Chicago Waldorf School

I am a substitute teacher. I have worked at 35 CPS schools and this one is my favorite. Great teachers, friendly and helpful staff, and very engaged Principal and AP! It is becoming difficult to get gigs at this school because word has gotten out and now everyone wants to sub here! Also, the students body is very diverse and the majority of the kids have been respectful, curious, and responsive to learning.

I am writing to share my experience while enrolling my son at this school. During the enrollment process, I encountered staff members who were rude and spoke in a sarcastic tone when answering my questions. As a parent trying to ensure a smooth transition for my child, I found this treatment unprofessional and discouraging.Additionally, the way I was addressed and the dismissive responses I received made me feel uncomfortable and concerned that I was not being treated with the same respect as other parents. The interaction left me feeling that there may have been bias or discrimination involved, which is deeply troubling when dealing with an institution responsible for supporting children and families.Every parent deserves to feel respected and supported when enrolling their child in school. I hope the administration takes this feedback seriously and works to ensure that all families are treated with professionalism, fairness, and dignity.

The worst school there is. Thank God I graduated from this school, but I wish I graduated from a different school, they did nothing for 8th graders, other schools took their students to six flags, New York, Washington, etc. they took us to the zoo. There are some good teachers but majority of the teachers just gossip, I personally overheard P with another teacher badmouthing the principal how she has no idea how to run the school and how she doesn’t know what she’s doing, even though she was not wrong, I just thought that conversation was inappropriate in front of students. Parents out there don’t bring your kids to this school, fights happen daily and almost always by the same bad students that face no consequences.

I was really excited to put my toddler in the early childhood program 3 years ago. His first year in Mrs. Erika's class was great. However, the next preschool class year included my child being in a mix class which turned out to be a nightmare. He was 4 years old in a mix class with 5 and 6 year olds. The mix class sounded great, I imagined all the great things he was going to learn and friendships that he would build since his previous class was great. However, the lack of supervision in the class was horrible. A few of the 6 year olds boys were teaching my 4 year old a bunch of inappropriate behaviors, exposing private parts consistently in class setting and outdoors while playing. My child was coming home with inappropriate behaviors and questions that were concerning to his mental wellbeing. I brought this up to his teacher, who barely did anything. Then I brought it up to the counselor, then the school administrator, who did absolutely nothing. The teacher told me that "exploring" in a safe place is "okay." I took my child out of there so fast. I'm sure not all the teachers think the same way, but you never know which teacher you will get. Kids go to school to get an education, play and learn to be kind not to learn sexual behaviors at 4 years old! I found out later that one of the 6 year old boys in the previous year was in a class with another kid who was doing the same thing. The school did not care to do anything, they tried to blame me for asking my child questions at home about what goes on at school. I would never let a child go here especially in early toddler years.

This is our second year at NCA, and we feel so grateful to have found this school and community. Our child is flourishing and comes home feeling well supported each day. We are grateful for the connections we have made with other families and for the commitment of the staff. Excellent school with small classes and a focus on connection and belonging.

The decision to enroll my child at Sacred Heart ranks as the biggest mistake that I have made thus far as a parent. Positives: an absolutely incredible support staff and admissions team; a wonderful, engaged community of parents; and school-wide communication and activities. Negatives: teachers label children (narratives to compensate for their lack of preparedness), personalized plans, age-appropriate pedagogies, as well as actionable, consistent communications from teachers. The administration blindly supports teachers more than students and does not meaningfully respond to incontrovertible feedback. All are completely out of touch with boys today. But the biggest sin: Sacred Heart believes in itself more than its children, except it couches that in kindness and faith. Once tested, it claims limited resources. There are exceptional learners because they arrived exceptionally, bc of their parents' strengths, not the school's. There are too many incredible educators to settle here.