Where are the best Public Middle Schools in Chicago?? (Lincoln: apartments, neighborhood)

[cali2chi]

Hi. I'm considering moving from California to Chicago later in the year, and I have a middle schooler. I would like to live in the City, but I don't want to pay for private school. I know there has to be some good public schools there. Please help!

Also, if there are any surburbs with good middle schools that are less than 15 miles from the City, I would be willing to consider those as well.

Thanks in advance.

[chicagocubs]

don't think that they have middle schools in Chicago...

When I went to school it was k-8th (graduated)

9-12

no middle school at all.

[cali2chi]

Yes, you're correct. I'm in the very preliminary stages of my research, so I didn't realize that at first. Thanks!

[thevintageguy]

I've been researching Chicago Public Schools in the city as well. I'm thinking of moving to the City from Ohio and have two young children not yet in school. The best I have found so far with online research is Ogden Elementary. I'm researching apartments in the Streeterville/Gold Coast area, and hope to live in this area of the city. Walter Payton High School seems to be the best high school in the area, but it is not guaranteed admittance. Take all of this with a grain of salt since I have no knowledge of the area outside of my online research over the past week or so. I've also heard Lincoln Park High School is pretty good as well; however most people say all Chicago Public Schools are horrible, which I still have a hard time believing until I visit some (hopefully this spring or fall).

[chet everett]

Still wondering where you come up with Ogden being a good option??? Further the density, cost and relative limited selection of housing in Streetville / Gold Coast make this less than the ideal place for a "transplant" to Chicago.

CPS does have a handful of "middle schools", the range from "meh" to "avoid at all costs". Some the slective high schools have excellent programs for talented 7th & 8th graders. http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/pdf/elemagate.pdf

You may not believe how horrible the MAJORITY of CPS remains , but you must realize that the ssme clueless buffoons that would guarantee the re-election of our idiot governor who was then under investigation for exactly the same things that he is now having to answer for in his impeachement and the soon-to-come criminal federal trial maybe don't think like normal sane folks...

[thevintageguy]

I guess I'm just going to have to see Ogden in person when I visit the city this year to see how horrible it truly is.

[chet everett]

Maybe you misunderstood my comments -- Ogden itself is not nearly as bad as the worst of CPS. Neither is it performing at the level of some the pretty decent non-selective admissions CPS elementary schools like Edgebrook , Blaine or Nettlehorst where there are a majority of involved parents and low levels of transiet students, et cetera...

Those neighorhood schools are much more "famly friendly" and the residential areas that feed into those schools are going to have a much more acceptable standard of living for families with kids.

Make sense?

[Avengerfire]

22.5% of students at Ogden speak "limited English."

[Lookout Kid]

There aren't really "middle schools" in CPS. Most of the neighborhood schools are K-8.

In terms of being within 15 miles of the city, that's a pretty wide net with LOTS of great suburban schools (and several bad ones). You'll have to be more specific. If you want to be less than 15 miles from the Loop, you'll have more selection going west because of the shape of Chicago. Going west from the Loop, I think that a town as far as Western Springs is within 15 miles, so there are a lot of options.

[mh7]

Originally Posted by thevintageguy

I guess I'm just going to have to see Ogden in person when I visit the city this year to see how horrible it truly is.

I live in river north several blocks south of Ogden - there are some seriously sketchy areas directly west of the school. Sketchy is an understatatement really - scary is more accurate. Put "658 w division st, chicago il" into maps.google.com, go to the street view & take a look north if you don't believe me.

There are exactly two types of families in the ogden district: those who can afford to send their kids to private schools & very poor people. There are not many middle class families in that area: 1) its not a child friendly area & 2) if you don't have a lot money, there are simply better places to live.