TAFT HIGH SCHOOL (LOS ANGELES)

(Redirected from William Howard Taft High School (Los Angeles, California))

'William Howard Taft High School' is a public school located on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Several areas, including portions of Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Melody Acres [1], are zoned to Taft. In addition, residents of Topanga, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles County, may attend Taft or Palisades Charter High School.

Contents

History

Sports

Academics

Notable Alumni

Taft in the Movies

External links

History

Taft opened in 1960 [2].
On November 3, 2000, a gang-related shooting after a football game left one student wounded.
[3]
In May 2007 teachers from Taft began negotiations with Green Dot, a charter school operator [4].

Sports

Taft's nickname and mascot is the Toreadors.
Taft is home to winning football and basketball programs. Taft sent many players to division one programs and professional sports. Most recently, former All-American Steve Smith had three touchdown receptions for the University of Southern California in the 2005 National Championship game against Oklahoma. Jordan Farmar recently drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006 also graduated from Taft in 2004.
In 2005 Taft Boys Football played Crenshaw High School for LA City Football championship, and although they lost, Taft still has one of the best football programs in Southern California.
The Boys Volleyball team have been city champions multiple times, winning the city championship in 1999, 2000, and 2001, while also making the city finals in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
In 2006, the Taft Boys Track Team, led by Coach Richard Rucker, pulled a city championship win
In 2006, the Taft Girls Basketball Team pulled a city championship win against Washington High School.
In 2006, the Taft Girls Volleyball Team, led by Coach Arman Mercado, pulled a city championship win against San Pedro High School.
In 2007, the Taft Boys Tennis Team, led by Coach Tom Wright, stunned Los Angeles with a sterling City Championship win against Palisades Charter High School with a score of 21-8.5, it was Taft's first Tennis City Championship since 1983.
In 2007, the Taft Boys Track Team, led by Coach Richard Rucker, pulled a city championship win
By far the most notable sporting achievement by the Toreadors was their 1998 Los Angeles City 4A Football championship over the Banning Pilots of Wilmington.

Academics

Taft is home to the renowned Individualized Honors Program, led by Dr. Arthur Berchin. This program sends over 80% of its students into the UC system, and holds approximately 120 students per calendar year.
Taft has also seen repeated success in the United States Academic Decathlon, Winning Nationals in 1989, 1994, and 2006.
Taft has also won the Los Angeles Regional Competition every year since 1994, with the exception of 1999.
In 2006 a new academy called the Visual And Performing Arts Academy (VAPA) was created. It combines the vocal music, instumental music, drama, dance, and art departments and puts focus on the arts in academic subjects.
The arch-rival school is El Camino Real High School also located in Woodland Hills.

Notable Alumni

★ Brad Wilk (drummer, Rage Against the Machine)

★ Cherie Currie (singer of The Runaways)

★ Craig Buck (Olympic volleyball player)

★ Dale Launer (screenwriter) Ruthless People, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, My Cousin Vinny, Love Potion #9

★ Daniel Berdichevsky, the all-time national high scorer in the United States Academic Decathlon

★ Dave Koz (saxophonist, jazz recording artist)

★ Duffy Waldorf (Pro Golfer, PGA Tour)

★ Eric Wright (Eazy-E) - Rapper

★ Erik Schrody (Everlast)

★ Gabe Kapler - MLB player

★ Jan Smithers (Bailey on WKRP) - Actress

★ Jane Wiedlin (founding member of The Go-Go's)

★ Jason Bateman- Actor

★ Jeff Fisher (head coach Tennessee Titans)

★ Jeff Stork (pro volleyball player)

★ Joan Jett (guitarist for The Runaways,singer/guitarist Joan Jett and The Black Hearts)

★ Jordan Farmar - NBA player, Los Angeles Lakers

★ Justine Bateman- Actress

★ Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan (NASA astronaut, first woman to walk in space)

★ Kevin Kennedy (manager Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox)

★ Larry Dierker - MLB player, manager Houston Astros

★ Larry Yount (MLB)

★ Lisa Kudrow - Actress

★ Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady of TV's Brady Bunch)

★ O'Shea Jackson (Ice Cube) - Rapper and actor

★ Pete LaCock (MLB)

★ Peter Gordon (American experimental composer and musician)

★ Quincy Watts - Olympic Gold Medalist

★ Rick Auerbach - MLB player

★ Robin Yount (MLB)

★ Steve Bartek of Oingo Boingo

★ Steve Hartman, Sportscaster, KLAC Radio, KCBS Television

★ Steve Smith (former USC starting wide receiver). Now with the New York Giants

★ Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady of TV's Brady Bunch)

★ The Electric Prunes (1960s rock group)

★ Wilmer Valderrama- Actor, That 70s Show

Taft in the Movies

Taft starred as the high school used in 1976's The Boy in the Plastic Bubble with John Travolta, 1985's Mask (film), starring Cher, 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie , 2005's , 2007's Keith (film) starring Pop Superstar, Jesse McCartney.
Taft High was mentioned in the pop-up version of the Disney Channel Original Movie ''High School Musical'' (2006) as the winner of the United States Academic Decathlon.
Also, Taft has been featured in many commercials, most recently for Home Depot, Skittles and the Nintendo Wii Harry Potter game.

External links

★ Official website