Galileo Elementary Math & Sci Schol Acd

820 South Carpenter Street

School District

Chicago Public Schools
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 21, 2022

My daughter attended Galileo from Kindergarten through 3rd grade, and I can't say enough good about the Principal, Vice Principal, administrative team, and nearly all of the "Specials" teachers, in particular their wonderful science teacher, Ms. Economou, their absolutely outstanding librarian, Ms. Amon, and their imaginative and dedicated art teacher, Ms. Barnes. The homeroom teachers were somewhat more of a mixed bag, as they often are, but we were lucky enough to have two particularly wonderful ones- Mr. Beven for 1st grade, and Ms. Kerivan for 3rd grade.The office staff are lovely and welcoming, every communication is, without fail, sent out in both English and Spanish, and the principal, Ms. Bawden, and vice principal, Ms. Swartz, know every single child in the school and threat all of them with empathy and compassion.The school has a very active parent group and bilingual advisory council. I do not know any details about the school's special education accommodations, but I can't imagine the team there being anything other than kind, supportive, and well informed.
Submitted by other on June 24, 2021

I have been impressed with the quality of every teacher my son has had at Galileo: K, 1st, and 2nd. During the pandemic, the lessons online were very organized, clear, and accessible for students. Did my son want to do his work all the time? No. It was a pandemic and learning online like that is weird and lonely. But the teacher efforts, organization, patience, and diligence were still all stellar. The staff at the school all know the different children's names, know the parents, and maintain contact and communications. I have been consistently grateful for the care and attention, for the SEL support, and IEP support that Galileo offers to my child. Galileo has a library with a librarian which is rare in CPS, plus separate gym, cafeteria, auditorium, and science labs for science to be included in the specials with art, PE, and library. That means kids move around going to different rooms, having some different teachers. It keeps them from being cooped up in only one room all day, and is good practice for older grades when you switch classes and adjust to multiple teachers. The school has called me or emailed me about things they know I would want to know, and I feel respected as a parent there. I can only say excellent things about Galileo.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2021

The school removed advanced classes. The quality of education has dropped. As parents, we’ve seen a huge change in grades and motivation this year. Some teachers refused to go back to school. Online learning has completely failed our kids.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2017

This is my son's 3rd year at Galileo and we are very happy here. Every single teacher has been wonderful, caring and effective. His 1st grade teacher would call me to talk about ways to challenge him more and we'd have great conversations. The Asst. Principal was promoted to Principal this year and is amazing. I look forward to where she'll be taking the school. The kids have gym, art and library once a week and science lab twice a week. There is a library with a full time librarian, which is unfortunately becoming rare. They offer a variety of free after school programs and, new this year, the YMCA is providing an on site after school program for a fee. I wish more families were more involved at the school, but the other kids and families in my son's class are great. I'm not personally aware of any bullying issues here.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2017

This is a great magnet school. The administration is innovative and welcoming. The families are diverse and friendly. Unfortunately CPS continues to struggle and it impacts/impedes the progress of good schools by increasing class sizes and reducing staff.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2015

I am becoming very discouraged at Galileo. Some of the kids are out of control and there seems to be less parent accountability. Not to mention, their test scores are slipping...
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

My children's school is great. My 2 older children graduated from this school are now in college and still remember teachers and the principal at that time with warm memories. My son currently attends and he needs extra help the teachers all assist and make sure to try and make it a productive day for my big guy. Communication from the school has always been very good . The school encourages parents to become involved and offer classes I just saw this year to help the 5th-8th graders with Science Projects. Another positive I like about the school is all the different races in one school.- it helps them see different ways, different faces, different foods but yet all the same. They are all boys and girls with the same ideas, passions, dreams, struggles and no one is all by themselves. I love my children's school and would recommend it for anyone.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2013

Galileo doesn't get the credit it deserves for its dedicated staff. It has a small community feeling that makes children feel welcomed and it promotes learning and social skills. There is room for improvement in grades 5th - 8th, but the primary grades can compete with any of the "best" North side CPS schools.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2013

My child has had a fabulous Kindergarten year. She loves school, has developed into a fluent reader, asks me to quiz her on math problems for fun and is very excited about her science project. The school strikes the right balance for a well-rounded kindergarten curriculum with art, PE, library, computer science, spanish and science lab. I don't like to emphasize test scores too much but scores at the school are extremely respectable - especially when you take into account that family income is often one of the greatest predictors of results on standardized testing. Teachers and other parents I have met are fabulous and I appreciate the emphasis on keeping class size small and offering many special classes. The principal reports that many of their 8th graders are able to test out of freshman algebra and their graduates get into high schools of choice. A few things could still use some polishing (a near empty website) and I am still trying to find the best way to get involved and support the school. Galileo wasn't my first choice during the application process, but I am extremely satisfied to end up here. They don't do lots of outreach and marketing but don't overlook this school.
Submitted by other on April 04, 2013

this school is in an hispanic community.i loved subbing at this school .as a black man i thought this was going to be hard but the kids were easy to get along with.nice working class community too!