Horace Mann Elementary, Glendale Unified School District, Glendale, CA

Ms. Rosa Alonso, Principal
Ms. Lynda Teems, Assistant Principal

District website

Five years ago, Horace Mann Elementary School was in program improvement. Teachers reported that they cared about students, but expected little from them. Instruction centered on the textbook, grade-level expectations varied from class to class, and professional development was driven by interest rather than need. Mann Elementary needed a vision of excellence and a clear path to achieve it. This urban elementary school’s laser-like focus on key learning goals and research-based instructional strategies turned the school around and continues to promote students’ academic success.

Mann administrators and teachers still believe themselves to be “a school in progress,” Principal Alonso continues to keep the focus on standards-based learning and quality instruction.  All lessons are clearly aimed at getting students to master grade-level standards.  In the resource room, posters of the focus standards for each grade and bar graphs showing student progress toward mastery of each standard line the walls. Professional development is designed to support teachers’ acquisition of instructional strategies that fully engage students in the curriculum.  The principal and her administrative team conduct frequent and regular classroom visits to observe teachers and provide feedback on their use of the strategies.  Weekly bulletins praise teachers’ efforts, offer examples from observations, and report the percentage of teachers using student-engagement techniques.  In hallways and classrooms, “No Desk Potato” signs remind students about the importance of genuinely engaging in learning.

Click here to read more about our recent visit to Horace Mann.

School Statistics