Birmingham High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Birmingham Community Charter High School |
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| Address | |
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17000 Haynes Street Lake Balboa
Los Angeles
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91406
United States
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| Coordinates | 34°11′18″N 118°30′18″W / 34.18837°N 118.50507°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Charter College-preparatory |
| Established | 1953 |
| School district | Los Angeles Unified School District (internal charter) |
| NCES School ID | 060159602857 |
| Principal | Ari Bennett |
| Teaching staff | 130.24 (FTE) (2022–23) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 3,058 (2022–23) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 23.48 (2022–23) |
| Color(s) | Blue and gold |
| Athletics conference | CIF Los Angeles City Section |
| Nickname | Patriots |
Birmingham Community Charter High School (which used to be called Birmingham High School) is a high school located in the Lake Balboa area of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the San Fernando Valley. The school first opened in 1953. It originally taught students from seventh to twelfth grade. In 1963, it became a high school just for grades nine through twelve. Even though it has a Van Nuys address, it serves students from Lake Balboa, parts of Encino, and Amestoy Estates. It is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District but runs as a special charter school.
Contents
School History
The land where Birmingham High School stands was once a US Army hospital. It was called Birmingham General Hospital. This hospital operated from 1943 to 1946. After that, it was known as the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital until 1950. In 1952, the land was sold to the Los Angeles City Schools for just one dollar. The hospital was named after Brigadier General Henry Patrick Birmingham. He was a doctor in the US Army Medical Corps during World War I.
The school opened its doors in 1953. This was right after World War II. At first, it served students from families who had recently moved to the San Fernando Valley. By the 1960s, many of these families were middle-class. They had often moved from the East Coast and the Midwest.
Birmingham High School was part of the Los Angeles City High School District. In 1961, it joined the larger Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
By 2006, most of the students at the school were Latino and Hispanic. That same year, the principal, Marsha Coates, started "small learning communities." She also created a special academy for ninth-grade students. These programs helped new students adjust to high school.
Becoming a Charter School
On July 1, 2009, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) made a big decision. They voted to let Birmingham High School become a charter school. It was then renamed Birmingham Community Charter High School. Before this happened, there was a lot of discussion among school officials. They debated for months about whether the school should become a charter. About 66% of the teachers at the school supported the change. After the charter was approved, 91 teachers stayed at Birmingham. However, 34 teachers decided to leave and work at other LAUSD schools. This meant that some departments, like Spanish, science, and history, had many new teachers.
Because of these changes, the teachers and staff of the school's magnet program asked to separate. In 2009, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School was created. It became an independent high school on the same campus as Birmingham. This new school had a difficult start. During its first year, about one-third of its students left. Some left because of problems with Birmingham students and staff. Others left because Pearl was a very small school. They wanted a bigger high school experience. In 2010, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School moved to its own building next to Birmingham.
In 2012, LAUSD officials had concerns about Birmingham. They said the school did not handle issues of unfair treatment or services for students with disabilities well. LAUSD tried to bring Birmingham back under direct district control. However, Birmingham officials said they were not aware of serious problems at their school.
School Campus
The school is located in the Lake Balboa area. This area used to be part of Van Nuys. As mentioned, the school site was once a military hospital.
As of 2009, Birmingham has the largest high school campus in the LAUSD. It covers 53 acres of land. The campus is also close to Reseda.
Student Attendance Area
Students who live in certain areas are assigned to attend Birmingham. These areas include Lake Balboa. They also include parts of Van Nuys, Encino, Tarzana, and Reseda. The Amestoy Estates area is also within Birmingham's attendance boundary.
Academics and Learning
In 2006, Mitchell Landsberg from the Los Angeles Times wrote about Birmingham. He said that while some students faced challenges, many others did very well. He mentioned the Daniel Pearl Journalism Magnet program. He also highlighted the "dedicated core of teachers" and the many honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes offered. Landsberg noted that even with changes in the student population, academic standards remained high. He felt that getting a diploma from Birmingham was even harder than it used to be.
Birmingham offers many college-level classes called AP courses. These courses help students get ready for college. Some of the AP courses include Art History, Calculus, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Psychology, and United States History.
Student Population
In 2009, Birmingham Community Charter High School had 2,700 students. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times described Birmingham as a typical Los Angeles school. He said its student population and performance were similar to the city as a whole.
In September 2001, 1,100 ninth graders started at Birmingham High School. This group would have been the Class of 2005. Over the years, more than 350 of these students moved to other schools. About half went to other traditional high schools. The other half chose different paths, like independent study or vocational schools. In June 2005, 521 students from that original group graduated. This was less than half of the starting number.
Before 2006, some students from overcrowded high schools were bused to Birmingham. For example, 102 students who were supposed to go to Belmont High School instead became part of Birmingham's Class of 2005.
As of 2006, nearly 4,000 students attended the school. Landsberg also noted that there had been some conflicts between different student groups.
From 2016 to 2017, about 3,145 students were enrolled at Birmingham High School. This makes it one of the largest schools in California.
Academic Success
In 2006, Mitchell Landsberg observed that many students at Birmingham succeeded. He also noted that some students struggled or left school. He stated that the school sent many students to good colleges. These included Cal State and UC campuses, and even some Ivy League schools. About 75% of the Class of 2005 planned to go on to higher education. Over 60 students from that class went to University of California campuses.
In 2009, 9% of students scored well in math tests. Also, 34% scored well in English tests. In 2008, the numbers were similar, with 9% in math and 36% in English.
Student Behavior
In 2006, Principal Marsha Coates mentioned that some students would often miss classes. She said they were still on campus but would just wander around. The school tried new ways to track attendance. They also gave out tickets for skipping class. However, some students still missed classes.
School Sports
The school's sports teams are called the Patriots. They used to be called the Braves. However, Native American groups in the San Fernando Valley protested against the "Braves" mascot. This was part of a larger effort across the country to remove Native American mascots. They met with the Los Angeles School Board. The LAUSD school board voted to remove all Native American mascots and logos from schools.
The school was told to change its mascot by June 28, 1998. Students voted for the new mascot to be the "Blue Devil." But the principal at the time, Gerald Kleinman, and the mascot committee felt this was not a good choice. They decided to overrule the students' vote. Instead, they chose the "Patriot" as the new mascot.
Football Achievements
- Under coach Ed Croson, the football team won several championships. They won CIF Southern Section championships in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008. Future NFL players like Malik Jackson and Mychal Rivera played on these teams. Other great players included Milton Knox and Marquis Jackson.
Basketball Achievements
- From 2003 to 2007, Andre McCarter was the basketball coach. He was a very successful player himself. He was the MVP for the Rochester, New York Zeniths in 1978–79. McCarter also played on UCLA's national championship teams in the early 1970s. He played under the famous coach John Wooden.
Soccer Achievements
- In 2006, the Birmingham boys’ soccer team won its first L.A. City Section championship. They beat the undefeated Canoga Park Hunters with a score of 4–2. The team was coached by E.B Madha. Key players included Eric Moran, Rene Alveranga, Juan Davila, and Oscar Garcia. Birmingham has won 6 Division 1 city titles. These wins were in 2006, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024. The team is currently coached by Gustavo Villalobos. Birmingham is known as a top high school soccer program in the city, state, and nation.
- Michael Erush, a former Birmingham soccer player, was honored in 1999. He was named the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News All-Region Player of the Year. He was also an NSCAA High School All-America selection in 2000. He was inducted into the Birmingham Community Charter Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lacrosse Achievements
- During the 2008–09 school year, Birmingham started a lacrosse team. In May 2015, both the boys' and girls' lacrosse teams won a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) city championship. The girls' team beat Palisades 11–1. The boys' team won 9-4. This was the second city championship in a row for the girls' team.
Wrestling Achievements
- In 2013, the Birmingham wrestling team won its first L.A. City Section Championship. This was a historic win for the school's wrestling program.
Cross Country Running Achievements
- In 2010, the Birmingham cross country team won both the boys' and girls' L.A. City Section Championship. This added to head coach Scott King's 16 city championships during his time at Birmingham.
- The track around the football field hosted the CIF Los Angeles City Section Championships until 2014.
Baseball Achievements
- From 2017 to 2019, Birmingham Varsity baseball won three L.A. City section open division championships in a row. Coaches Matt Mowry, Gus Rico, Paul Blair, and Alex Gamez led these successful teams.
Famous Alumni
Many notable people have graduated from Birmingham Community Charter High School. Here are a few:
- Govind Armstrong - Chef
- Larry Bell — artist
- Lisa Bonet — actress
- Damon Buford — Major League Baseball player
- Mick Burrs — poet
- Marc Cohen — radio talk show host
- Tim Conway Jr. — radio personality
- Ronnie Eckstine — actor
- Michael Erush — soccer player and coach
- Jordan Farmar — basketball player
- Raymond E. Feist — novelist
- Sally Field — actress; played Gidget
- Mossimo Giannulli — clothing designer
- Terry Gilliam — director, actor, Monty Python
- Jay Golden — academic, sustainability leader
- David Gregory — journalist
- Bill Handel — radio personality
- Jermaine Jackson — singer, songwriter
- Malik Jackson — NFL player
- Marquis Jackson — NFL player
- Jeremy Licht — actor
- Linda Lingle — former governor of Hawaii
- Michael Milken — financier, philanthropist
- Tamera Mowry — actress
- Tia Mowry— actress
- Robert Newman — actor
- Michael Ovitz — talent agent
- Daniel Pearl — journalist
- Ken Poulsen — baseball player
- Michael Richards — actor
- Sally Ride — physicist and former NASA astronaut
- Mychal Rivera — NFL player
- Paul Rodriguez Jr. — professional skateboarder
- Daniel Rotman - entrepreneur
- David S. Rubin — curator, art critic, artist
- Peter Schlesinger — artist
- Bobby Sherman — actor
- Mickey Sholdar — actor
- Judee Sill — singer, actor
- Pamela Skaist-Levy — clothing designer, founder of Juicy Couture
- Leland Sklar — bassist
- Chris Taylor — Wisconsin State Assembly member and judge
- Karrueche Tran — model and actress
- Karen Valentine — actress
- Barry Van Dyke — actor
- Billy Warlock — actor
- Cindy Williams — actress
- Jeron Wilson — professional skateboarder
- Hasan Zaidi — Harvard Neurosurgeon
Notable Faculty
- Hy Cohen (1931–2021) – Major League Baseball player
See also
In Spanish: Escuela Preparatoria Birmingham Charter para niños
