Birmingham Community Charter High School (formerly Birmingham High School) is a charter

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in the neighborhood/district of

Lake Balboa Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys. San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

section of Los Angeles,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. It was founded in 1953 as a 7-12 grade combined high school and became solely a senior high school in 1963. The school has a

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

address and serves Lake Balboa, parts of Encino, and Amestoy Estates. It is within the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...

but operates as an internal

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

History

The land of Birmingham High School was a

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

called

Birmingham General Hospital Birmingham General Hospital was a teaching hospital in Birmingham, England, founded in 1779 and closed in the mid-1990s. History Summer Lane In 1765, a committee for a proposed hospital, formed by John Ash and supported by Sir Lister ...

from August 24, 1943, until March 31, 1946. From 1946 to 1950 the hospital was named the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital when it was turned over to the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and ...

. In 1952, the hospital was sold to the Los Angeles City Schools for $1.00. The hospital was named after Brigadier General

Henry Patrick Birmingham Henry Patrick Birmingham (March 15, 1854 – May 4, 1932) was a surgeon and an American brigadier general active during World War I. Early life Birmingham was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received his medical degree from the University of Mi ...

(1854–1932), with the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

US Army Medical Corps. The school opened in 1953, during the immediate post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era. Originally it served children grades seven to 12 from families newly settled in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

.Landsberg, Mitchell. "Back to Basics: Why Does High School Fail So Many?" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''. January 29, 2006
3
Retrieved on March 26, 2014. As of the 1960s the families were middle-class, and many of them had settled in the San Fernando Valley from the

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

and the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

. It was in the

Los Angeles City High School District Los Angeles City High School District (known in its last year as West County Union High School District) was a school district that served high school-aged residents of western Los Angeles County, California from 1890 to 1962. At times the distr ...

until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD. On November 13, 1992, a 17-year old student was stabbed twice in the back from a gang-related fight.He was immediately treated and sent to

Northridge Hospital Medical Center Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in the Northridge district of Los Angeles, California, US. It is currently operated by Dignity Health. History The hospital was founded in 1955 by Dr. Frederick Gruneck as a 49-bed hospital wi ...

for non-life threatening wounds. By 2006, the student demographics became majority Latino and Hispanic. The same year, Marsha Coates, the principal, established "small learning communities" and a ninth-grade academy in order to cater to incoming students.Landsberg, Mitchell. "Drop out? Not an option." ''

''. December 9, 2006. p
1
Retrieved on March 27, 2014.

Charter designation

On July 1, 2009, the

(LAUSD) voted to allow the high school to become a

under the name Birmingham Community Charter High School. Prior to the approval, the school officials had fought over whether the school should become a charter for months. Some school officials had advocated creating an alternate school sponsored by the teacher's union on the same campus.Landsberg, Mitchell.
L.A. school board lets Birmingham High go charter
" ''

''. July 2, 2009. Retrieved on March 26, 2014. About 66% of the faculty members of the school supported the charter change.Llanos, Connie.
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School small but mighty
." ''

Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''Dai ...

''. August 19, 2011. Retrieved on September 1, 2011. After the charter was approved, 91 teachers continued to teach at Birmingham while 34 decided to leave to work at other LAUSD schools. This meant the Spanish, science, and history departments had a high level of turnover. Because of the divisions within teachers and other staff members, the faculty and staff of the

magnet program In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

received permission from LAUSD to split from Birmingham. In 2009,

Daniel Pearl Magnet High School Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) is a magnet school within the Los Angeles Unified School District in Lake Balboa, Los Angeles,Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''Dai ...

'' said that Pearl "got off to a rocky start." During the first year as a standalone school, one third of the students left. Some left due to conflicts with Birmingham staff and students; some Birmingham students and staff members tormented Pearl students. Some left because Pearl was so small; they wanted a more comprehensive high school experience. Pearl moved into its own facility next to Birmingham in 2010. In 2012 LAUSD officials accused the school of failing to adequately respond to allegations of racial discrimination and mishandling disabled student services and expulsion, and the LAUSD officials attempted to return Birmingham to direct district control. Birmingham officials stated that they were unaware of serious problems at their school.

Campus

The school is located in the

Lake Balboa Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys. Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

."Birmingham Community Charter High School Renewal Charter Petition," p. 22. The site was previously a military hospital. As of 2009, Birmingham has the largest high school campus in the LAUSD, at 53 acres. The campus is in proximity to Reseda.Becker, Maki.
RESEDA : Birmingham High Gets Math Grant
" ''

''. October 15, 1994. Retrieved on March 26, 2014.

Attendance boundary

Its attendance boundary includes

Lake Balboa Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys. and portions of

, Encino,Landsberg, Mitchell. "It's a charter year and new future for Birmingham High." ''

''. August 20, 2009. p
1
Retrieved on March 26, 2014. Tarzana, and Reseda.

Academics

In 2006 Mitchell Landsberg of the ''

'' wrote that "It would be easy to see Birmingham as just another bad public school. But for many students, it's not."Landsberg, Mitchell. "Back to Basics: Why Does High School Fail So Many?" ''

''. January 29, 2006
2
Retrieved on March 26, 2014. He cited the Daniel Pearl Journalism Magnet, the "dedicated core of teachers" and the "variety of honors and

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

classes." Landsberg stated that despite the demographic changes that came before 2006, "academic standards have not suffered; if anything, a Birmingham diploma today is more difficult to obtain than it was a generation ago."

Demographics

In 2009 the school had 2,700 students. That year, Mitchell Landsberg of the ''

'' wrote that "Birmingham is in some ways the quintessential Los Angeles school, with demographics and student performance that come close to mirroring the city as a whole." In September 2001 there were 1,100 9th graders entering Birmingham High School; this class would become the Class of 2005. Over 350 of the students in this class, over the course of the years, switched to other schools to study. About half of the switching students remained at traditional high schools and the other half went to independent study, vocational school, or other alternative educational settings. In June 2005 there were 521 graduating students of the Class of 2005, fewer than half of the starting number.Landsberg, Mitchell. "Back to Basics: Why Does High School Fail So Many?" ''

''. January 29, 2006
1
Retrieved on March 26, 2014. Media attention to this rate of graduation resulted in a nighttime meeting with parents. In a period prior to 2006 students zoned to overcrowded high schools were bused to Birmingham. 102 students who were zoned to Belmont High School were instead a part of the Birmingham Class of 2005. As of 2006 there were almost 4,000 students attending the school.Landsberg wrote that there had been ethnic conflicts between Latino and African-American students and between Latino and Armenian students the same year. From 2016 to 2017, about 3,145 students enrolled at Birmingham High School, making it a large school. Birmingham is ranked one of the top 10 largest schools in California. The school offers their students college course classes known as AP courses to prepare students for college. These courses include: Art History, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Psychology, United States Government and Politics, English Language and Composition, European History, Human Geography, Spanish Literature and Culture, Statistics, Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: Drawing, and United States History.

Academic performance

In 2006 Mitchell Landsberg of the ''

'' wrote that "Many students thrived at Birmingham", but "many others struggled, or gave up and quit." As of that year, he stated that the school "sent its share of students to good colleges --

Cal State The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public universi ...

and UC campuses, even the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...

." In the Class of 2005, about 75% had intentions to partake in higher education. Over 60 students from that class went to the University of California campuses. In 2006 the LAUSD gave the official four-year graduation rate of Birmingham High as being almost 80%, with an official dropout rate of 3.5%. A Civil Rights Project at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

published a report in the northern hemisphere Spring of 2005 that stated that the four year graduation rate at Birmingham was 50%. In 2009, 9% of students were rated as proficient or higher in mathematics and 34% were rated as proficient or higher in English. In 2008 9% received this rating in mathematics and 36% received this rating in English.

Student discipline

In 2006, principal Marsha Coates stated, "We have 20, 30 kids or so who are constantly out of class. They're on campus, they're not dropouts and they haven't disappeared. They just roam." Despite the school giving out tickets to truants and a new attendance system implemented on November 6, 2005, as of 2006 there were still truant students walking in the halls of the school.

In popular culture

Birmingham High School has been used as the backdrop for numerous music videos, commercials, and television shows, such as the music video for Simple Plan's song " Can't Keep My Hands off You", Missy Elliott's song "Gossip Folks",

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

's song "

Hollaback Girl "Hollaback Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). It is a Hip hop music, hip-hop song that draws influence from 1980s in music, 1980s hip hop, hip-hop a ...

Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers (; born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film ''Catch That Kid''. He has since appeared in the Discovery Kids dra ...

's song " Push It to the Limit,"

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's "

No Love "No Love" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, from Eminem's seventh studio album '' Recovery'' (2010). It was released as the third official single from the album. It impacted radio on October 5 ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

's "

Prom Queen A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school ye ...

", and

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

's " Break the Rules". In 2007 an episode of ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

'' was filmed there, also two more episodes were filmed there, one in 2008, and later in 2013. Other shows filmed at Birmingham High School include ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

'', '' NCIS'', ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'', ''

Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...

'', ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...

'', ''Ghost Whisperer'' and ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

''. The school's football field was used as a set for the shoot of the music video for

Angels & Airwaves Angels & Airwaves (also written as Angels and Airwaves; stylized and abbreviated as ΛVΛ) is an American rock band, comprising Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), David Kennedy (guitars, keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums, keyboards, b ...

' song "Everything's Magic". The track surrounding the football field served as the location for the relay race scene starring Kirk Cameron in ''Like Father Like Son''. An episode of ''

Full House ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...

'' was filmed there, with Danny, Jessy, and Joey running a race around the track. In addition, Fanny Pak of '' America's Best Dance Crew'' comes to the dance studio to practice before they go on tour. In June 2009 Los Angeles Schools superintendent Ramon C. Cortines objected to photographs of the school's football team posing with comedian

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...

in his guise as

Brüno ''Brüno'' is a 2009 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who produced, co-wrote, and played the gay Austrian fashion journalist Brüno. It is the third film based on one of Cohen's characters from ...

that appeared in '' GQ'' magazine. Although Cortines gave discipline against principal Marcia Coates and athletic director Rick Prizant, Cortines stated that the discipline could not be enforced, because, since Birmingham was becoming a charter school, Coates and Prizant would no longer be LAUSD employees. Miranda Cosgrove's music video for "

Dancing Crazy "Dancing Crazy" is a song by American singer Miranda Cosgrove from her second extended play ''High Maintenance'' (2011). It was released as the lead single from the extended play on December 21, 2010, by Columbia Records. The song was written by ...

" was filmed on the football field. The hit show on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, ''

Awkward Awkward may refer to: * Awkwardness or embarrassment, an emotional state of intense discomfort with people * ''Awkward'' (TV series), an American teen comedy series * ''Awkward'' (album), a 2001 album by Ty * ''Awkward'', a 1999 graphic novel by ...

'', has also been filmed at Birmingham.

Sports

The school's athletic nickname is the Patriots. Originally the nickname was the Braves.Patriots Games
. ''

''. Valley Newswatch. April 30, 1998. Retrieved on March 26, 2014. Native Americans in the San Fernando Valley had campaigned against the use of the "Braves" mascot at Birmingham High, as part of a national movement to remove Native American mascots. They met with the Los Angeles School Board because, according to Paul Kivel, author of ''Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice Ð 3rd Edition'', they "met with so much intransigence at the high school". The LAUSD school board voted to remove Native American mascots and logos from all schools. The school was told that it needed to change its mascot by June 28, 1998. The students voted for the new mascot to be the "Blue Devil". Gerald Kleinman, the principal at the time, stated that the school's mascot committee believed the "Blue Devil" was an inappropriate choice and overruled the students, instead choosing the "Patriot". In soccer,

Michael Erush Michael Erush (born January 24, 1984) is a former professional soccer player and current soccer coach. He is the Head Men's Soccer Coach at California State University-Los Angeles. He was inducted into the Birmingham Community Charter High S ...

was honored as the 1999 ''

'' and ''

'' All-Region Player of the Year, and was a 2000

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...

High School All-America selection. He was three-time All-Northwest Conference, and two-time All-

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

and All- West Valley League, as well as

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honorable mention as a senior. He was inducted into the Birmingham Community Charter Athletic Hall of Fame. Under coach Ed Croson, the football team won CIF Southern Section championships in 2005, 2007, and 2008, with contributions from future NFL players Malik Jackson, Mychal Rivera, and Donovan Carter, as well as standouts such as Milton Knox, Marquis Jackson (Malik's twin brother), and TJ Rosas. From 2003 to 2007, the basketball coach was Andre McCarter, MVP for the

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

Zeniths of the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

in the 1978–79 season. McCarter played on UCLA's national championship teams in the early 1970s under John Wooden. In 2006, the Birmingham boys' soccer team won their first L.A. city section championship by upsetting the Canoga Park Hunters with a final score of 4–2. The team was coached by coach E.B Madha and led by seniors Eric Moran, Rene Alveranga, Juan Davila and scoring team leader Oscar Garcia. Birmingham has added more championships and is currently one of the premier high school soccer programs in the San Fernando Valley. In the 2008–09 school year, Birmingham introduced a

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

team. In May 2015, the boys' and girls' lacrosse teams were the only teams to win a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) city championship that year. The Patriots were also victorious over Palisades with a score of 11–1 for the girls and with a score of 9-4 for the boys, which was the second consecutive City championship for the girls' team. In 2013, the Birmingham wrestling team won their first L.A. City Section Championship in school history. In 2010 the Birmingham cross country team went on to win both the boys' and girls' L.A. City Section Championship, adding to head coach Scott King's 16 city championships in his time at Birmingham. The track surrounding the football field was home to the CIF Los Angeles City Section Championships until 2014. From 2017 to 2019, Birmingham Varsity baseball won back to back to back L.A. City section open division championships which was led by coaches Matt Mowry, Gus Rico, Paul Blair, and Alex Gamez.

Notable alumni

* Larry Bell – artist * Lisa Bonet – actress *

Damon Buford Damon Jackson Buford (born June 12, 1970) is an American former professional baseball center fielder with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1993 and 2 ...

– Major League Baseball player * Mick Burrs – poet *

Marc Cohen Marc Cohen is an American radio personality who has spent over 30 years as a prominent Southern California announcer. He has performed on both television and radio and has a long running technology show, which is not only well respected, it is on ...

– ABC radio talk show host * Tim Conway Jr. – radio personality, ''

The Tim Conway Jr. Show ''The Tim Conway Jr. Show'' is a weeknight talk radio program, currently web streaming and broadcasting throughout the Los Angeles County and Orange County, California metropolitan areas at KFI AM 640. The show runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pacifi ...

'' * Ronnie Eckstine – actor *

(born 1984) - soccer player and coach *

Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an Israeli-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...

(born 1986) – basketball player (transferred to and graduated from William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills) *

Raymond E. Feist Raymond Elias Feist (; born Raymond Elias Gonzales III; December 21, 1945) is an American fantasy fiction author who wrote ''The Riftwar Cycle'', a series of novels and short stories. His books have been translated into multiple languages and ha ...

– novelist *

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

– actress; played

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...

in 1965 *

Mossimo Giannulli Mossimo Giannulli (born Massimo Giannulli; June 4, 1963) is an American fashion designer who founded Mossimo, a mid-range clothing company, in 1986. In March 2019, Giannulli and his wife, actress Lori Loughlin, were charged and arrested in conne ...

– clothing designer, founder of Mossimo (graduated from HS in Orange County) *

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including ''Time Bandits'' (1981), ''B ...

– director, actor,

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

* Jay Golden – academic, sustainability leader * David Gregory – journalist *

Bill Handel William Wolf Handel (born August 25, 1951) is a Brazilian-born American radio host and attorney. Handel currently hosts two radio programs on KFI in Los Angeles, California. First is KFI's local morning drive time show, in which he comments on ...

– radio personality, KFI 640 AM *

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

(1973) – singer, songwriter * Malik Jackson – NFL player * Marquis Jackson – NFL player *

Jeremy Licht ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of six seasons. It ...

– actor *

Linda Lingle Linda Lingle (''née'' Cutter; June 4, 1953) is an American politician, who was the sixth governor of Hawaii from 2002 until 2010. She was the first Republican governor of Hawaii since 1962. Lingle was also the state's first female and first Je ...

– governor of Hawaii *

Michael Milken Michael Robert Milken (born July 4, 1946) is an American financier. He is known for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds ("junk bonds"), and his conviction and sentence following a guilty plea on felony charges for vio ...

– financier, philanthropist * Mahbod Moghadam, co-founder of

Rapgenius Genius is an American digital media company founded on August 27, 2009, by Tom Lehman, Ilan Zechory, and Mahbod Moghadam. The site allows users to provide annotations and interpretation to song lyrics, news stories, sources, poetry, and document ...

and CEO of

Everipedia Everipedia () is a defunct blockchain-based and online encyclopedia. Everipedia was founded in 2014 and was officially launched in 2015 as a fork of Wikipedia by Larry Sanger (who co-founded Wikipedia). In 2022, Everipedia rebranded to IQ.wiki. ...

Tamera Mowry Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley (née Mowry) () (born July 6, 1978) is an American actress, television personality, and former singer. She first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/ WB sitcom '' Sister, Sister'' (opposite h ...

– actress *

Tia Mowry Tia Mowry is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring role as Tia Landry in the sitcom '' Sister, Sister'' (1994–1999), opposite her twin sister Tamera Mowry. The sisters then starred together in the Disney Channel Or ...

– actress * Robert Newman – actor, ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' *

Michael Ovitz Michael Steven Ovitz (born December 14, 1946) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was a talent agent who co-founded Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. Ovitz later served as preside ...

– talent agent *

Daniel Pearl Daniel Pearl (October 10, 1963 – February 1, 2002) was an American journalist who worked for ''The Wall Street Journal.'' He was kidnapped and later decapitated by terrorists in Pakistan.' Pearl was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and rais ...

– journalist *

Ken Poulsen Ken Sterling Poulsen (August 4, 1947 – December 28, 2017) was a professional baseball utility player who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1967 season. Listed at and , he batted left-handed and th ...

– baseball player, member of "Impossible Dream" 1967 Boston Red Sox American League championship team *

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, writer, television producer, and comedian best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom '' Seinfeld''. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first enterin ...

– actor (graduated from high school in Ventura County) *

Sally Ride Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American astronaut and physicist. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman and the third woman to fly in space, after cosmonauts V ...

–

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

and former

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

(graduated from Westlake School for Girls) * Mychal Rivera – NFL player *

Paul Rodriguez Jr. Paul Martin Rodriguez Jr. (born December 31, 1984), also known by his nickname P-Rod, is an American professional street skateboarder, actor, rapper, and recording artist. Rodriguez has won a total of eight medals at the X Games, four of them gol ...

– professional skateboarder *

David S. Rubin David Stuart Rubin (born June 18, 1949) is an American curator, art critic, and artist. Early life and education Rubin was born in Los Angeles. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles ...

– curator, art critic, artist *

Bobby Sherman Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943), known professionally as Bobby Sherman, is an American retired paramedic, police officer, singer, actor and occasional songwriter who became a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a s ...

– actor * Mickey Sholdar – actor *

Judee Sill Judith Lynne Sill (October 7, 1944 – November 23, 1979) was an American singer and songwriter. The first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum label, she released two albums on Asylum and partially completed a third album before dying of a d ...

– singer, actor *

Pamela Skaist-Levy Juicy Couture is an American casualwear and dress clothing brand based in Arleta, Los Angeles, California. Best known for their iconic velour tracksuits which became a luxury staple in the 2000s, the company was founded by Pamela Skaist-Levy and ...

– clothing designer, founder of Juicy Couture *

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequ ...

- bassist * Chris Taylor –

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

member and

Wisconsin Circuit Court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal case ...

Judge *

Karrueche Tran Karrueche Tran ( ; born May 17, 1988) is an American actress and model. From 2013 to 2016, she starred as Vivian Johnson in the web series '' The Bay''. For producing the series, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Her return to ''The Bay'' for i ...

– model and actress *

Karen Valentine Karen Valentine (born May 25, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series ''Room 222'' from 1969 to 1974, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award f ...

– actress, ''Room 222'' *

Barry Van Dyke Barry Van Dyke (born July 31, 1951) is an American actor and the second son of actor and entertainer Dick Van Dyke and Margie Willett, and nephew of Jerry Van Dyke. He has often worked with his father. He is best known to audiences as Lieutena ...

– actor *

Billy Warlock Billy Warlock (born William Alan Leming; March 26, 1961) is an American actor known for playing Eddie Kramer, a lifeguard on the first two seasons of ''Baywatch'' and in the reunion movie in 2003, as well as for numerous daytime roles, most not ...

– actor *

Cindy Williams Cynthia Jane Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American actress and producer, known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1975–1979), and '' Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1982). Early life Williams was b ...

– actress *

Jeron Wilson Jeron Wilson (born February 1, 1977) is an American professional skateboarder. Early life Wilson was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, California, United States. Wilson started skating around the age of nine when he was introduced to th ...

– professional skateboarder

Notable faculty

* Hy Cohen (1931–2021) – Major League Baseball player

References

External links

* {{authority control High schools in the San Fernando Valley High schools in Los Angeles County, California Lake Balboa, Los Angeles Van Nuys, Los Angeles Charter high schools in California Los Angeles Unified School District schools Educational institutions established in 1953 1953 establishments in California

History

Charter designation

Campus

Attendance boundary

Academics

Demographics

Academic performance

Student discipline

In popular culture

Sports

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

See also

References

Further reading

External links