We have one kid at Edison and she is happy, but we have been applying to Hawthorne without success for years. The neighborhood Edison is in has had shootings etc and kids do play in the street at recess (security is around each time). The community at Hawthorne is enviable too. They really seem to do a nice job picking projects that can really make a difference for kids. Edison is super small which is nice but aside from chess, there’s not a ton else for a lot of grades for kids to do together. So definitely some pros and cons to weigh out. The commute is challenging as well for many people, and while we qualify for the bus, the CPS buses aren’t super reliable and we weren’t comfortable putting really young kids on the bus. People do it everyday though, but with a 7:45 start time, the pickups can be very early. Usually you can plan on 6:20-7:15 pick up range. Drop offs more like 3:15-4:20

I don’t know enough details to compare Math curriculums unfortunately. Edison offers a lot of differentiation for math. Edison has not shared any playground process, last I heard they were trying to get a grant and the alderman was supposed to help, but there is nothing happening currently. Edison does give quite a bit of homework. It started in kindergarten and is turned in weekly, in addition to that there are a lot of projects and field trips. The kids do work hard. Homework counts towards grades beginning in first grade. When I toured Hawthorne the principal said they believe in homework, but I don’t know if it compares.

Thank you for the additional information!

my kid went to Edison and it was the best! they definitely prepare for the rigors of any selective high school private or public. maybe it’s changed but he hardly homework (or he was great with time management at school), which was great cuz he’s an athlete. He’s now going to college on a full scholarship.

Currently have a kid at Edison and we’re very unhappy. The school seems to be very loose on foundational skills. My kids that’s 2 years younger and doesn’t attend Ergc has a much stronger math foundation. Edison is very much about catering to students but it ends up being in a feel good  artsy way and not one that is truly rigorous.

I was reading through old posts on CPS Obsessed and from there went down the rabbit hole of reading about the 5Essentials survey that UChicago administers. According t0 the survey results from the last four years, Edison does not look great and I am baffled. How is it possible that a school that is so coveted doesn’t perform well on this survey? Is the school administration doing anything about it? If someone has an explanation for some of the low Edison numbers or wants to defend Edison, please share.

Edison: https://bit.ly/2SXBiTm

Since it’s based on teacher and student surveys, it makes me think that people are just happier at Hawthorne.

Hawthorne: https://bit.ly/3btEVqm

One possible explanation is that typical expectations differ between the two schools.

1. Agree about expectations possibly differing. The fact that Hawthorne is not a test-in and the kids are still performing so highly speaks well of the teachers and administration.
2. The administrator styles do seem different, perhaps others can comment
3. The community of parents is very different. Because there is no sibling preference, you do find more parents of only children who don’t have the same perspective

Lastly, the individual teachers and administration has changed substantially in the last 5-6 years. They no longer offer separate STEAM class instruction at Edison which many parents are disappointed in, by not exactly motivated to fundraise for