1464083801557 read more

My son is in the new Mandarin Immersion program and he absolutely loves it. The teachers, the administrators, the principals, the parents - everyone has been incredible. Principal Lopez is a very supportive and nurturing person who loves children and she is very receptive to feedback from parents. The teachers are just fantastic - Ms. Durand and Zhang Lao Shi are both loved by all of the students. I had the opportunity to visit my son's classroom one morning and was astounded by the students' cooperativeness! Lastly, the parents have been amazing - everyone I've met has made a positive contribution in some way. We're taking strides towards beautifying and greening the campus, and just started a valet drop-off program in the mornings. This is just a terrific place, and I am very grateful for this school! Best of all - my son has started speaking to me in Chinese again! read more

My daughter is currently in the Mandarin kindergarten program. I'm so impressed with what she has learned already in such a short amount of time! She's excelling in both languages. She used to be annoyed when I would ask her to speak Chinese and now she will sing and speak Chinese on her own! The principal is amazing and so accomodating to parents and new ideas. We live in a 10/10 school district but drive to this school and are so happy about it! For us I feel there is no greater gift to give your child a chance to learn and love another culture and language. It's really a gift for life! Also the parents and teachers in this program are awesome!! read more

My child is in the gifted magnet program at Braddock and we love it. Math and language are both advanced and enriched. The teachers work to meet individual needs of the kids - I know the 2nd grade teacher pulled from several different math curricula to make sure my kid was challenged. Pretty intense reading program - over a dozen novels were read in class in both 2nd and 3rd grades, and good ones! The 3rd grade does a full-blown Broadway musical every year - this year was Matilda - it's a lot of work and great experience in teamwork, discipline, and self confidence. It takes a little time away from other schoolwork but they are already very advanced, so the enrichment is wonderful. I'm not giving 5 stars because we don't have PE, or good choices of after school care (Youth Services and LA's Best only), or a beautiful yard (typical LAUSD asphalt). However, a new Mandarin Immersion program is starting at Braddock in fall 2016 and they are already bringing a lot of energy and setting up a STAR after school program for the kinder year to start, and more to come I am sure. I am enrolling my younger child in the Mandarin Immersion program and very excited about it - it's an opportunity to learn a 2nd language at a young age, and to be part of a very committed school community for me and my kids. . read more