About CEE

Welcome and thank you for your interest in The Center for Early Education!

The Center for Early Education (CEE) is an independent, co‑ed, day school located in West Hollywood, California.

CEE began in 1939 when a group of professional psychoanalysts started a playgroup for their young children at a home in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, known as The School for Nursery Years. At a time when preschool education was in its infancy, the school’s founders were passionate about respecting the inner world of the child and developing an early childhood education based on nurturing each child's natural developmental pace.

List of 6 items.

540

Students, Toddler through Grade Six
56%

Students of Color
10 years

Average Faculty Tenure
15:1

Elementary Student/Teacher Ratio
7:1

Early Childhood Student/Teacher Ratio
65+

Zip Codes Students Come From

In 1946, the playgroup moved to our current location on Alfred Street and in 1968 the school was renamed The Center for Early Education. During the 1970s, The Center added elementary grades from kindergarten through sixth grade. The values of our founders remain in the foundation of our philosophy and mission. Learn more about The Center’s unique history.

Today, 540 students from Toddler through grade six attend CEE. Over 100 faculty and staff members comprise a highly qualified professional team committed to serving the school community.

Located in vibrant West Hollywood, California, The Center enjoys an urban campus, adjacent to the cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. A four-year Campus Enhancement Project concluded in 2020, with three interconnected, state-of-the-art instructional buildings, including rooftop play areas and a full-size soccer field.

Students typically come from within a twenty-five mile radius of the school, representing communities as diverse as Central Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Brentwood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and the surrounding hillside communities.

The Center for Early Education is a nationally-recognized leader in early childhood and elementary education. Teachers and administrators frequently speak at regional and national conferences, and several serve on the boards of trustees of other educational and community organizations.

Our Mission and Core Values

The Center for Early Education, a socio-economically and culturally diverse independent school for children, toddlers through grade six, strives to graduate students who are joyful, resilient, life-long learners. The Center embraces a philosophy of education that combines a nurturing, inclusive learning environment with an increasingly challenging academic program that addresses the developmental needs of each child.