St. Johns Lutheran School in Oxnard, California

“Great Elementery program, horrible Jr High. Lazy teachers that teach the bare minumum. I practically home schooled my son. Tons of homework. Poor administration.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The teachers are very caring. St. John's has a lot of extra activities icluding sports with a gymnasium, music, choir, and mini afterschool classes for instruction. My child is doing great in a very caring family environment.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I to agree with the comments below. I do love the fact that the school is small and safe. But the teachers are hit and miss, some are good, others are not as good. I think there is a real lack of creativity and love of teaching. Also, they are behind in certain subjects compared to local public schools. The music program is great, but you pay extra for it, chapel is also great. The school is very traditional in its teaching style, there is not much critical thinking that is encouraged. The small school feel is great, and there is a small group of really dedicated parents who do their absolute best to make the school the best it can be. If you are looking for small, safe and traditional this is the school for you. If you are looking for a more creative, progressive education this is not it”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I agree with the May 3rd, 2008 posting. St. John's does some things well and needs to improve in other areas. The music program is great. The 4th grade teacher is amazing. The before and after school care supervisor is a wonderful person and takes good care of the students. Unfortunately, some of the teachers at St. John's lack the training that public school teachers receive. These same teachers appear to lack a passion for teaching. The curriculum in the primary grades is sometimes behind or slower than the curriculum in the public schools in the area. The curriculum becomes more challenging in the upper grades. There has been many changes at the school in the last couple of years with teachers retiring. The parents at St. John's are wonderful, caring people. Sometimes there is a lack of control, supervision and effective behavior management skills among the staff.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The curriculum is very challenging, much harder than public school. I like that students have religious studies and attend chapel weekly. I feel that my child will be well prepared fort high school. The school is small compared to public school, each class (K-8) is about 25 students.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school has done a great job of teaching my child, test scores are high, kids want to go to school! Homework... of course there is alot but that is somthing you end up with when you are trying to get an education. this is one of the lowest tuition shcools on the oxnard plain so they try to find funding elseware for things like textbooks (most other private schools require parents to purchase). PTL is a small group of dedicated parents who seem to always be on campus doing somthing for our kids (and doing a great job at it). Some of the teachers are young and new at teaching but they are skilled at what they do.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As with any school, St. John's does some things well and could definitely improve at others. Many parents say the administrator is weak in that he hasn't and doesn't deal with major issues that parents bring to him, such as a teacher who spent a year humiliating students and failing to teach them academic skills. That one was replaced with a first-time teacher who isn't much better. It's true that there tends to be a huge amount of homework in grades 6-8. Those kids are graded in 9-10 subjects, and a typical day's homeowrk might include writing 3 pages of reading notes each for 2 subjects, finishing a 30 problem math assignment (started in class), a spelling and/or vocabulary workbook lesson, and writing 100 words every day (including weekends and holidays) in a journal. Don't let the writing fool you: they aren't being taught good writing skills.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My daughter has done very well, been encouraged by her teachers, and although she is biracial, I have Never experienced this as a concern amongst anyone at St. John's. I feel the administration has been responsive when I had a concern. I like the diversity of St. John's where a variety of family backgrounds is evident. My daughter scores above grade level. I believe the majority of her teachers have been excellent while others have not been up to the full standard I would hope for. Overall there is a positive atmosphere. I would like to see arts and 2nd language programs (such as Spanish or French)enhanced. Overall, our family has had a very positive experience with St. John's Lutheran, and I would recommend it to others.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Very strong fundamentals at reading and math in kindergarten. Although religious-based, strong in music and plenty of art experience. Limited sports for kindergarten. Low PTA turnout, but parents are required to be involved and participate in multiple extracurricular activities.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Poor academic structure. Teachers do not meet quality standards. Teachers have poor teaching skills, and use homework as the primary teaching tool. There is no confidentiality. Administration has an additude that they do not have to answer to anyone. Not a good enviornment for personal and academic growth. They always want money. They do have good security and watch the children. I regret enrolling my child in this school. My advice is to check out the private school and remember, not everything that gletters is gold.”
This review was posted by a parent.