Evanston Schools: Any experience with them? (Chicago, Oak Park: middle school, colleges, income)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by SloopyJ

Within the classroom, there are things that get taught to the entire class; there are reading and math groups where kids work with peers at similar levels; and there are individual work packets whereby, for example, accelerated kids who complete their group lessons are steered to work on their math or reading packets. Those packets are done at the student's pace and can be as challenging as the student can handle.

This sounds exactly like the way my classes were set up in elementary school. I'm sure there is a gifted and talented program as well? I'd be curious to see how these programs work in different districts. My daughter is still quite young and I can't make any assumptions yet , but my wife and I were both in GT programs growing up so hopefully she and/or her unborn sibling will have some brains.

[SloopyJ]

You know what's weird? The thing that ultimately gave me the most confidence that we were doing the right thing was moving to Evanston and finding out that almost NOBODY we met sent their kids anywere but the Evanston public schools. I've met one family who goes to NSCD, and there are a smattering of folks who go to the Catholic schools, but seriously almost everybody uses the public system. Like you, I was in all the G&T, AP stuff. My wife and I have 3 master's degrees between us, including NU and U of C. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Know what? There are TONS of people like us in Evanston. I mean, would NU professors accept Evanston schools if they sucked? Would all these NorthShore University Hospital doctors accept a crummy education? You know as well as I do that the affluent parts of Evanston are pretty damn affluent and really well educated. So, I don't know, it's a hard thing to put your finger on but there has to be some comfort in knowing that we're not exactly pioneers as involved yuppie parents in the Evanston schools.

[chet everett]

Maybe I am misreading what you are trying to convey, but if I follow your logic, start toddlin' down any random street in Harvey or Ford Heights and asking the resident where their kids are going to school and they all say "why the public schools of course" THAT makes it a wise choice???

And if I were to set out for a round a golf on crisp fall morning and ask the guys with sweatshirts from their kids' high schools where they lived that would mean that all that kids at Loyola Academy, Fenwick, Ignatius lived in towns with crap high schools?

See a problem here?

Originally Posted by SloopyJ

You know what's weird? The thing that ultimately gave me the most confidence that we were doing the right thing was moving to Evanston and finding out that almost NOBODY we met sent their kids anywere but the Evanston public schools. I've met one family who goes to NSCD, and there are a smattering of folks who go to the Catholic schools, but seriously almost everybody uses the public system. Like you, I was in all the G&T, AP stuff. My wife and I have 3 master's degrees between us, including NU and U of C. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Know what? There are TONS of people like us in Evanston. I mean, would NU professors accept Evanston schools if they sucked? Would all these NorthShore University Hospital doctors accept a crummy education? You know as well as I do that the affluent parts of Evanston are pretty damn affluent and really well educated. So, I don't know, it's a hard thing to put your finger on but there has to be some comfort in knowing that we're not exactly pioneers as involved yuppie parents in the Evanston schools.

[kindrakindra]

Most of the Fenwick, Loyola and Ignatius graduates I know, now in their 30s went there because they or their families wanted them to have a Catholic education and some of those graduates want the same for the children. So I am not sure your logic is correct.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by kindrakindra

Most of the Fenwick, Loyola and Ignatius graduates I know, now in their 30s went there because they or their families wanted them to have a Catholic education and some of those graduates want the same for the children. So I am not sure your logic is correct.

My logic is the same as yours!

I am questioning SloopyJ's test of the validity of his choice.

Clear?

[annie75]

Hi Lookout,

I have a child in first grade at Willard in Evanston and one entering kindergarten there in the fall, so can only talk about elementary school. We chose this specific school after visiting several other Evanston schools, talking with parents and principals, observing classes, etc...
We've been really pleased so far--20 or 22 kids in a class as compared to 32 at some CPS schools we visited, good to great teachers, lots of involved families. In our experience, kids who are reading above grade level are challenged, as are those who are ahead of the class in math. The math curriculum in Evanston is Everyday Math--some people feel pretty strongly about this, in case you do. There is a big push on now for teacher training in differentiated instruction--a long article in last week's Pioneer Press I think...
Other good things--recess and gym everyday, music and art and library every week, lots of visiting artist programs funded through grants that do drama and more involved arts activities, NU drama students doing workshops with the kids.
We found principals willing to meet with us, and walk us around the school and look into classrooms. And, the principal and teachers have been very accessible and responsive here. We had friends here to give us insight but also had good conversations with parents outside the schools at pickup time (esp. if you have a cute toddler with you)
My impression is that you may not be able to move to Evanston without considering the neighborhood school and be sure that you'll be happy with the academics and environment (maybe you can do this farther north?), but that if you look into the schools first you can be very pleased with your kids' education and school experience.

[chet everett]

Daily PE is a requirement of the Illinois State Board of Education, crammed down their throats by the PE teacher heavy teacher unions...

Honestly this is silly stuff to have to even cover. Of course there are cute toddler outside Willard School waiting with mom for big brother or sister. The same could be said for basically EVERY desirable town in the region.

UGH!

There is a definite "chicken and egg" problem here! Smart parents that care for their kids DO NOT NEED particularly good schools, and will not tolerate their children attending a particularly horrid school!

[annie75]

Chet--I was actually answering the OP's questions.
The cute toddler comment simply meant that if a single man was nosing around ouside a school asking questions, he might make people nervous, but with a kid in tow he probably wouldn't.
Wow, so glad I decided to answer a question based on actual experience, which I thought was the point of this forum...Won't be back.

Does anyone have personal experience with the Evanston schools? How did you feel about them? Did your kid get a good education? Was too much time spent helping the underachieving kids catch up? Did you like the culture of the schools and the people your kids were hanging out with? Were teachers and staff responsive to concerns?[/quote]

[chet everett]

Sorry annie, I did not mean to scare you off. If anything I agree that people SHOULD post on just how trivial the interactions of most parents is with the children's schools, and how much impact this has on the quality of their experience. Honest. It is GREAT to just hang around the school and you are right that if the prospective student is in tow you won't be looked at as stalker.

Far too few parents do anything at all to investigate their schools and THAT lack of involvement is a HUGE reason why so many schools are unresponsive and do such a poor job.

I really apologize if I freaked you out, but I really am shocked that people are "scared" of sending their kid to school with those of other highly successful people.

The odd / sad thing about the schools in Evanston and Oak Park is that even the desirable schools there are parents that either are unaware / unable to be involved in their childs' education and their experience is notably worse for it. I don't think that is the 'fault' of the schools, and I suspect they will always spend some resources trying in vain to address this, but there is only so much the schools can do...

[SloopyJ]

I think we're on the same page, Chet. My comments about Evanston parents sending their kids to the public schools was meant in the context of, hey, these are doctors and lawyers and professors for whom education is likely to be of paramount importance, and they're all comfortable with Evanston schools (as opposed to private options). Of course Ford Heights parents will choose public schools; they don't have other choices. Affluent Evanston residents have private options, or they could pick up and move to Wilmette or Park Ridge or Western Springs.

So, again, we're on the same page here. Well-off kids with involved parents are very likely to do well in school, and my point was that I think Evanston schools offer a lot to those families and students. Simply put, privileged kids are likely to do as well in Evanston as they would anywhere else. And my point about finding lots of people like us in Evanston was simply mean to suggest that I'm not going out on a limb by making that claim.