Finding your favorite Chicago public school district!
After having 4 kids (including a set of triplets) attend Chicago Public Schools from elementary school and onto Selective Enrollment High Schools, I have a great understanding of how the school system works here in the city.
When my triplets were in the 2nd grade, I transferred them from a private school to Bell School, a neighborhood CPS school. I loved the diverse environment, not only because of the students but the parents as well. It was a conglomerate of actors, writers, traders, attorneys, physicians, child care providers and much, much more.
The more involved I got in the school and neighborhood, the stronger my connection to the families grew. I had a wonderful experience learning about everyone’s skills and characteristics. I quickly joined forces with the teachers and became the “Room Mom” x 4, having seats on the auction committee, allergy committee, and various other committees that I felt passionate about. What I found was that no matter what grade my children were in, there were constantly groups and committees that needed assistance all throughout the year. Ultimately, this was an incredible benefit to the students.
I am writing this because as a real estate agent, I get to see the growth of families attending CPS. It is exciting to see that all of the schools in Chicago are getting more and more popular, partly due to parent involvement and fundraising. This helps provide the schools with additional teachers and specialty services like art, music, etc.
When I list a property, I always go on a tour of the neighborhood school. I strongly believe that part of the sales presentation should involve information on the school district, identifying both the positives and the negatives. I ALWAYS encourage my buyer clients to do the same. The parents need to be physically in the building to actually get the “feeling” of the school. Also, this is crucial to receiving the facts about the curriculum, activities, specialties, etc.
When exploring the various school districts, it is important to ask yourself these simple questions. Will it work for your specific child since all children are different? Are before
and after-school activities important to you? What type of curriculum are you interested in? Maybe the arts? Whatever it is that drives your passion and family, that is the school for you.
Best of luck in your search! I am here to guide you.
