As a parent who had a child enrolled here for a few years, I feel a responsibility to share our experience so other families can make an informed decision, especially since the school sells itself to the outside very well. In our experience, school management is disorganized and unresponsive, and this often translates into emotional stress for the children. Communication with administration is difficult. It also appears that management does not support their teachers when conflict comes up with demanding parents, which is disappointing and, in my view, contributes to staff turnover and low morale. There were repeated incidents over time that raised serious concerns about supervision and overall school climate. Bullying and peer issues are an ongoing topic across almost all grades. Many families speak up now about mean, inappropriate targeting behaviors between students that feel insufficiently addressed. Common areas, particular bathrooms where students of different ages interact, feel poorly supervised. This adds to concerns about safety and creates a stressful environment for students, and was one of the reasons several families I personally know chose to leave the school. There also seems to be a difficult dynamic among adults in this school. Some parents regularly treat teachers poorly, and several strong educators eventually left. This kind of environment sets a troubling example for children, and in my opinion, contributes to a hostile school environment. Academically I find the program very weak. Class sizes are large (approximately 30 students with one teacher) and there appear to be limited additional professional classroom support. Many students who may have needed extra assistance do not have aides, which makes it difficult for teachers to meet the needs of all students. As a result, instruction often seems geared toward the lowest performing level in the classroom. In my experience, this causes the entire classroom to fall behind academically. By the upper elementary grades, reading and math expectations were well below what we expected. Many families I know privately hired outside tutors multiple times per week just to cover basic skills. Several families left to academic concerns. Day to Day classroom conditions are challenging. The classrooms are often very loud, and student behavior frequently feels out of control. During many volunteer opportunities, I personally observed that a large portion of the teacher's energy goes trying to calm students or get them to sit down, leaving less time for learning. Because the school seems to rely heavily on parent volunteers, adults without pedagogical training are frequently in and out of classrooms. While the intention might be to help, this often results in inconsistent, unqualified, or biased assistance, which does not support a productive learning environment. Finally, I want to note that my experience aligns with what other critical reviews have mentioned. Families deserve to know the full picture. This review is written to inform and caution parents, with the hope that it helps families ask the right questions and make choices that best support their children's well being. Please talk to multiple parents in depth who are still there or have left the school and you will hear about all these matters in person. read more

It's interesting to see that so many glowing reviews seem to come from parents who are either closely connected to the school or on especially friendly terms with the office staff--almost as if someone encouraged them to "help out" by making things look good. This school used to feel warm and welcoming, with a genuine commitment to students. They even had their own IEP team from outside vendors--something families truly appreciated. Unfortunately, those days appear to be long gone since COVID. Now, politics seem to take priority over children's needs. If your family happens to think differently than the prevailing office view, you may find yourself on the outside looking in. The so-called "Waldorf for all students" approach seems to apply only to typical kids whose families share the same perspective. The education feels caught in limbo--neither truly Waldorf nor a traditional school--and the lack of clear direction leaves families feeling misled. Many staff and teachers seem uncertain of their roles, perhaps because hiring decisions appear to be based more on politics than on qualifications. You can almost smell the artificial sweetness in all those overly positive reviews--like walking through a lavender field made of plastic. This is simply how the school and staff are, and no amount of effort on your part will change them. The best solution is to find another school that uses more common sense. If you're already in a good district, you're much better off staying with your traditional public school. At least you know what to expect. That's far safer than choosing a school that pretends to offer something special for your child but ends up delivering little more than polished propaganda. read more

Hello! We're four proud Ocean Charter School alumni, and we're here to share just how transformative our time at OCS was. We became friends in first grade and grew up in the tight-knit OCS community. From the start, Ocean Charter was where we learned, explored, and developed academically and emotionally. The connections we built with our classmates and teachers were deep and lasting. It truly felt like a family. As we transitioned to a public high school, we were well-prepared. As freshmen, we were placed into Geometry, and thrived in advanced English and science classes. More importantly, we stood out for our emotional intelligence, social awareness, and empathy, which are core values deeply rooted in the Waldorf education at OCS. Additionally, we often saw that students from traditional middle schools lacked the same global understanding and interpersonal maturity levels. OCS didn't just teach us facts; it taught us how to think critically, connect with others, and navigate the world with kindness and intention. We remained close friends throughout high school, as did many of our fellow OCS classmates. The OCS alumni community has been an incredible network, supportive, inspiring, and full of opportunities. Time and time again, it has shown us how strong and special the OCS foundation truly is. Now, as we head off to college at some of the best universities in the world (go Bruins!), we can honestly say that Ocean Charter shaped us into the people we are today. If you're looking for a school that supports the whole child, academically, emotionally, and socially, there's no better place than OCS. Your child will leave with the confidence, curiosity, and foundation to succeed in whichever path they choose. *TL;DR* Creativity, empathy, and authenticity matter more than ever in a world increasingly driven by technology and conformity. Ocean Charter fosters these qualities in every student. Choose Waldorf. Choose OCS. Your child's future will thank you. Go Stingrays! read more

Our experience at Ocean Charter School was deeply disappointing. While the school claims to follow Waldorf principles, it is not a true Waldorf school. Most teachers are not Waldorf-trained, and the curriculum is severely lacking. When we finally transferred our children out, we were shocked at how behind they were academically compared to their peers at other schools, and while at Ocean Charter my kids were top in their class. Now we are having to invest time and money to get our kids up to speed. When I realized that half of my sons 4th grade class was still struggling to read and constantly creating disruptions in class (which was likely do to the fact that they couldn't read and be involved in the curriculum) I realized we could not stay any longer. The administration is, without a doubt, the worst part of Ocean Charter. The director seems to care only about keeping her job and paycheck, with no real commitment to creating a safe or effective learning environment. Don't be fooled by her fake smile...she's careless, passive aggressive and condescending. Events at the school were completely disorganized--absolute chaos, like Lord of the Flies. Attending them gave me anxiety, and I often left wondering how such a poorly managed school could still be running. I like to think once upon a time Ocean Charter was the school and community that people rave about, but I think that was many years ago and never part of our 4.5 years experience at this school. Bullying and safety issues were another major concern. Despite multiple reports and attempts to address incidents, nothing was ever done. The administration consistently failed to take action, leaving children vulnerable and parents frustrated. While we did appreciate the school's focus on art--especially handwork--and were fortunate to have one truly wonderful Waldorf teacher, that alone wasn't enough to outweigh the many issues. The new campus might look impressive, but a school is about more than just facilities. What matters is the education, the values, and the leadership, and in those areas, Ocean Charter fails miserably. I think TK thru 2nd grade one could have a very sweet experience with the arts and crafts and singing and dancing but after that if your child is remotely academic then get the heck out. If your child thrives in a structured, academic setting, this is not the school for you. The transition out of Ocean was tough for our kids because they were so far behind their peers at their new school. If you're considering leaving, do it sooner rather than later to minimize the academic and social gap. We did appreciate the no-screen policy and will continue it as a family, but even that felt fake--many families didn't actually follow it. In the end, Ocean Charter hides behind the idea of Waldorf education to mask the reality: a weak curriculum, poor leadership, and a lack of real academic structure. If you truly want a Waldorf education, invest in a real Waldorf private school. Otherwise, look elsewhere for a school that values education, safety, and accountability. read more

We absolutely LOVE Ocean Charter School! The campus is new and beautiful, and the curriculum and values align with our own. There are families at the school from all over the world. A few families decided the school is not for them and they have found an alternative. And that happens at every single school in LA. I know many Families who have switched schools multiple times. How lucky to live in a city with so many different and great options! I encourage all families to consider looking elsewhere to find a good fit. This also opens up a highly coveted spot for another family that is looking for a chance to experience OCS. We really appreciate the no media policy during the week - no screen time battles and the kids are happy playing. They watch on the weekends. Our kids are THRILLED to be learning Japanese, finger-knitting, various and unique musical instruments, painting techniques that help with reading, working with natural materials, cooking, singing, all kinds of different cultural traditions, and so much more! They love learning at OCS. A love of learning is something we feel is so important to have for life. We feel so so lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of Ocean Charter School. read more

Amazing school. Feel so grateful my kids get to go there. Wonderful alternative education read more

My personal perspective is that I continue to question some of the administration's decisions that effect my child despite their having made some improvements recently under heavy pressure from many parents. I have spoken with parents that are happier now that they have moved on to other schools. Even so, there are other parents are very satisfied. read more

My son left this school last December with a lot of trauma, a nice campus, parent participation and better lunch than LAUSD, those are the only things good about this school, the after school is terrible, it's expensive and no activities, the kids stay just there, doing or learning nothing with almost no supervision. NO SUPERVISION is what happens most at Ocean. Forget Steiner's lectures about kindness there is no care at Ocean. My son told me in September last year that there was an older child beating him every day with a rope (kids have access to balls and ropes in recess with very little adult supervision), despite my emails, the school didn't do anything for two months, my kid was suffering every day, then I tried to offer external help, an ABA and recreational therapist payed by me to help during recess, the principal refused due to "liability reasons", in December the kid beat my son again, there was so much written proof of negligence that I ended up hiring a lawyer. Eight months later my child is still completely traumatized by that school and experience. If you have a kid with special needs, if you like pro active caring principals and assistant principal, if bullying is a concern: stay away. read more

Interesting reviews from parents NEW to the school! Yeah, I initially felt the same way at first, then didn't have the time or energy to write a review of how awful it had become. I recognize other five star reviews of parents who were board members or part of the "school clique" in the school who were encouraged to leave these reviews by school administrators. My children went to OCS for their early childhood education, because the Waldorf curriculum represented what my own values were at home. A lot of the parents we met there seem to have had it the other way around, though, and only seemed to try embrace the values espoused by the curriculum after they enrolled their children. Take , for example, (excessive) exposure to violence in television and video games in early childhood. It was clear from what my children were reporting to me at home that a lot of the other young kids were "processing " that stuff that they were watching in their homes. It's obvious that most parents who want something different than a conventional education for their children enroll them here without doing their own "homework" on what Waldorf education is about. This was a common occurrence at this school, unfortunately...In the later years, we had parents enrolling their kids who didn't give a (bleep) about any of it. I mean, if you're family values conflict so much with those of the curriculum, why then send your kid(s) to this school? (I understand that this is even a challenge at places like Westside Waldorf School, from what I've been told.) Then there were the other parents...! You know, the ones cozy with the administration and staff...you know, the kind of parents that "find" their way into those positions to benefit themselves and their own kids feigning (or not even!) community. Granted, this dynamic exists at most schools, for sure, but OCS was definitely a place to observe and experience the phenomenon of parents (mostly mothers) submitting to the sadistic behavior of the administration and staff. It was an atmosphere full of Relational Aggression that one mother advised me to just "keep (my) head down" to avoid it...That was about four or five years into it, when we started attending the Westchester campus, where it was clear who really ran this school! If you make it this far into it, you will learn that there is no recourse or support from LAUSD, because OCS is their OWN school district! Yes, people! There is a school board, and they are all very cozy with one another, and they are just looking to keep the school running for their own interests. As a blue-collar, working-class woman, I got to see the ugliest part of liberals and the political grandstanding at OCS. From the off-the-hook Relational Aggression to the hallmark of liberal politics, Aversive Racism, it was an education indeed for me and my family. We chose OCS because it was prohibitively expensive for us to attend any of the private Waldorf schools around, but clearly even this came at a heavy cost. Despite donating generously to this school (in both time and money), my children have mostly bad memories of what they / we endured at this school. I try to focus on the positive things we learned from the experience, but the negative definitely outweighs the positive...My youngest son, in particular, often recounts how horrible the male Kindergarten teacher treated him. Only now is he able to actually articulate these this things to me because he was too young to do so when he was in this guy's class for both Kindergarten and TK! My other son regrets that he went to school there altogether. After enrolling them in our local school district, they made lots of friends and experienced kindness and respectfulness that were severely lacking at OCS. Since leaving OCS, I have discovered that this is a takeaway that is not unique among people who've attended Waldorf schools in general. I realize now that the one thing that is lacking at these schools is the Non-Violence Marshall Rosenberg wrote of, essentially the loving-kindness that children should be received with. Sadly, this is the one and most important things my children did not get at OCS. So, if you're a parent with young children looking for a school, I recommend looking for this quality in another school first. The administration sets the tone in a school, and seeing that it is the same individuals holding those positions at OCS it most likely will not have changed... read more

Update: Ocean Charter now occupies a brand new TK-8th grade campus on Panama Street. It is beautiful and fully accessible. If you want to check out the campus and the vibe of the school come to Winter Faire, open to the public on Saturday December 10th 2022 for crafts and activities. read more

This school is truly an incredible find! We are so happy to be part of it. We are new to the community and it is exactly what we need for our child and our family. You can volunteer in so many places if you want. The spaces for play and learning are so well thought out and sensitive to different kinds of learners. Our teacher is so incredible, communicative, proactive and supportive! Our child is now excited to go to school and is opening up with curiosity and a heartfelt desire to learn. The campus is amazing. The gardens and gardening classes are fantastic, along with so much else here! There is a a wonderful music program, woodworking, and art woven into the curriculum. And the basketball court is awesome!!! The after school curriculum has a sophistication and depth to it that respects the intelligence of our children. The approach here is so valuable in our world right now with all the technology and hype that is currently invading childhood and us adults all over world. I couldn't have imagined how to do it all myself, but this place has turned our whole life around in all the right ways. It is a great modern urban school with a wonderful diversity of students, teachers and children. We feel like we actually won the lottery. read more

I have 3 children at OCS (all vaccinated btw) and they love this school. Just like any place it has it's issues that are mostly addressed quickly and with passion. If you want a place that will barely watch your kids, much less educate them, put them in just any old public school. If you are looking for a place that has an extremely active and intelligent curriculum then OCS is perfect for you. The one guy who is freaked about vaccines, frankly, has a profile picture that makes me wonder if he has kids. Plus he lives in SF? Again it's not for everybody. You know what's best for your family ... If you actually have one. read more

Ocean Charter School - Maypole performanc - Elementary Schools Near Me - Los Angeles, California

UPDATE TO MY REVIEW: I wrote in my first review the school did not have a permanent home. That is changing. Ocean Charter School has purchased land near Ballona Wetlands to build a K-8th grade campus. The campus is located near Culver Blvd. and Alla Road on Panama Street. This site will now allow both the small elementary and middle school to locate on one campus. The school is being designed and built from scratch and specifically to the Waldorf education program. The new campus is being built from State of California Bond Funds, Los Angeles Unified School District Bond Funds, and donations from parents other givers, and reserves. This is one of the few Los Angeles Based Charter Schools to be built from Proposition 1d and LAUSD facility bonds, and it should be a wonderful new campus adding to the excellent program. The design includes Gardens, Art, a Multipurpose gym, underground parking, etc. The new campus should open in Fall of 2019. This will probably effect the school wait list in adding new families to the list. As a Charter it is a lottery selection system, so statistically everyone has a equal change of getting in. However, there are preferences to existing families, local school district families, etc., as in ALL Charters lottery systems. read more

I do not have a child who goes to this school. I am reviewing as a parent who attended the prospective parent tour this year for other parents who are thinking about taking a tour. (I suspect my reviewed will either be pulled or get grayed, but it is what it is.) What I liked: I liked the play emphasized learning. I also liked the practical life lesson aspect of the classrooms. The school is located in a old apartment building and each of the classrooms is essential an apartment with its walls removed. They each have full kitchens and the kids participate in preparing and cooking their daily snacks. K level kids cutting with real knives under supervision, etc. There is also a garden area. The playground area is mulched as opposed to asphalt or that rubberized stuff so popular now, which was nice. There is a high level of parental involvement, which is important. What I did not like: There is almost no diversity. The classrooms I saw (three K classes and a 3rd grade class, where overwhelmingly white. Like 90% or more. The TK/K vaccination rate is well under 50%, which means no herd immunity. There is very much a hippie/crunch, "natural" materials, attachment culture here. If you or your child has special mobility needs, I would call ahead and inquire about the school's accessibility. I assume that much have a way to get up to the second floor, where the upper level classes and library are located, but it was not obvious. Perhaps a school official can comment on my review and provide more information on the school's accessibility. Most of what I did not like was a personality thing. Although I am fairly "crunchy" in my parenting (home births, cloth diapers, etc), I did not feel comfortable with the culture of this school. It was too extreme for my tastes. The vaccination information (which can be pulled from California's database tracking such things), tipped me over the edge. For the right sort of family, it could be a great fit. But if you are not a hippy-whole foods-wood toys-no media type and you believe in evidence based science, I would skip this tour and move on to the next school on your list. read more

We are in our 2nd year at Ocean Charter, and couldn't be happier, and truly blessed in many ways. This school has a Waldorf curriculum and is geared to the students life of art in every aspect. It has really helped my child gain confidence and also learn team work. She has learned some great qualities in life that I think a lot of other schools are missing like knitting, and cleaning and just learning that these are important as you grow too.. The parent involvement is wonderful and its shows creativity even in that area that helps us parents grow and learn as well... We couldn't ask for a better school. Its definitely worth checking out.. read more

If you're looking for a Waldorf inspired school this is not it. They say one thing and do another. Do yourself a favor and either opt for the real thing or keep looking. Some of the upper grades teachers are the worst I've ever come across and the administration is even worse. Extremely contradictory in my view as a parent of a student at both Waldorf and OCS. They have no idea what each celebration is about whether it's Michaelmas or Winter Spiral... there's minimal knowledge of these important events. It's as though they're just checking off boxes but not actually participating in the event itself. read more

i see all the reviews for this school are by parents whose children attend/have attended this school, and i think there needs to be a different perspective on this. i was a student and i'm now in my third year of high school and i can very easily state why this is not a good school at all. although being in a school now with a perfectly fine curriculum, i'm always behind because this school taught me absolutely nothing, and now i struggle with understanding or doing work given to me because what the school taught had no real use to me. on top of that, i've suffered from ADHD my whole life and instead of the school helping, they put me in a smaller class, with other students who weren't very academically fit, and then did class as normal as if we weren't students who needed special help. the things i learnt in this school were completely useless and now i have to suffer the consequences of their poor schooling choices all in the effort to be quirky and different school than others in LA. now that i'm out of that school, all i really took with me was an unnecessary amount of knowledge on christianity (i'm an atheist, and that school almost acted as some religious conversion camp), stupid songs they made us sing, like two words in japanese that i'll never use, the ability to play violin when i don't even own one and never will, and how to knit (which is literally the dumbest core subject i've ever had). i would write more, but in the end, i can't be asked to because this whole school is a joke and isn't worth my time.....thanks for reading if you did read more

We are in our second year at Ocean Charter. After 3 years of attempting the lottery, we were blessed to gain acceptance when they increased their class size from 20 to 28 in 2011. As a parent I hoped Ocean Charter would be a fit for my boys, but you never know until you are there how your children will fare. After two years now my boys are incredibly happy and I am continuously moved to tears by what they study, their homework and the level of care and commitment of their two teachers. This school is magical and everyone seems to feel very blessed to be there. There are numerous volunteers opportunities there and the parents are enormously important in making OCS work. After several rocky years in 'normal' LAUSD schools, we finally feel we have found our educational 'home'. read more

Feel so blessed! A Waldorf inspired eduction in a public school setting- amazing! Our son is so happy- the staff is incredible, the school has a homey, natural, beautiful environment, and the children are so sweet and wholesome there. If you get in via lottery, you definitely have gotten the golden ticket read more

My kids are first year in kinder and never got sick. Used to get sick a lot in preschool years. Also, love the teachers, curriculum and whole child approach. It is very international and fun for all of us. read more

My children do not attend school there. Some of my son's classmates attend their after school care program, and I have toured both the regular school and received information about the after school care when we were looking to find an after school program for him. It was nice that their after school program was independent of their school. The staff was friendly and the facility for the elementary campus is nice (great outdoor play equipment), but it's a shame that they're divided between two campuses. I like the Waldorf curriculum, and it's great that there is an opportunity to be in a Waldorf-based program that is essentially a free public charter. As far as the vaccine issue, that's horrible and makes me call into question the judgment of the majority of parents at the school. read more

I have my kids in school here. A fantastic place for kids to experience learning and team work. They are sooooo happy at this school. The parent involvement is awesome, the teachers are great. This is a really good place for kids read more

OCEAN CHARTER SCHOOL must be the MOST magical school I have visited ( and I teach in lots of schools all week long-) it has the sweetest most unaffected well mannered children who respect not only the Adults but one another -My son is in 3rd grade and on the Playa Vista Campus now sharing with another LAUSD school- the children mix perfectly together and are getting the most amazing and deeply creative education. We too have been vaccinated - we all just believe in a far more conservative approach to vaccinating - OCS- has been a blessing to so many families- and thank goodness a creative approach to education-where nuturing self expression still matters- exists! read more

I've attended this school for 5 years and I can say with absolute certain that this school is for your child- Santino Liotta

My son is in his second year at Ocan Charter School and comes home happy and excited every day! It is a warm, nurturing environment where the children are exposed to rich stories that make lasting impressioons. He does not feel rushed, but is learning organically and with love and care. read more

My sons are in Kinder & 4th grade. We are in midst of our 5th year at Ocean Charter School and we love it here! A public school with a Waldorf curriculum - what a gift! It is not a traditional school and for us that has been deeply positive. The school community is welcoming & positive & we are grateful to be a part of it. read more

I am THRILLED that my two boys are in their second year at Ocean Charter, and they couldn't be happier. The curriculum at OCS goes beyond thinking outside the box. My boys are being taught to be creative in their expression and ways of communication, and the lessons are more deeply experienced through story. I was prepared to home school had we not gotten into OCS after 3 years of lottery drawing after my older sons first grade year was wasted in frustration and boredom at our neighborhood LAUSD school. I am thankful and grateful for the pre-k instructors and attention my younger son received there, but wasn't willing to have my older son brought down to lowest common denominator after the teacher's FAILING to let us enroll my son in the gifted student testing. Students with special needs and gifted student both can suffer years of frustration and non-advancement if they are not recognized as being those individuals. I am glad to say that my experience of Ocean Charter is that they are stellar with all categories of children. read more