Gray Elementary School

3730 North Laramie Avenue

School District

Chicago Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 07, 2025

It's a good school. I have no complaints about the teachers or the school. The child goes and learns the lessons with pleasure.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2021

One silver lining of the pandemic for me, has been that I get to help supervise my grandson's remote learning. Initially, it was all remote learning, and now it is the hybrid model where he is in school 2 days a week and the other 3 days are remote. As a retired teacher, I can appreciate the amount of time, effort and preparation it takes to effectively engage and teach students in the hybrid environment. The teacher is very professional, energetic and positive. She also does an excellent job of communicating with parents. I am amazed at the strides my grandson has made in reading over the course of the year. The same is true for math where he is working at a much higher level than I would've expected. I am also impressed that his teacher incorporates interesting science lessons into the curriculum. Science is often overlooked in this type of situation, but in an era of pandemics and climate change, introducing students to science at an early age is timely and important. My grandson has had a very positive experience at Gray in this most unusual of years, and I would highly recommend it.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2021

Gray Elementary in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago is doing a great job with both in-school and remote learning. Our kindergartener is learning to read, understands math ideas, and enjoys the physical exercise, which includes yoga and dancing. He loves his teacher and the two days he is in school. He is very involved in his learning while he is remote instruction the other three days. We would recommend Gray School to anyone moving to the Portage Park neighborhood.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2021

This school has been an absolute joy for our family. From the administration to the kind and caring janitors, everyone works so hard to make the students feel welcome and happy. They are constantly working on creative and innovative teaching strategies and my kids are so excited to go to school every day. My oldest child was accepted to a selective enrollment high school that was her dream. I see my younger kids doing such challenging but also fun work. The teachers, by far, are the best asset of this school. They seem genuinely happy to be with the students. There are extra curricular activites and a after school babysitting service for those who need to work. Communication is great with DOJO, and emails. The website has everything you need to know, but you must take the time to look. Some parents are not very involved but I know of a group that is and they are postiive and looking for ways to make the school better. Anyone can complain, but there are many parents who want to help the teachers.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2020

We are so glad that we chose to send our son to our neighborhood school over a lottery school we got into. He has flourished at Gray, even during virtual instruction. He has progressed from knowing letter sounds to reading multi sentence pages in several months and is learning to enjoy math through fun activities. His teacher shows incredible enthusiasm, expertise, flexibility, and patience. The parent group is growing and planning fun community building activities and the principal has been very professional and friendly. Most importantly, he enjoys school.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2020

I would not pick this school for any of my kids if I had to do it all over again. Not only do they ignore behavioral issues, gang issues, bully issues, but they refuse to train their staff on IEP's. They lack the basic knowledge with IEP's and I spent so many hours in tears for several years trying to fight for my daughter to receive the help she desperately needed.
Submitted by other on September 22, 2017

Gray school has a new Parent Teacher Organization! Are you in the Gray School attendance area? Even if your kids don't go to Gray yet, or they go to a school outside the area, can you fill out this quick survey? The PTO wants to know what families and the community want to see happening at Gray! tinyurl.com/graypto
Submitted by other on June 16, 2017

For being in CPS, dealing with what they have to deal with, no money for funding, after school programs etc...this school tries it's best. They also have to deal with many, not all, unsupportive parents. Gray school clothes students that come in filthy or can't afford a uniform, they feed students who come in starving. You have to think of the neighborhood and the situation when rating a Chicago Public School. This is not the suburbs with endless resources and money...they are doing the best they can with the cards they have been dealt. Schools like this are very lucky to have educated teachers that would rather teach in a low income school than head out to the suburbs.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2017

This school is terrible. From the parents to the kids to the new principal who doesn't seem to care at all. The parents all look like gangbangers and they're uninvolved. These kids swear and act like complete savages and have zero respect for adults. The teachers are nice and I feel really bad for them having to deal with these little monsters all day. Especially in the upper grade building. There's no discipline. I saw a mom fight a student and security did nothing!!! One day after school kids were lighting fireworks in the playground again where were the adults? If you have issues with bullying don't count on the principal to return an email. Can't wait to pull my kids out! its a bunch of classless heathens at this school. This is coming from a parent whose dealt with private and magnet school and my goodness this school is something else. My kids don't even know who the principal is what a joke!
Submitted by other on October 29, 2014

This school is great for many reasons. First of all the teachers prepare you for high school and help you with any problems. All the teachers are kind and very helpful.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2014

No after school programs. Kids don't wash their hands after recess which is right before lunch. Peanut butter is seved to kindergarten class at lunch
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2014

This school is horrible teachers are rude and just yell at the children! I was astonished when my child told me of the way some of the teachers acted yelling at them in a class called "humanities"!!! The school is horrible don't send your child! the worst part is my child's 8th graduation was in the gym and it was so hot you could see the kids sweating and there were way to many people in there!!! I am disappointed that I sent my children here they are now in a private school which treats them better and the staff is friendly!
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2014

This school needs to fire half their teacher's because they are racists!. They call when your child is out of uniform, but not when sick! they also had a bomb threat and fail to let parents know and they kept all are children in school, I am happy to take my child out!!!!!! I assumed because the area was nice school would be good,but I was wrong.
Submitted by other on May 28, 2014

they should close this school or start gutting out the staff, this school is a prison camp , you have no contact with the teachers unless you call 2 or 3 times to reach them, you cant go there unless your invited, things like bullying, fights , and other incidents get swept under the carpet. police arrested a parent at the school ,because the parent was out of control but they notified us the parent. bullying is acceptable at grey, because my granddaughter has been bullied since September and nothing has been done. the principal is a lying joke she bullies the kids and parents.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2013

This is ABSOLUTELY the WORST school experience I have ever had with any of my children! My son is a "problem child" who managed to be on the honor roll at his last school. Why, you ask? Because his other school had teachers who took the time to actually HELP him, rather than berate, yell, and discourage him. He comes home in tears half the time and begs me not to make him go back! He has a medical condition (of which they have documented PROOF from a licensed doctor) and behavior problems. I don't think yelling at him and isolating him from the class is the most productive way to encourage him to do well. He is NOT doing well, but I have only been notified through written notices, which I have not received. (Why would he give them to me? He'll get into trouble!) So, when the teachers DO NOT RECEIVE a signed notice back from me, they do NOTHING! No phone calls, no emails, NOTHING! I don't know what's going on over there, but their boss (the principal, obviously) probably would be best served by making sure her teachers are DOING THEIR JOBS! The students shouldn't be told to "shut up", etc.....they cannot learn in a hostile environment like that!
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2012

My son is in a special needs class at Gray and over the last three years he has improved immensely and his teacher in room 211 has been nothing short of spectacular. He falls on the Autism Spectrum Disorder but is learning almost on pace with his peers. He still needs verbal and visual cues but is progressing. We are very fortunate that CPS provides these services to their students. It is a shame these valuable programs are being cut and other parents in similar situation will not benefit from these programs. My son has been enrolled at three CPS Schools since he started in the early intervention program when he was two years old. He has been in school since he was three. I am writing this in praise of the teachers, therapists and aids expertise in these programs have given my son the help he needed. I wish I can name them so that all will know how hard they work for our children. I wish I could be more involved in school functions; I am giving these school 3 stars in parent involvement mostly based on my lack thereof. We are very satisfied and blessed parents.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2012

Gray is a great neighborhood school. The education you get here is top rate. Most of the teachers are amazing. The achievements my kids make every year is astounding. The curriculum is challenging but the teachers make it fun. If you want to learn more about the school before you enroll your child I would recommend going to a No Child Left Behind meeting or a LSC meeting, or visit the school to request a tour. There is virtually no bullying problem. The kids are taught from kindergarten to respect each other. I am there every day, I see happy faces going in and out of the school. The school is very active in getting grant money. Mostly used in new education technologies. There is a support staff that will pull out kids from regular class who are having trouble to work in small groups. The school has two new playgrounds, which is a great way to get to know the other parents while kids play. The administration is very firm. But that is mostly good thing. It is a neighborhood school, so they have to take in everyone in the neighborhood even some troubled families. That being said the school creates a well disciplined and safe environment. And the friends will be from the community.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2012

Very few caring teachers. The office staff have no people skills and horrible attitudes. Education wide its not the best. The school has no Kindergarten graduation, what a disappointment. I pulled daughter out ASAP. Parents are not involved enough.
Submitted by parent on July 17, 2011

This school is horrible. Some teachers are good, but the administration is horrible. Teachers and other staff members are terrified of the principal and this has an impact on the children, especially the little ones. If you have an option, do not send your children to Gray school.