2024 Districts with the Best Teachers in California

• La Canada, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.8 out of 5  20 reviews

Parent: My kids both went through the La Canada school system and I think it’s the best public school system I’ve ever seen. Great teachers, lots of parental involvement, and highly motivated students. Most importantly, La Canada High is big enough to offer many extracurricular and sports but not so huge that a kid has to be a future Broadway star to get a part in the school play. A really great experience for our family.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Los Altos, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Alum: Being able to attend Los Altos School District was one of the best experiences I have. I am so thankful I got to grow up in a community that looked out for each student and made sure there was diversity shared in each classroom and school wide. Something I would like to see more change in is more extracurricular activities whether that be during recess or after school.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Palo Alto, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  65 reviews

Senior: PAUSD provides excellent support to students and parents alike, through a broad variety of class types and difficulties, accessible teachers and staff that are available and eager to help during and after school hours, consistent support for college applications, and informative sessions and newsletters for parents. The student networking and community resources are also robust. Campus culture is inviting and encourages exploration beyond one's own comfort zone. The experience at PAUSD, especially in high school, can be intense, but the level of pressure is controllable and customizable when one is well acquainted with their needs, including intellectual, emotional, and academic goals and boundaries.... Read 65 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• El Segundo, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.5 out of 5  46 reviews

Senior: The staff is fairly helpful, however the facilities and diversity are exceptional! There is an ample amount of clubs an activities to choose from, there is definitely something for everyone. The academics are held to a high standard, I have not found another school yet that teaches and applies knowledge like this yet.... Read 46 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• San Marino, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.45 out of 5  31 reviews

Parent: San Marino Unified School District provided my children with a private school experience in a public school environment. In addition to a highly rigorous academic program, the District provides excellence in athletics, arts, and activities that distinguish the District as a premier provider of K-12 education. My children had a wonderful experience and as a parent, I enjoyed being a part of such a caring and engaged community of volunteers who continuously come together in support of the schools!... Read 31 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Carmel, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  24 reviews

Parent: I am very happy with CUSD. I currently have 2 girls in the district and a third is on her way in about 4 years. My wife works for the district as well. The teachers and staff are all wonderful and always on top of the kids performance and social interaction. The administration treats the teachers well and is always willing to help with any issues. My girls love going to school everyday. I remember kids dreading school when I was a student. Thank you all teachers and staff. Keep on giving our children the tools they need to succeed.... Read 24 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Laguna Beach, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.2 out of 5  20 reviews

Senior: Wonderful school with wonderful teachers and administrative support. Really cares about and supports students. Great opportunities to take many advanced and AP classes. Beautiful campus and facilities.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego, CA•

• School District

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.31 out of 5  70 reviews

Sophomore: I think it's amazing! There are amazing programs available and as someone who is very involved on campus, I can say that this district has really served me well. I love the teachers and everyone is very accepting. They have cultivated a great environment in SDUHSD. I am lucky to be here.... Read 70 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Santa Monica, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.32 out of 5  68 reviews

Senior: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is a community in which people from all diverse backgrounds enjoy community events. Whether this be the annual Cinco De Mayo festival at Will Rogers Learning Community or the Jog-A-Thon school fundraiser. This community is great but not perfect. As of recently, safety within this school district has been questionable. Such as the violent attack on a student on the first day of school at Santa Monica High School. Additionally, the countless threats this school faces.... Read 68 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Arcadia, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.3 out of 5  123 reviews

Junior: I love the people I meet on campus, and the wide array of activities and extracurriculars provided for students. I also think it’s really cold how easy it is for students to get involved in clubs, organizations, and teams. The worse part of the experience is the teachers. I feel that not all the teachers have the same level of commitment to their job and I believe teachers shouldn’t be employed based on how long they’ve been at the job, but rather by their performance. I had an amazing math teacher freshman year who was let go because she was new and the school needed to budget cut. However her entire class loved her and I always understood everything in that class. Sophomore year I had a horrible math teacher who had been at the school for a long time, but was hard to understand and didn’t seem committed to helping students along the way.... Read 123 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• St. Helena, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.67 out of 5  12 reviews

Senior: When I first entered high school, I expected the 4 year segment of my life to be lackluster and completely insignificant. It’s only 4 years. Boy was I wrong. Through the time I spent at Saint Helena I’ve formed life changing relationships and learned advanced material that will help in all areas of life through English, history, math, and science. The most important aspect, despite the diverse backgrounds and challenging curriculum activities, are the teachers. I feel like the teachers really care about me, and that I bring value to the table. They encourage me to succeed and always cheer for me. Even when I’m at my lowest, I know the teachers and staff at Saint Helena are among those I can look to for guidance and comfort. Without my teachers I wouldn’t have lasted through high school with all of its ups and downs. Saint Helena offered a safe environment for every student to learn and grow into their best selves for college and the real world. And I know I won’t forget my time there.... Read 12 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Redondo Beach, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.47 out of 5  30 reviews

Senior: RBUSD has amazing education and compassionate support. Administration, staff, students and parents create an inviting and supportive community. Even throughout the Covid-19 situation, we had tremendous direction from the district representatives (phone calls, texts, emails providing consistent and encouraging communications). Best district in the South Bay, by far!... Read 30 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Portola Valley, CA•

• School District

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Cardiff-by-the-sea, CA•

• School District

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Whittier, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  157 reviews

Senior: As I am now entering my senior year as a Whittier Union High School District student, I have experienced much of what the district has to offer. I make this statement as the district consists of 7 high schools in total; each high school has something different to offer but gives each student many opportunities to find their hobbies. School staff are truly out of this world, they are always there whenever we need any help. I had the opportunity to view how the district would solve unexpected issues that effected the way of teaching as Covid entered the picture; although a worldly issue affected interactions and teaching among students, It has no effect on the Whittier Union High School District. They were able to provide students with laptops and internet connections for families who were low income. With many positives comes along a negative; one down side are the classes given in each school, for example one school might not have a course you're looking for but the other school will.... Read 157 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Truckee, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.11 out of 5  9 reviews

Junior: I love my high school! We have awesome teachers and I’m very passionate about school sports. Our teachers really care for the students. Overall it’s a very positive learning environment.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Coronado, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  36 reviews

Senior: As a senior at Coronado High School, we so many different kinds of elective options and opportunities for students to learn what interests them. Not only do we have a good program for the arts, but we also have a health and medical track that has classes like sports medicine, anatomy, etc. There are a lot of opportunities to discover what interests you and to go deeper into the subject, and ultimately prepare you for college.... Read 36 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Solana Beach, CA•

• School District

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Beverly Hills, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  22 reviews

Senior: I really liked that it functions just as a private high school, even though it is a public high school. There are a lot of academic opportunities. There are so many AP and honors classes that I wanted to take but did not have the time. There are also many student-led clubs, which allows the students to discover new interests outside of class. All of the teachers are well educated and are very qualified to teach their classes. However, I feel like I have to criticize the administration because of its decision to change grading platforms in the middle of the school-year. The process was very inconvenient, unreasonable, and costly for the school district and students. Furthermore, the food is terrible and is full of unhealthy fat. It really needs a change in my opinion. My overall high school experience was positive, considering that I got to meet great teachers and to take very challenging courses during my pathway towards college.... Read 22 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• School District

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Redding, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.18 out of 5  40 reviews

Middle School Student: I had an overall great experiance! I found it to be a school with really excellent teachers. While the academics themselves are fantastic and the teachers are all incredibly helpful, they all also care about the individual success of each student and I truly find that inspiring. Ive had a multitude of amazing teachers throughout my highschool career and a few of them will certainly be remembered by me for the rest of my life. Both the teachers and staff alike really go out of their way to accommodate student needs and as a student with a 504 and accommodations, this was greatly appreciated. Overall I've had a wonderful experience with this highschool district.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Los Gatos, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.2 out of 5  35 reviews

Senior: The school is great, besides the gap between normal classes and AP classes. Advanced classes rely on knowledge from the previous year’s advanced class in that subject. This limits students’ ability improve as they often can only choose between college prep and AP, with no honors that they can use as a stepping stone for improvement. I’ve seen and experienced this in both English and History courses, and have seen others rejected for more advanced math (that they are willing to put extra effort in). Additionally, the difference in student population is crazy. Disclaimer: the following is just a stereotype, there are exceptions. All of the well-behaved, confident students are pushing themselves academically in the AP courses, while the awkward kids and the rowdy football kids are focused more on their social lives than their normal course. The shy kids in those courses don’t speak up for themselves when they are uncomfortable.... Read 35 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• El Segundo, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  37 reviews

Parent: Wonderful programs, excellent teachers and administrators. Truly thankful for the educational experience my children have had in ESUSD!... Read 37 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Lafayette, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  33 reviews

Junior: I feel like I have received a quality education as a student in the Acalanes Union High School District. I have had pleasant experiences in academics and pleasant interactions with my teachers. I believe that the course offerings in this district are exceptional and that the advance placement courses I have taken have played a great part in preparing me for college. The athletic programs offered at these schools are also exceptional and I have enjoyed the relationships I've formed in these programs. Overall it's a great district!... Read 33 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1