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I have a headache and a heartache over which schools to “choose” for my daughter. In this, I know I am not alone – as every grocery store, YMCA and church encounter with parents lucky enough to have newly-minted 5 year olds includes at least a mention of “what are you going to do about school next year?” within its discourse.
As promised, the following schools are the five that garnered my attention the evening of the Showcase: Barkstall, Dr. Howard, Booker T. Washington, Stratton and Garden Hills. I have interest in other schools as well however, it seems as though these are schools that both interest me AND I have a viable chance of gaining entry to. So, in order to make the choice a little easier – I have ruled out conceivably great schools like Carrie Busey, Westview and Bottenfield, which would also be investigated if I had more than a “snowball’s chance” of getting into them.
Barkstall – the school with the great reputation
Pros: Our Proximity A school, so close to home; uniforms (love); great reputation
Cons: A four strand school operating in a building built for three strands; balanced calendar (doesn’t fit well with our family calendar)
Dr. Howard – the school with the great gifted program
Pros: Legend-wait for it-dairy gifted program at the 4th/5th grade level; recommended by a friend from within the school system whom we trust; is on the list of “Future Facilities” upgrades within the next few year (no definite plans yet though), focus on parent involvement within the school, Rumor is they are piloting a 1st grade gifted program
Cons: Extremely old building; no uniforms; 7:45 AM start time
Booker T. Washington – the school with our friends
Pros: Love the STEM magnet and the partnership they currently have with the University; have multiple friends whose children attend here; within walking distance from my work; uniforms(love); several after school clubs throughout the year; new building with LOTS of technology
Cons: 9:00 start time is pretty late, but we could probably make it work…
Stratton – the school I didn’t think I was interested in
Pros: I am more excited about the magnet theme than I initially thought I would be (they added Stephen Covey’s The Leader in Me curriculum in addition to the micro-society which I learned more about from the Magnet Coordinator, who was quite engaging and passionate about the school theme.); uniforms (love); multi-age groups during the micro-society as well as a peer mentor program; close-ish to where I work,
Cons: 7:45 start time is pretty early, but we could probably make it work…
Garden Hills – the school with Mandarin Chinese
Pros: International Baccalaureate Program, which I have researched fairly extensively prior to hearing Garden Hills would be an IB school, which demands a high level of teacher engagement and continuing education on an on-going basis; exposure to a second language from an early age; this school seems to be most committed to the Nurtured Heart Program – of which I am a big fan; 8:30 start time (good middle ground); New Horizon community partnership; recently remodeled building with great technology
Cons: No uniforms; far from where I work
WHAT’S NEXT? Personally, my next step is to visit our family’s top two or three schools and hopefully have a chance to talk with the administrators in the building. I sincerely believe that the principal sets the tone for the entire building, so having the opportunity to meet this person I think will go a long way towards helping me finalize our rankings. I will also check out the ISBE report cards for some snap shot info about each school – personally I don’t put that much stock in “test scores” as it relates to my child, but I am still curious and find the information about average class size in each school interesting as well.
I would LOVE some feedback! I am always looking for more information and input to assist with this decision, so I would sincerely love to hear from parents who are already in the Unit 4 system, particularly those who are at one of the magnet schools. Leave a comment and let me know what you like about your school, have seen change, wish would change, etc. I would also love your feedback on what I perceive to be pros and cons – am I totally off base? Let me know, I am anxious to hear from you!
Erin (Trent) Tarr made the three-hour drive from Southern Illinois to Champaign in 1997 to attend the University of Illinois and never left. Mother of two beautiful girls (2 & 4 years old), she is currently working at the University of Illinois and enjoys reading non-fiction, listening to leadership podcasts, singing, taking pictures of her kids, and blogging at www.erintarr.com. The epitome of an extrovert, she is an active participant at Quest UMC and loves getting together with strong women for book clubs, writing clubs, and wine tastings. You can often find her (with two kids in tow) at Champaign Centennial sporting events where her beloved husband of nine years, Adam, works as an Athletic Trainer.
Some quick thoughts so you are not left hanging for too long.
It sounds like you are making Barkstall your first choice, correct? If so, the three magnet schools you are selecting will not be “run” during the magnet registration. However, that is not a big deal since each of them typically do not fill up that fast.
Have you seen the data visualizations? I tend to be a visual person, so these help me to grasp the numbers a little better – this is in the context of how many people chose each school for each choice:
http://lottery.cb-pta.com/test/visualize_2011.html
http://lottery.cb-pta.com/test/visualize_2012.html
There is a good chance (a chance, not a guarantee) who will get Barkstall if you choose it first. If you do not get Barkstall, you are almost guaranteed your second choice based on what you have selected. And you will still be waitlisted at Barkstall.
Your “What’s Next” is the best thing to do next; visit the buildings and see if you click with the people inside.
PS – I am confident you will get a great school.
I can’t seem to get the links you provided to work. They only display a blank screen. Is it my browser or do others also have trouble?
Sorry about that – it looks like I inadvertently removed the links when I reorganized recently.
I have summarized all three years (2010 – 2012) in one page:
http://lottery.cb-pta.com/visualize/
When I get a chance, I’ll put the old pages back so the links continue to work. Thanks for letting me know.
update: the old links now point to the new link.
We are so over the moon happy with Booker T. Washington STEM Academy (Westview was our Proximity A school, but we preferred BTW, so we went for it and got in). It not only has the pros you spoke of, but it is also completely student needs based (for example, if your kindergartener is reading at first grade level, he/she will be put into a higher level reading group which may be with a different teacher for reading time. The same is true for math skills.), collaboration among teachers is high, it has a gifted program that starts at 2nd grade, the communication level with parents is high, it’s an extremely positive atmosphere, and everyone is just so dedicated and passionate. At least that’s been our experience so far. We even love the design of the building, which fosters movement and collaboration, along with independent working space. I know everyone has their different preferences and reasons for them. Good luck in choosing and getting the school you like and which best fits you and your child.
Thanks for the feedback!! So glad your family is happy and thriving there. As I am narrowing down the choices, the more testimonies I have the better!
Although it was a zillion years ago, I was a BTW grad, and it was a thoroughly excellent experience. I get the sense that much that contributed to that experience has remained in place, and is possibly even better now. Big thumbs up.
GOOD TO HEAR! Thanks for commenting – I truly appreacite the feedback.
I should also mention that the principle and vice principle totally rock. They both have such a strong connection to the kids and are so open to the parents, and are full of energy and positivity. I highly recommend meeting them if BTW ends up on your list of schools to visit in person. It seems I can’t say enough good things about BTW
WOW — sounds like it!
Erin call me. I have 12 years of input from being in unit 4. Lots of great things going on!
Kelly – Any chance you are free for Sunsinger at 7:30 tonight??
Hi Erin! We had this difficult choice two years ago and went with Carrie Busey (which was not over chosen at the time). I used similar criteria with the principal’s lead and sense of parent involvement. In the end, it was an answer to prayer that led us choose Carrie Busey. We have had an excellent experience. The involved parent community has been a large part of that and seeing new clubs and special events starting up. If you think the gifted program would be a priority for your children, there is a lot of wisdom in starting at a school that has one. Good luck and God bless!
Thanks Allison! I am definitely ready to hear God’s voice on this one!
Glad to hear Carrie Busey is working out for you. smiles – erin
Hi Erin. Middle school can seem really far away, but it is something to consider. Each elementary school feeds into a particular middle school. So it is important to have an idea of which middle school you want your child to attend. If you want to switch elementary schools later, you must apply to transfer and then are on a waiting list. It can be a gamble.
I have also thought of this! Thanks for bringing it up Stephanie.
You echo my initial reactions… it is far away, and who knows what type of re-structuring the district will go through before my daughter gets there? A middle school that is currently un-desireable could do a 180 in the next few year (it COULD happen)
so… for now, I am not taking this into the equation to a large degree. That being said, it could be a major factor for others! Thanks for reading – hope all is well with you 
You can also petition to have your child attend a different middle school than the feeder. I don’t know how easy that it is, but it is an option.
Laura, the downside of such a petition is that you have to re-submit the petition every year, I believe. At least at the high school level, if you are attending the high school of which you are outside the pre-drawn lines you have to submit a petition every year to do so. I don’t quite understand why.
Actually, the magnet schools don’t feed into a particular middle school, so you can have a choice, at least that’s the case with BTW.
Sorry. I just checked. BTW and Stratton don’t feed, but Garden Hills feeds into Franklin. I know it’s not a big concern now, but I wanted to clarify.
Love the helpful spirit of engagement surrounding this stressful time of decision making. Thanks everyone!
Thanks for your perspective Erin. I often feel the same way. Going through the process I logically know that my daughter will do well at any school she ends up attending. The hard part for me is not knowing many (if any) families who are at our top two choices (Kenwood/BT Washington) to get some feedback about those schools.
I know a teacher at Kenwood who has been there for several years and is really positive about the direction, leadership and faculty right now. I don’t know any current families there, but maybe someone reading this post will step up with some first hand knowledge?
Also, I know three families at BT Washington and they all have very positive things to share about the program, the school and teacher responsiveness.
Best of luck with the Lottery!!!
I LOVE KENWOOD. I am very happy with my child’s first 3 years there. They are the hidden gem. The school is not new, bright and flashy like some of the other schools but the teachers and staff are wonderful! I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The enrichment class is wonderful too. They do things I did in junior high or high school. I am saddened to see billboards up for magnet schools and nothing up for some of the other ones like Kenwood. It seem the attention is being put there by Unit 4 – not sure why. I hope you consider Kenwood or go see the principal to talk one on one. I know she welcomes that. She made a great first impression on me and a great school starts with great leadership.
I have to put in a good word for Barkstall. It is our neighborhood school and walking to school is great. We were also pleased with the diversity when we toured Barkstall compared to another SW Champaign school. I haven’t noticed a negative impact from the two extra strands in the school. The balanced calendar is an understandable dealbreaker for some people. It works well for our family.
The new principal has really worked on improving the “warmth” of the school and PTA activities are well-attended.
We toured the magnets last year to make a decision about the gifted program. I think the new programs are great but we decided to stick with Barkstall where we hope to continue with our streak of excellent and inspiring teachers.
That is great news! Being that it is our Prox A school – although the calendar isn’t ideal for our family, it will be on our list. I love the way each school has such supportive and encouraging parents who are also working together to make each one the best school it can be. It truly takes a village, and parent involvement is a HUGE hallmark of a healthy and vibrant school! Thanks for the feedback Elizabeth!