My daughter was bullied there by both teachers and students my daughter tells me. She's out now…read morefor a while. There was some lousy kid who cut my daughter's hair in class. When I went to the school and spoke with the vice principle or assistant principle or whatever that is, one f*****g c***t Amanda Mulch and complained. Know what she said? She said "You don't like it you can take your daughter to another school!" And that's exactly what I did. In a follow up meeting with the principle, one di***head Mr Roche he presented me with a stay order of some type. Yes what another reviewer here said they brush problems and hide them. This school is to be avoided at all costs and both Mr Roche and Amanda Mulch should be sacked immediately.

They tend to brush issues under the wrong to keep a good reputation and delete their google reviews…read morefrom parents - including racism While prescott Elementary is often highlighted for awards and ratings, our lived experience tells a very different story. There are significant behavioral issues among students that are not being effectively managed. The lack of classroom control creates constant disruptions and takes away from students who are there to learn. This directly impacts academic progress and the overall learning environment. More concerning, a fifth-grade teacher told an entire class that they would not amount to anything, would not get into college, and were not talented. When this was reported to both the school and the network, it was dismissed and brushed aside. This response--or lack thereof--raises serious concerns about accountability and whether issues are intentionally minimized to protect school ratings. Additionally, morning supervision at Wrightwood Park is inadequate. Staff members are frequently disengaged, chatting among themselves rather than actively supervising students, which raises safety concerns. Finally, during my daughter's transfer out of the school, her personal belongings were mishandled. We were given only one notebook and one pencil. Her glasses, pencil case, and multiple school supplies that we personally purchased were missing and never returned. Families deserve transparency, accountability, and a safe, supportive learning environment. Unfortunately, that was not our experience here.

Ray williams is A HORRIBLE SCHOOL, and this is why. As a student at ray i feel very picked on, and…read morebullied always being the first one to get into trouble when MULTIPLE kids have done worse than me. this is very unacceptable, the teacher and staff are so rude, FOR NO REASON AT ALL! students are bullied every day for there own likings, we barely learn anything at this school and the afterschool programs are even worse, its like they dont try and then the security is very noisy when its not there business or time to even be there. they don't do there job in protecting the students from being picked on they mainly take it as a joke. Or laughs and giggles. If u want to send your child here get ready for the amount of money you will be paying to the school. It's fundraisers with every single fun activity. the staff are like puppets being controlled by the principal and assistant principal. SO DO NOT SEND UR CHILD HERE!!!!

Just wanted to give kudos to Ray's current administration. Principal Megan Thole and Assistant…read morePrincipal Gayle Harris-Neely are a super duo! They have brought the teachers and staff together, welcomed parents and leveraged their desire to help, and always put the students first. Always. My 8 year old son has been at Ray since he was 3. He has always loved the school and his teachers have been so great. I am helping through a newly established partnerships committee and have seen new robotics, coding, dance, and philosophy classes offered to kids after school. Pilot Light brought top-notch Chicago chefs to teach the 3rd graders science/social studies through cooking. The school is fun and engaging, and although there are always things to work on, I am happy that my family is part of it.

Washington Irving is a wonderful school. It has such a happy environment for students and teachers…read more There are strong community and family relationships embedded in the schools foundation. The principal is always striving to bring new innovative practices into the curriculum. The clerks office so very responsive and helpful. There are multiple school-wide initiatives within the school to support the students and the staff. There are also an abundance of after school programs for students and parents participation. The school environment is also clean!! It has the newest technogy and fresh classroom materials.

Well we didn't end up moving out of the state until recently but we did move to Skokie after being…read morein the Little Italy area. We stayed in Skokie for about 7 years and Skokie Public Schools are absolutely exceptional in terms of quality education standards. My only concern with Skokie schools was that the teacher diversity is really non-existent despite them having a very diverse population of students. My kids never really had any negative experiences in Skokie though and they attended school from 4th to 10th grade.

My family has been part of NCA's diverse community for 4 years after my two boys started at the…read moreschool in Pre-K. I've been continuously impressed with the school. Its leadership, responsiveness when issues arise, offerings for students (and families), and overall culture, is phenomenal. Their tagline of educating "minds that think, hearts that love, and hands that serve" truly is their mission, and it shows in everything they do. Here are a few reasons why I love the school: - Their academic benchmarks far surpass all traditional CPS schools. - They have excellent in-school programs. eg. school-wide morning meetings; a "house" system that brings the whole school together and focuses attention on moral leaders from past/present; a buddy system matching older students with younger students. - They have excellent programming outside of school too. eg. flexible early care starting at 6:30am and after care until 6pm, chess club, after school arts and crafts, soccer. - They handle student conflict (eg. bullying) exceptionally well, with immediate responses focusing on restorative justice, not just discipline. -Their focus on ethics, (I saw this as a non-Catholic). They don't over-index on the religion component. Rather, they focus on the ideals of Catholicism (eg. Love of God and neighbor, service to others, human dignity, social justice). They also hand out "Wildcat awards" to students each day in morning meeting, calling out students who exemplify moral behaviors. For example, my son came home yesterday, beaming with pride, showing us his award certificate received earlier that day (pictured). -Reasonable tuition with discounts for multiple students + financial aid. I plan to send my kids here until the age out in 8th grade. They are thriving at NCA.

I want to share my family's experience with Northside Catholic Academy (NCA) during the 2024-2026…read moreschool years. We enrolled our daughter after a positive summer camp experience, specifically requesting placement with a PreK assistant teacher. However, once school started, things changed. Our three-year-old became fearful and anxious about attending. A notable incident occurred during a field trip. My daughter felt uncomfortable and stepped out of a group photo. In front of me, the lead teacher responded by kneeling close and sternly telling her that if she couldn't follow the rules, I wouldn't be allowed on future trips. This upset her further and deepened her fear of school. After witnessing this incident, we were told by others that the lead teacher had a militant approach and that several families had previously withdrawn their children from her classroom. When I raised my concerns, they were brushed off, reflecting a rigid approach that parents have discussed for years. Another troubling incident involved a bathroom accident. My daughter asked to use the restroom but was told to wait until lunch ended. She couldn't hold it, leading to a distressing experience that could have been handled with more compassion. The classroom environment felt overly strict for young children. While structure is important, play and social interaction are critical too. During center time, children were limited to one center for 45 minutes, and lunch was often expected to be silent. As room parent, I saw this firsthand. The assistant teacher was warm, but it was clear the overall approach was lacking. Despite volunteering over 550 hours, I often felt dismissed when advocating for my child. It was frustrating to feel unwelcome for raising concerns, especially when issues were acknowledged only after families chose to leave. Given NCA's small size, it was surprising that an advisory board member only asked about my dissatisfaction on the last day of school. While coming from a good place, this conversation felt more about declining enrollment and the school's future if enrollment didn't increase than about addressing my concerns. I also noticed favoritism within the school community. After serving on the parent organization board, I resigned because the environment felt divisive, with some volunteers treated respectfully while others were not. As enrollment season approached, the principal sent a mass email urging board members to submit positive reviews to counter negative ones. This email stated, "It can take 15 positive reviews to offset a single negative one." While I understand the desire for positive feedback, all families should be encouraged to provide honest opinions, not just those in leadership. It was concerning to hear that honest negative reviews like mine were flagged for removal. As a prospective parent, I would want to know that some positive reviews may have been solicited in this manner. The timing of numerous generic positive reviews across multiple platforms raises questions about their authenticity. Parents deserve transparent feedback when making educational decisions. During my time at NCA, I was saddened by the departure of many dedicated young teachers, raising questions about the school climate. I witnessed conflicts and parent concerns that were not effectively addressed. Bullying is a notable issue that isn't consistently managed, likely influenced by adult behaviors. On several occasions, I felt disrespected by the principal. Once I began advocating for my child, I felt labeled as a problem rather than treated as a partner in my daughter's education. On a positive note, my daughter's PreK 4 teachers during the 2025-2026 school year were exceptional. Their kindness and genuine love transformed her experience, providing the nurturing environment we sought. Every child knew they were valued. If it weren't for them, we would have pulled our daughter from NCA during the 2024-2025 school year. However, the previous lead teacher continued to make both my daughter and me feel unwelcome, lacking even a simple acknowledgment. This ongoing hostility felt unprofessional. While there are caring teachers at NCA, my overall experience raised serious concerns about leadership, communication, and how parent feedback is handled. The school felt more cliquish than welcoming, contradicting the community spirit described in other reviews. I encourage prospective families to ask detailed questions about classroom culture, communication practices, and how concerns are addressed before making a decision. I hope meaningful changes are made so that all students and families receive the supportive experience they deserve, starting with improvements in leadership.

I am teacher at this school and I'm writing this review from that perspective…read more I worked here part-time for a couple years (2011-13) when the school was still very young and in it's initial location. It was a positive and supportive place then. I returned in the fall of 2019 and I have never been happier and felt more supported in any work environment. I am so glad to have come back. With the time away, I can readily see how the school has grown and improved. I have never worked at an educational institution that is so deeply committed to equity and inclusion, where the entire faculty is actively, enthusiastically, and humbly engaged in discussions around that. My understanding and appreciation of the world is being nourished here. I have been supported with funding for many professional development workshops. I have been regularly supported by my colleagues, who really support each other with positive energy, ideas, discussions, brain storming, helping hands, and challenging each other to strive for better and better. At the heart of it all is a focus on the children and the understanding that we are the best teachers when we are supported day-to-day and in professional development, and when we are growing as human beings and striving as much as we ask the children to do.

what an amazing place to bring a child from the teacher to the students themselves...I love this…read moreschool and alw will

All I can say is I love this school. I sent my grandson to private schools throughout his entire…read morelife and, frankly, he is a bit of a problem. I worried about sending him to a public high school, but let me tell you, I wish I had known earlier what a great school this is. They immediately formed a safety net that I could not have even begun to picture in my own head. In spite of the fact that they've lost 20 teachers and staff because of cutbacks, they have been ready and willing to help my grandson get through school. The place is well ordered, the teachers are terrific, and staff and security couldn't be better for friendlier.

Most entitled parents I've ever seen. Does nothing but damage the businesses around it by having…read moreluxury cars blocking the whole road, both the limited parking for businesses and these people actually parking in the road blocking traffic in one direction. Ridiculous. Would be incredibly helpful if the schools traffic guards would do something about them lining up outside the school. This can't be that difficult.

We have been parents at this school since 2010 and have two BZ grads and one current lower school…read morestudent. Bottom line- this is a remarkable school. You will find top notch academics and your children will not only be very prepared to thrive in a rigorous high school but also have the social emotional skills, self advocacy and confidence to be a leader in their highschool setting and beyond. Our own kids are self starters, loyal friends, hard workers, engaged learners, and leaders and we attribute this to their schooling at Bernard Zell. The BZ early childhood program is spectacular. The thoughtfulness that has been put into the training of the staff and actual physical environment serves as a model of what an ideal developmentally appropriate pre-k program should be. Take a tour to see for yourself. I love the progressive flavor of this school. Our kids learn conceptual math, how to think analytically, how to be confident public speakers, how to work collaboratively with others and beyond -there is no route cookie cutter learning to be found. Other things we love about BZ: -This school has an awesome low to student teacher ratio and every single teacher my children have had has truly known their strengths and challenges and are invested in how to support them as individuals each year. -I love the growth mindset philosophy that you will see at every age level at BZ for making sure kids have "good struggles" and teaching them their brain is a muscle and while everything may not be easy at times that with dedication,persistence, practice and hard work (and accommodations from the teachers as needed) they can be successful. -We have loved that BZ has phenomenal resources for kids on every end of the continuum- kids who need a little extra enrichment will find it here and kids who need a little extra learning support will also find it at this school. - The school has a nice PE program ( the yearly rollerblading until in the school's gymnasium has been a definite highlight for my kids) . There is also a fantastic after school athletic program starting in 5 th grade which is included in tuition . Our kids chose to participate in soccer, basketball , volleyball and golf but there is also track, girls volleyball, and girls softball. Practices are typically offered 4 days per week ( but kids only have to commit to about 50 percent of those if involved in other extracurriculars.). The teams do surprisingly quite well competing with other local private schools , sportsmanship is emphasized, and it's a huge bonding experience for the kids ( the majority of students seem to participate in at least a sport even if they aren't stellar athletes ). For kids not interested in sports or who want to do some sports and some other activities, there are other cool offerings like robotic team ( one of my kids that and the annual competition was super fun to watch ) or lots of music extracurricular opportunities ( e.g jazz band, pit band for the school orchestra) - BZ has an extremely warm parental community. A long term teacher told us once that when your child goes to BZ, the whole family goes to BZ. That is spot on- there are so many ways to get involved here as parents and we feel we have made lifelong friends at this school. -We have loved affording our children a Jewish education. We aren't the most religious family and BZ has taken the pressure off of us to provide our kids with an excellent jewish education. My children who have already graduated are proud to be Jewish and have a strong Jewish identity. Sending our kids here was one of the best decisions we have ever made as parents. I highly recommend it !

My son just got in a CLASSICAL SCHOOL a few hours before this post! I would like to thank GOD, the…read moreacademy, our fans (its all for you), AND ESPECIALLY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...the BEAUTIFUL, KIND, AND LOVING WOMEN at Raindrops Early Learning Center! You guys are the best! This is all I wanted for my son. Extra attention when needed, thoughtful and kind acts during the pandemic, Gorilla Gourmet for the tots, creative curriculum and extra fun events in the summer, and always open to suggestions. They even listen to my problems sometimes ( LOL). Everything I needed in a PRE-K!