Archive for April, 2009
Subjective Thoughts on Decatur
A commenter here has been offered a spot at Decatur with a few days to decide about it so I thought I’d offer up my thoughts on the place. These are based on my 1 personal visit and reports from other parents over the past couple years (remember, I start every conversation with “where does your child go to school?”)
Before I toured Decatur I had heard that the school was a bit strict and the administration kind of controlling and uptight. I’d heard that parents are not really welcomed into the building (like if you are picking up your child and you need to go in to use the bathroom, forget it.) I’d also heard that in the time period AFTER school notifications, they give minimal (possibly no) school tours – kind of with the attitude of “you should have done your homework ahead of time.”
So I attended the tour with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, intenting to ask about the anti-parents policy. Well, I could not have been more surprised. The principal seemed warm and friendly. The school “vibe” was very positive (althought the school was freezing) and the students all looked truly engaged in their learning. The principal or teacher would have kids in some of the classes speak to us and of course with all these 99%+ kids, it was very impressive. The racial diversity was like a parent’s dream. The teachers looked motivated and engaged. And I DID ask about their acceptance of parents in the school and although they didn’t promise that one could come in to pee, they certainly embrace parental involvement in appropriate school activities (and of course fundraising.) I left the tour wanting my son to go there.
Regarding academics, the test scores are fantastic, but of course when you’re taking all 99% kids you’re off to a good start. I was a little freaked out when the principal stated that kids are pretty much expected to be reading at the first grade level right from the start and will be given minimal time to catch up. I’m sure the kids who actually test in have no trouble.
The “Classical” thing puts a unique spin on the place. Kids learn Latin and tap-dancing as part of a “classical” eduction which is cool but I picture a lot of these kids getting their asses kicked when they get to high school if parents aren’t helping to raise their cool-factor a bit.
I’ve heard that the discipline is pretty no-nonsense, even for Kindergarteners. They simply don’t tolerate “bad” behavior and expect the parent to make it stop. I think someone with a young boy who has a hard time sitting still could possibly be setting up their child for frustration.
One other challenge I’ve heard is that because Decatur is a small school that doesn’t have a neighborhood component, they face more hurdles in getting funding. Parents can fundraise but they don’t have an aldeman or a neighborhood Friends-Of group rallying for them. The building probably needs some updating (I think there is no lunchroom) but they’re basically at the mercy of CPS to help them. On the other hand, there is a nice small-school feel to the place. The teachers and admin probably know all the kids by name.
So overall, I think if you have a kid who tests in it’s worth a shot. If your child is reading before Kindergarten you may not want them in a class where some kids are still learning their letter – it’s just a matter of preventing boredom (in my opinion.) Just like any other CPS school, there will be some unique quirks about the place, there will be years when the teacher is fantastic and years when they’re not. If you have a good neighborhood school, the benefits of attending there might outweigh the commute to a place like Decatur (or other magnet/gifted school.) I think a lot of it come down to how much the child really *needs* an accelerated curriculum – if they really do, it’s probably worth the effort to get them there.
Disclaimer: These are my personal and biased opinions. Please feel free to add yours in the comment box!
29 comments April 25, 2009
Humor in the CPS Directory
I’ve been entertaining myself lately with the giant CPS directory that lists all the schools and their vital stats. (Lots of extra time without freelance work right now – if anyone reading this needs a marketing researcher, please get in touch!)Every year CPS puts out their Elementary and Pre-School Directory so that parents can “shop” for schools. These are available at the Library and I’d advise you to nab one now for next year, as this year’s model came out about 1 week before applications were due.This is a great book for looking at the hard data about schools (test scores, parent ratings.) It also has the map of each school district which is helpful if you’re trying to figure out where to live.Each school gets to submit a blurb that is printed at the top of their page. In theory, the school should use this as a chance to advertise themselves – to get prospective parents to stop and read more about the school. It’s like their “elevator pitch” if you will.Needless to say, many of them deserve to be publicly mocked. Some made me laugh, some puzzled me, and some made me wonder if they had delegated the job of writing the blurb to the school janitor. Read on…..
(Disclaimer: My comments in no way reflect anything about the school. My comments DO in every way reflect something about the blurb.)
(Final Note: As a feminist-type, I applaud CPS for having a decent number of schools named after women.)
OK, these make the school sound good:
Trumbull
At Trumbull, student achievement, enrichment, and fun all go together. We are proud of our enthusiastic and dedicated teaching staff, excellent standardized test scores, Literature and Writing Magnet Program, and many extracurricular activities.
West Pullman
West Pullman has a warm, friendly, and supportive atmosphere where staff, students, and parents put learning first.
Edgebrook
Edgebrook is a wonderful place to learn. Dedicated staff members provide high quality reading, math, and science programs. Social studies and fine arts are integrated throughout the curriculum. Our grade level history fairs have become a highlight of the year. Students achieve the highest academic standards. Strong parent and community support provides enrichment experiences for our students.
Hawthorne
Hawthorne Scholastic Academy provides a positive learning atmosphere for all students with a focus on reading and writing. We are proud of our long-standing tradition of academic excellence that has been a collaborative effort among all our stakeholders.
Schools my son would like based on their blurb:
Disney
Periodically, we see Mickey and Minnie Mouse running through the halls! This is a happy place where we believe that learning should be fun!
Kilmer
The first NASA Explorers School in Illinois.
Hanging their hat on one detail that doesn’t have much to do with actually educating kids:
Alcott
Our school has an Organic School Project — we serve all organic food for breakfast and lunch.
Avondale
The original Avondale School was built in 1881. The current building on Sawyer Avenue was built in 1894 and holds landmark status.
Cather
At Cather, we have two enclosed flower gardens that we nurture and develop, just as we nurture and develop our children.
Franklin
Franklin is the fifth oldest school in Chicago and opened when the city was just four years old. Find the plaque for the original building on Wells Street across from the campus park.
Volta
Volta alumni include: Florence Berman (owner, Super Dawg restaurant), Steve Goodman (City of New Orleans performer/composer), and Bob Sirott (TV personality).
Vanderpoel
Grammy-award winning hip hop artist Kanye West is a former student.
Ray
The school serves as the backdrop for the 57th Street Art Fair and Children’s Book Fair (Arne Duncan’s kids went here btw.)
A little too corny for my taste:
Canty
Where “can’t” is not part of the equation!
Lee
As a year-round school, we are like the Energizer Bunny, we just keep going and going and…
Are these schools as grumpy as they sound?
Brentano
Then people visit Brentano they always leave with a lasting impression. Brentano has a positive school climate conducive for learning. If you don’t believe it, come see us for yourselves.
Bontemps
Bontemps has an open door policy and invites anyone at anytime to visit providing they get a visitor’s pass from the office.
…and where students learn to use lots of adjectives!
Haugan
Haugan is a place where teachers are motivated, innovative and dedicated. Students are happy, ambitious, unique, genuine, accomplished and notable. In 2007, Haugan received an Exemplary Achievement Award from CPS for six years of consecutive gains on the ISAT.
OK, I know what they meant but one could interpret it in a slightly more creepy way:
Albany Park
Albany Park Multicultural Academy (APMA) has a very diverse student body that honors multiculturalism. The small school allows for personal relationships to develop between each student and staff member.
Locke
Locke School is more than just a school, it’s our home.
C’mon. ALL?
Dirksen
All Dirksen School children are academically successful.
A free school?! What a refreshing change from all those other CPS schools!
Drummond
Drummond School is a year-round small Montessori Magnet School-within-a-School that provides students and their families with an exemplary and progressive curriculum, at no cost.
Uh, your test scores would suggest otherwise:
Ericson
Where academic achievement is the only option.
Is this an elementary school or an exciting new loft development meant to attract yuppies?
Ogden
The Ogden Elementary School is a neighborhood school on the near north side of Chicago. Located in a rapidly redeveloping cosmopolitan city, Ogden Elementary School serves students from a racially, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse community. Nestled among some of the most prominent cultural, social, and business institutions in the world, we are committed to providing a world-class education.
Stating the obvious….
Davis
You can learn more about our school by visiting our school website at www.davisacademy.cps.k12.il.us.
Hughes
“A place where teaching and learning occurs!”
Motto that would be hardest to fit on a T-shirt:
Fuller
Our motto: “We are available 24 hours a day and eight days a week. Why eight days…? Because we go that extra mile!”
Taking a more philosophical approach:
Castellanos
Castellanos believes that educational change depends on what teachers do and think. It’s as simple and as complex as that.
Hale
Our motto: Learning is a cyclical inquiry action revolving through the stages of experience, accommodation, assimilation, memory, and transfer.
3 comments April 11, 2009
Skinner North
So this appears to be the one wildcard for the upcoming school year. Skinner is a Classical School that is splitting into Skinner North and Skinner West.
The problem is that apparently CPS doesn’t know yet where Skinner North will be located, and between the 2 proposed sites, neither are highly desirable based on potential shady activity near the school.
Here is the most recent comment here. Feel free to continue to comment to discuss it. This is a tough one. It is so hard to give up the chance to get into a Classical school when there are so few spots in CPS. Personally, I would say that if your child is really advanced and would do well in the Classical-type of program, give it a chance. There is a strong upside if parents mobilize and take the time to build it up. Lack of staff isn’t necessarily a bad thing in CPS. If the person who is doing the hiring seems to have a good vision for the school, it’s great to start fresh. If you’re looking for a school where everything is in place already, this probably isn’t right for you.
“Anyone else at the Skinner North open house yesterday? If so, what are your thoughts about sending your child there? We are probably not going to primarily because of the safety concern of it being located at Schiller. We are also very skeptical of the Board of Ed in that they want us to confirm attendance by 4/17 but they cannot show us Schiller School or make a firm decision about Skinner North’s location unitl 4/22. So much for transparency. As a lay person I find it concerning that no staff has been hired and the extra curriculars seem to be lacking.”
19 comments April 4, 2009
Why I like homework
Just responding to a friend of mine who heckled me about my post about hating homework. Yes, just the week before she heard me say at an LSC meeting that I love homework. And I do. I just don’t like doing it with my particular child. I would like doing it with an angelic, focused, self-motivated child. You know, the kid we all planned to give birth to before we had actual children.
On a recent tour of my son’s school, one of the main questions that parents had about the gifted kindergarten class was about the amount of homework. I’m sure people have this question about any kindergarten class, but I suspect that some of the gifted programs in the city have scared people off a bit. A couple northside schools have a reputation for giving oppressive homework, even in the young grades and that is just not OK for me. (So yes, I like homework but only if it is the perfect amount that I want.)
My son’s current program gives a nice amount – pretty much one worksheet a night for 4 nights of the week. We get them on Monday and they’re due the following Monday so we can choose when to complete them. Every week I vow that I will teach him good study habits and we’ll stay on schedule. And every Sunday night he’s doing a page that we put off to the end.
I like knowing what they’re working on in class. I like seeing how they’ve progressed since the begining of the year. I like seeing that my son has learned stuff that I didn’t know he knew yet. And watching him complete his homework is a good way to keep track of that. Sometimes I make up little stories for him using the sounds they’re learning that week. Mine are always funnier than the dumb ones written by Hartcourt, I might add. Also more inappropriate for 5-6 year olds.
Having volunteered in the classroom throughout the year, I also think that with the big class sizes they have, homework time is one of the few chances any kid gets for one-on-one attention during the week. If they don’t get something in class, there isn’t much of a chance to speak up, slow down, ask questions, etc. Sure, grades and conferences can help a parent understand where their child needs some extra work, but I think seeing the kid in action is much more helpful.
So each night we do homework, we sit down and I am full of passion and motivation about helping my child succeed. Then it is basically downhill from there. Half the time he does better when I’m not sitting there being uber-parents. Half the time he goofs off. But still…. in my parenting fantasy, it’s a good thing.
3 comments April 4, 2009
GEAP letter never came
So my son’s GEAP letter never arrived in the mail and I have a couple friends who didn’t get theirs either.
If you need to get your letter, you can call the GEAP office at 773-553-2060 and the will re-mail it or you can go there in person and pick it up.
The letter tells you how your child scores on the gifted and/or classical test and which school, if any, they were selected for.
http://www.cpsgifted.org/apps/contact/?rn=970756
1 comment April 4, 2009
