| Date | Who | Comments |
| 7/20/2012 | parent | All of our three children attended this school and with each child the school got better- we were disappointed in the administration who favored one group of students over others. Unlike a parent comment below- they did teach to the high end kids -- two of my kids were gifted and the teachers challenged them with work and the after school gifted program. The biggest assets this school has is its caring and devoted teachers- that is what makes this school great, they need to get rid of the phony principal if they want to continue to attact students. This school has an API rating in the high 800's just as good if not better then El Segundo schools not sure why parents are flocking there-- when you have a school in your own backyard meeting the educational needs of the students. |
| 6/4/2012 | parent | This school shows what involved parents, good teachers and solid admininistration can do for students. It is a great environment for students. The overwhelming majority of teachers are fully committed to student learning. As my son gets ready to graduate or promote or whatever they call completing fifth grade, I could not think of a better place for him to have gone to school for the past six years. |
| 4/30/2012 | parent | Love it here! Have a kindergartener and a second grader and they are doing great at Kentwood. Great group of families and lots of teacher and staff support. |
| 8/11/2011 | parent | Kentwood was a disappointment. Cons: The cirriculum was uninspiring and my child was bored. No differentiated instruction for the high or the low. Lack of parent communication. Open House was held in the morning and the teacher taught like it was a typical school day. Basically, the school phoned it in. Lots of behavior issues in the classroom. The teaching staff is a hit or miss. Pros: There is a small group of dedicated parents trying to improve the school. The principal was swift to take action with any serious issues. |
| 3/27/2011 | parent | I have a whole new appreciation for Kentwood after leaving and attending a new charter school here in Westchester. After 2 months in a school that did absolutely nothing to educate my children we ran back to Kentwood as quick as we could. Jean Pennicooke is an outstanding principal. She goes above and beyond the call of duty and is a gift to Kentwood. The Vice Principal, Chris Ferreira, is a gem and it is a shame that we have to share her with two other schools. The teachers at Kentwood are loving and nurturing and truly care about their students. It is rare to find such an outstanding group of teachers in the midst of LAUSD's budget crisis. Kentwood is about to suffer more cuts for the 2011 school year unless the "Governor's Revenue Extension Proposal" makes it to the June ballot. I am confident that even though we may lose more funding that Kentwood will continue its high level of academics and the children will continue to thrive. My only negative comment is that there are some very gossipy, mean spirited parents at this school which make it hard for newcomers and other parents to feel comfortable and get involved. To those people I say....mind your own business and get a life! |
| 12/9/2010 | parent | I use to be a supporter of Kentwood. I removed my children from one school close by due to the lack of diversity in the teaching population to attend this school that showed so much promise. I was blind-sided. The high API and the CA Distinguished accolades fooled me. I should have seen it coming as an educator of 14 years. If your child comes to this school already knowing what they need to know to be successful, then he/she will do well. However, if your child comes in knowing only some information, don't expect much from the 3rd grade team. Innovation and exploration will definitely be lacking. Differentiation instruction? Forget it! They don't know how to differentiate outside of sending assignments home for the parent to teach. Did I also mention that they don't like the curriculum, but jump around and supplant it? As soon as an opening becomes available at this other school that believes in teaching the "whole child" and allows for growth, we are checking our children out of Kentwood. The principal is also no help. She only supports those who supports the pocketbook. |
| 10/14/2010 | parent | We are lucky parents of two children who have our kids attending Kentwood ES. Our third and oldest was honored by state senator last year thanks to the hard working and dedicated Kentwood staff. Starting from the principle Ms. Pennicooke, Mrs. Romine, Mr. Liebowitz, Mrs. Kim, Mrs. Mc broom and more, are all astonishing trustworthy professionals. Both of our kids have flourished and the teachers have been great partners in acting like parents, in teaching and raising them. We have effective PTO at Kentwood and parents are involved voluntarily with no obligations. There are many extracurricular activities. This school is getting incredibly better each year for the last six years despite the school budget cuts. Scores are shooting high in this distinguished elementary school. |
| 9/4/2010 | parent | Pt2 The school is in a nice area, parents are nice. Some parents didn't see what was going on unless they were there. Most parents receive irritating phones calls at work for minor things that can be dealt with or avoided by staff on the yard. To go to the extreme as principal has done rudely with me and I remained calm, I just complained to Dist #3. I suggest asking around LAUSD about her for reference. You'll be surprised if you get the right people in the Dist #3 area. As stated by a staff on the yard and teacher the 1st grade class my child was in had many issues brushed off by principal for certain kids for what reason I don't know. Maybe I didn't donate $, the way I dressed or "USE TO" lived out of Dist. But, I WAS AN INVOLVED SINGLE MALE PARENT. |
| 8/31/2010 | parent | Kentwood is not what it used to be. I have had three children to attend this school within the last fifteen years. It appears that Kentwood is loosing its multicultural environment. Years ago there were children of different ethnicities. Now you can see the environment or the multiculture climate declinining starting with the primary grades. As the children approach fourth and fifth grades you an see that there is less minorities. What is this about? This is not the Kentwood I've known and loved actually over fifteen years. |
| 8/7/2010 | parent | Kentwood also had a practice of passing out "been caught being good" tickets to children that were seen "being good". They gave 10 extra tickets to children whose parents attended a PTO meeting. They also had an ice cream party planned for children whose parents signed up to be volunteers while other children were to be excluded. When I brought to the attention of the vice principal and president how it is not appropriate to use children as pawns and discriminate against children that don't have good parents or single parents that are busy, I was removed from the yahoo group. Shame on Kentwood! |
| 6/17/2010 | parent | I was once a full supporter of Kentwood; however; after this years experience with Kentwood it has been a HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!! I Thank God, this is my child's last year as they have shown to be void of care and common sense when it comes to children. I would not recommend Kentwood to any new coming parents and feel sorry for those that are still impressed by Kentwood as I once was until they showed how Arrogrant and Ignorant they are when it comes to the children and their needs. After my nightmare I recommend people stay clear from KENTWOOD if you want a constructive education and healthy enviroment for your child. |
| 4/19/2010 | parent | I have a kinder at Kentwood this year and I have been really impressed by her experience. I was skeptical of public school at first, but her teacher won us over. She is learning alot and being exposed to computer lab, visual art, music, dance, theater, and science. I also love the enrichment options after school and the STAR program. It's a small, intimate school where you feel like your child matters. |
| 4/9/2010 | parent | Shared experiences have the most impact, so I will share one of the many I've had that show Kentwood's heart. Recently, as I was dropping my son off from school, he was having a little separation anxiety returning from the break. You parents out there know how gut-wrenching that can be. Principal Pennicooke must have heard his cries and within seconds, she was at his side, making him laugh, then saying to him that she needed to speak w/me. She put her arm around me, assured me that she would go back and check on him and I left feeling much better. No sooner did I walk into my front door than Principal Pennicooke called me to let me know that my son was just fine, happy again to be back with his classmates. That's the kind of principal every school should have! Ivey Steinberg |
| 4/9/2010 | teacher | I need to set the record straight regarding the opportunities our students have for an enriched curriculum and about the support we get from our PTO. We have a full menu of classes through the district arts program. Every class participates in a rotation of visual art, drama and dance, as well as music classes throughout the year. Grades 4 and 5 also have instrumental music. This year we participated in the visiting artists program through The Music Center, and an additional grade 4 & 5 theatre program. Our PTO funds field trips, Mad Science, 5th grade science camp, a science aide, and classroom supplies. Both gifted and special education students presented multi-media projects at InfoTech. We have many after-school enrichment activities and the highest API in the neighborhood. LMU provides tutors and professional development. I certainly never heard of a petition to fire the principal who's brought us so far! |
| 4/8/2010 | parent | Kentwood is a great school. As with anyting in life, you get out of Kentwood what you put into it. If you are looking for a place to drop off your kids and have no interaction with teachers other than reading a report card, Kentwood isn t for you. If however you are looking for an environment that will encourage and sometime demand that you be involved in your child's education, your child can thrive here. It is a small public school that has a high level of parent and staff involvement. There is good and bad here as with any school, but the good far outweighs the bad. Kentwood is as close as a public school could be to the private school experience. |
| 3/27/2010 | parent | My son went to kindergarten at Kentwood and my family loved it. He now attends a local magnet school,but I have fond memories of Kentwood. If there was a petition going around to fire the principal I never saw it. I volunteered in the classroom quite often,by the way.The parents are cliquey and in no way make new parents feel welcomed,but my son was happy and that was most important.Overall,our experience at Kentwood was great and if my son had been unhappy at his new school I would have sent him back in a heartbeat. . |
| 3/17/2010 | parent | I am a parent of a first grader. My daughter started in Kindergarden. I love the shcool, is small and the parents participations is amazing. We have a great Principal and staff. |
| 3/16/2010 | parent | Kentwood Elementary School is a friendly and positive environment for my children. I have a daughter in the first grade class. Just this morning as I walked her into the school, the principal, Mrs. Pennicooke, was at the front gate conversing with a parent. As we walked in she greeted my daughter by name, and said good morning to her. I told my daughter how special that was, and she told me that Principal Pennicooke knows all of the kids names in the whole school! As we walked onto the school grounds, we noticed flowers blooming in pots all around the courtyard, and even new plantings in another flower bed near the playground. Kentwood students and parents and staff have the upmost respect for their surroundings and for each other. It's a wonderful school. My son will be attending kindergarten here, in the fall. |
| 6/26/2009 | parent | My first review in 2004 was very complimentary. My kids were about to complete the 2nd grade then. We stayed at Kentwood through the 4th grade. We left for another school in the 5th grade because we were accepted to a Gifted Magnet. In hindsight, that move was the biggest mistake we made in our kids' education. The Gifted program did not come even close to our superlative experience at Kentwood. I cannot overstate what an excellent school this is. I note that the scores keep getting higher, but the quality of the education was just as wonderful even when the scores were below 800. Anyone with the opportunity to attend this fine school is very lucky. Ms. Pennicooke is great. I do agree with the comments about Ms. Gilbert, as that was also my opinion way back in 2002, especially now that the less senior teachers are losing jobs. |
| 3/11/2009 | parent | I have truly amazed at the education and support my children have received at Kentwood. The teachers, staff, administration are all as intelligent, involved, and committed to making each child in this school a success! I also can't say enough about the endless during and after school enrichment opportunities. Thank you Kentwood! |
| 2/15/2009 | other | I believe that kentwood is a great school that has teachers and staff that make your child a better and more efficient student |
| 9/6/2008 | parent | Kentwood is just getting started! The joint effort of parents, students, teachers and administration is just starting to show - 2008 API 817 - a 54 point jump! All subgroups are up - 1 group jumped over 100 points. We have 3 new enthusiastic teachers and a Assistant Principal all bringing fresh blood to the school. We even had to add another Kindergarten class there were so many LOCALS students. Add to this the tireless efforts of the PTO and volunteers, a new orchestral program, afterschool programs including gymnastics, guitar & keyboard, lego's. Why spend $20,000 for private education & why move to another school district - we have it all right here. |
| 9/6/2008 | parent | I am a parent with a child in First Grade and I must say that the school has been amazing. They are very imformative of all events, they are sent home in a folder every week with all events listed. I know that if you pay attention and are involved you are able to see th love and patience our children are taught with. Our principle knows all 300+ students by names and has really brought our school together. You are truly blessed to be part of this school. |
| 9/3/2008 | parent | We are so pleased with Kentwood! I have found the staff to be skilled and caring. Parents have also worked very hard to bring many extras to the school. Our 2008 API score (817) shows the results of everyone's hard work. This is a small school with a great, multicultural environment. My son has really benefitted! |
| 8/14/2007 | parent | I have been at Kenwood for 8 yrs now and I am not happy with the direction of the school.At one time I loved the school and staff, but since they have a new principal it has been very disappointing. |
| 6/30/2007 | parent | My grandson attended Kentwood from kindergarten through fifth grade. I was a little reluctant, at first, to send him there. My fears quickly disappeared. He had excellent teachers in every grade and excelled beyond our hopes. He has been challenged, and nurtured by the entire staff. The gifted program let him explore fields that made him think out of the box. There are many schools in Westchester; however, none compare to the quality education that Kentwood gives! I highly recommend this school to anyone wanting their child to be challenged and receive the best education anywhere! |
| 6/30/2007 | parent | I agree Kentwood is a great school. Since Ms. Moses left things have changed a lot. There is potential for improvement to the administration. The Booster Club and PTA do have the students best interests at heart and do welcome new parents. I think that the administration does restrict the Booster Club and PTA in ways that does hinder the school spirit in both the children and the parents. |
| 6/29/2007 | parent | Kentwood is a good school, with great parent involvement. Mrs. Gilbert is the best kindergarten teacher in her field. Any student lucky enough to have her will be changed for life. She is a great disciplinarian and fair. She truly loves and cares for all her students. The PTA and Booster clubs are great. But, don't waste your time volunteering if you don't live in the neighborhood. Your efforts will be overlooked and ignored. I volunteered for the Valet program, and the Book Fair. However, at the Volunteer Recognition Tea, although invited I was overlooked. |
| 6/27/2007 | parent | Kentwood has the potential to be a great school. A small student body, capable teachers and caring parents. The principal needs to do a much better job of welcoming all parents and students and not just those in her small circle. The PTA and Booster clubs need to do the same. There are many parents who want to be involved and contribute but they are excluded if they don't fit a certain standard. I have two children at Kentwood and I think the school could be much better if the administration would stop with the politics and special favors. |
| 5/16/2007 | parent | My child attended Kentwood. At first it was wonderful. Later it became clear that the neighborhood parents did not want children who did not live within walking distance of the school. Walking distance and fundraising parents are accepted. |
| 4/10/2007 | parent | My son has been at Kentwood since Kindergarten and now is the first grade, excelling in almost every subject. Not only do we have a majority of well informed and concerned teachers, our parents give it their all when it comes to helping the school make necessary improvements. The PTA and Koala Club give their utmost support to making the school a great place to learn. This school is great! I highly recommend Kentwood and consider the school to be a leader in LAUSD. |
| 3/30/2007 | parent | My child has been at Kentwood for 3 years now, and I couldn't be happier. My youngest will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall and I feel very fortunate that my kids are able to go to Kentwood. The school is great to begin with, but new and exciting programs are being planned an implemented. These include the valet dropoff, homework lab, the new after-school enrichment programs, and orchestra, next year, to name a few. There have also been many improvements to facility, itself. Our new Wonder of Reading library is spectacular, and our Literacy Garden is a wonderful place, as well. Our new principal, Jean Pennecooke, is committed to making our school outstanding and is especially focused on the safety and well-being of our children. Again, I feel very fortunate to be a part of Kentwood and would recommend it to everyone, especially those disenchanted with the public school system. |
| 3/27/2007 | parent | My child went to Kentwood and I was very disappointed. Many (not all) of the teachers do not respect the students and often are criticizing and yelling at them. Although the new principal is trying to make improvements, it will be a long time before things really change. Regular parent volunteering in the classroom was discouraged, which seemed illogical and suspicious. And, sadly, the parents' group always seemed unwelcoming. I finally transferred my child to another school and the difference is so clear. I cannot recommend Kentwood. |
| 9/1/2006 | parent | Kentwood is a great school. The new principle is eager and able to continue to tradition and culture of learning that is what we call koala spirit. There is a small group of supportive parents that needs to grow. There are children learning and developing. The educational environment is wonderful and students with parents who are involved with get a great education from Kentwood. |
| 8/28/2006 | parent | My son attended Kentwood Elem. K-5th, this school is awesome! I highly recommend this school to any parent that is looking for a great teaching staff in a intimate , nurturing setting.This meets the standards of a well diverse group of children. Two thumbs up for Kentwood! |
| 6/24/2006 | parent | We have had the great good fortune to be part of the Kentwood family for the past three years. The new principals is approachable, involved, energetic and very caring. By and large the teachers are superb and exceptionally dedicated. Parental involvement is very high among a core group of dedicated parents. This school is a gem - a very special little neighborhood school that benefits from its diversity and it's intimate size. Gorgeous new library is under construction and will debut in October 2006. Thank you, Kentwood. |
| 6/9/2006 | parent | Kentwood has an excellent Pre-K class run by a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, Mrs. Lucy Knight. My kids have both been through the pre-K class and it has equipped them with a passion for learning. |
| 5/28/2006 | parent | Good parent involvement, I wish though, that they would prioritize neighborhood kids first. |
| 4/26/2006 | parent | Kentwood Elementary is a wonderful school with dedicated teachers and top of the line academics. You get as good an education here as you would at any private school. Well diversified student body and fabulous parental involvement. |
| 4/26/2006 | parent | Kentwood is a good school. I would recommend it. It has great parental involvement. |
| 3/29/2006 | parent | I have been very impressed with the new principal at the school. She is very hands on and takes the time to work with parents and teachers to make the best environment for the kids. The STAR after school program is very good. The staff is very friendly and takes good care of the kids. The classes they offer are lots of fun and reasonably priced. My son has already learned so much in his first 6 months of kindergarten, I'm very impressed. The only downfall I see is the lack of parent attendance to PTA meetings and there has not been one field trip all year. |
| 1/11/2006 | parent | Kentwood has a great special Ed program. My son is autistic and currently in the 4th grade. He has learned so much since he has attended Kentwood. The teachers are great, and the principal is outstanding. |
| 1/3/2006 | parent | Kentwood is a small, neighborhood, elementary school with a loving and caring staff. There is a very diverse mix of children as permits are numerous. |
| 12/5/2005 | parent | Tremendously dedicated teaching staff. Highly experienced. Wonderful intimate neighborhood school. Emphasis on positive reinforcement, character and good behavior. |
| 8/19/2005 | parent | The Kindergarten teacher my son had was fantastic. Having said that, I felt that Kentwood lacks teh sense of community that I feel an LAUSD school needs to have. I didn't get a sense of camraderie between teachers or administration. Parents were close within classes but not to the extent of being heavily involved in the school's general well-being. |
| 8/7/2005 | parent | Kentwood should be doing MUCH better given the amount of parental involvement and the neighborhood, which is excellent. Too many parents in the neighborbood send their kids to private school because Kentwood just doesn't educate kids well enough. The principal needs to show MUCH more leadership and commitment to education. |
| 6/6/2005 | parent | I like the fact that Kentwood is a smaller size school and not at all crowded. Academically I have found that it is a good school and I am happy with the academics. The uniforms are optional and encouraged, but I think they should be required. The parent involement at this school is high. |
| 5/30/2005 | parent | Given the wonderful neighborhood, I don't feel like this school lives up to its promise. The principal doesn't know all the kids names or the parents, test scores continue to decline and there are very few 'extras'. All in all, other neighborhood schools are MUCH better. |
| 1/11/2005 | parent | Wonderfully involved school with great teachers, a very supportive and creative principal and very active PTA and Booster club. Parents are involved in every level and are encouraged to participate in their childs education and to volunteer as possible. Kentwood has the star program available for some extra curricular activities. They have a chorus program for grades 3-4th and lots of school events, to help the school environment grow and prosper. |
| 9/13/2004 | parent | My son attended Kentwood for the 5th grade. He loved the school and so did I. He was previously in a private school and unchallenged. He grew so much at Kentwood and now my daughter is starting Kinder. We love it. |
| 8/24/2004 | parent | This public school far exceeds your expectations. The students are encouraged daily to suceed to reach their highest levels. The teachers, staff and principal go above and beyond to extend every courtesy possible to helping the parent and child achieve academic success. My kids have attend this school for three years and during that time I have found very little if any to complain about. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming everyday. |
| 7/8/2004 | parent | This is an excellent school. Parent participation is highly stressed therefore there is at least an 85% participation rate in parent volunteers. The teachers are all excellent, from kindergarden to the 5th grade. Most, if not all teachers have at least 10 years of experience. The administrative staff is very helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. The standard of teaching is a bit more demanding than most, as reflected on the high test (API) scores. I have one daughter that has graduated from Kentwood and one daughter currently attending. She is in the second grade. The principal could be a little more personable in my opinion. She does not know all the children by name. Knowing the children by name is very important to me, it shows the principal knows her students. |
| 5/4/2004 | parent | Caring teachers, dedicated principal, friendly office staff, hard-working PTA and booster club leadership, warm community feeling. We are lucky to have such a fantastic public school in our very neighborhood. |
| 4/28/2004 | parent | Kentwood is one of the best small schools in the area. The teachers care, not just about their individual children, but overall. My only wish is that the grades went all the way to high school. High test scores every year! |
| 3/24/2004 | parent | This school has provided excellent educational opportunities for my children. The teachers that I have come in contact with really care about their students and the effort and achievement that the students are putting forth. I would recommend this school for any parent who truly want their children to have the best education. Public schools, at times, have a bad reputation over private schools but this public school is one of the best. |
| 3/18/2004 | parent | We love this little gem of a school. At first, we thought we would go to private school without even checking out our neighborhood school. What a mistake that would have been! Our experience with the principal, teachers and parents has been wonderful. We like that it is small and has a neighborhood feel to it. We also love the diversity of the student body. In a city like LA, it is important that our school reflect the make up of the city surrounding us! The office staff and cafeteria staff are friendly and helpful. We look forward to four more years here! |
| 6/19/2003 | | Fabulous school. Couldn't be happier about my kids going Kentwood. |
