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Birmingham High School

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Birmingham Community Charter High School
Address
Map
17000 Haynes St

Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, California

Lake Balboa, Los Angeles, California

United States
Information
TypePublic
Established1953
School districtCharter
PrincipalMarsha Coates
Faculty160
Grades9–12
Enrollment3,641
Color(s)Blue and Gold    
AthleticsCIF Los Angeles City Section
Athletics conferenceWest Valley League
MascotPatriots (formerly the Braves)
WebsiteOfficial website

Birmingham Community Charter High School (formerly Birmingham High School) is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California, United States. On July 1, 2009, the LAUSD Board of Education voted to allow the high school to become a charter school under the name Birmingham Community Charter High School. 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 address and serves Lake Balboa, parts of Encino, and Amestoy Estates.

History

This school was built on the site of Birmingham General Hospital. This facility was a United States Army hospital that operated primarily as a rehabilitation center for soldiers injured during World War II in the Pacific. It was named after Col. Henry Patrick Birmingham, a senior officer in the Medical Corps who died in 1930. The hospital closed in 1948. Elements of the hospital can be seen in Marlon Brando's first film, The Men (1950) and students had to adapt to wards and ramps through the early l960s for classes due to the "baby boomer" kids in an area that went from zero population to thousands of new post-WW II San Fernando Valley suburban homes.

The site was acquired by Los Angeles City Schools in the early 1950s (for the token price of $1), and became the home to Birmingham Junior High School in 1953. The school expanded into a six-year campus in 1956. In 1963, the northern part of the campus became William Mulholland Junior High School.

The original name of the sports teams were the Braves; this name was changed to the Patriots in 1998 when the LAUSD Board of Education voted to eliminate team mascots depicting American Indians due to the threat of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. This was in spite of the fact the school was dedicated by Jay Silverheels (Tonto) and five gathered Native-American Chiefs from the San Fernando Valley Indian Council [citation needed].

In January 2006, The Los Angeles Times published a series of articles discussing the graduation/dropout rate at the school and how it relates to the rate for the rest of LAUSD.[1]

Pop 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 Elliot's song Gossip Folks, Gwen Stefani's song "Hollaback Girl", Corbin Bleu's song "Push It to the Limit," Eminem's No Love, and Lil Wayne's Prom Queen. Also, in 2007 an episode of America's Next Top Model was filmed there. Other shows filmed at Birmingham High School include Nip/Tuck, NCIS, Cold Case, Scrubs, The Office, Ghost Whisperer and Monk.

The school's football field was used as a set for the shoot of the music video for Angels & Airwaves Everything's Magic (the first single to their new CD, I-Empire). The track, surrounding the football field, also served as the location for the relay race scene starring Kirk Cameron in Like Father Like Son. An episode of Full House 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 in his guise as Bruno that appeared in GQ magazine.[2]

Miranda Cosgrove's music video for "Dancing Crazy" is also filmed on Birmingham High School's football field.

Academics

Birmingham High School offers students a full range of subjects in its academic curriculum. All students study a core curriculum of Math, English, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Languages. There is also a Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. In addition, Elective classes in a variety of subjects are offered, including music, drama, and the visual arts. The school has recently created a number of Small Learning Communities (SLCs). Some of these include:

  • M.A.S.H Academy
  • Social Justice Academy
  • Performing and Visual Arts Academy
  • Business and Technology Academy
  • 9th Grade Academy
  • Creative and Liberal Arts

In addition, many other programs such as Humanitas, AVID, and School for Advanced Studies are available to students.

Sports

From 2003 to 2007, the basketball coach was Andre McCarter, MVP for the Rochester, New York Zeniths of the Continental Basketball Association in the 1978–79 season. McCarter played on UCLA's national championship teams in the early 1970s under John Wooden.

In the 2008–09 school year, Birmingham introduced a Lacrosse team.

Notable alumni

Jordan Farmar

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Back to Basics: Why Does High School Fail So Many? – Los Angeles Times
  2. ^ "LA schools chief fumes over 'Bruno' school photos. (June 30, 2009) Associated Press
  3. ^ Spotlight on LAUSD Alumni

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