Peterson Elementary School

5510 North Christiana Avenue

School District

Chicago Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
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 November 27, 2024

Our son attended Peterson for his 8th grade when we moved in the area and he grew emotionally and academically so much during that year. He made lasting friendships and wished he had attended Peterson since the biggening.We are so thankful to his homeroom teacher Mr. Butterfield who was a great mentor to him during his last year of middle school.Peterson will always have a special place in our hearts as the positive effects it had on our child were beyond education. In just one year It nourished his belonging feelings with its unique community atmosphere. Principal Nieves has poured her heart to make this school a welcoming place for the kids to want to learn and grow. We can only imagine the hard work and dedication it takes and will be forever grateful. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day and Peterson is one of the best things that happened to us last year.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2023

This school has potential to be a great community school, however leadership and several of the staff would need to changed. Many of the front end staff is dismissive and disrespectful to both students and parents. The diversity in the student population is a positive to this school which is why I would love for a positive change in leadership and some of the staff. There are a few ladies in the main office who are wonderful like Mrs.Lopez and another hispanic young woman who are always helpful, kind and respectful.
Submitted by parent on December 31, 2022

Our daughter is in second grade and in her third year at Peterson. We are extremely happy and grateful to be enrolled here. We moved into this neighborhood specifically for the school and it has turned out great. Our daughter loves her teachers and classmates and our family feels very connected to the community surround the school. We have lots of opportunities to interact with the administration and faculty and they have all been very warm, friendly and attentive. The school makes a concerted effort to host family-friendly events throughout the school year which are attended in significant numbers. My wife has been an early childhood educator for 20 years and she believes in this school. Social emotional support and diversity (e.g., racially, ethnically, religiously, financially) are big pluses at Peterson.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2021

We transferred our child to Peterson from a private school and couldn’t be happier. The teachers and students and administrators have been so welcoming of our child and our family. The instruction has been outstanding; our child has been challenged and supported much more than she was in her previous school. The school is very well organized and communicates very well with families. The teachers seem to love what they do and genuinely care about their students. We are so grateful that Peterson is our neighborhood school. It’s a true gem. We completely understand why it is popular choice for families who live outside the school catchment and hope to send their kids to this school through CPS lottery.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2021

We love Peterson for it's rigorous instruction, diversity, and strong school community!
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2021

Peterson is a great school that does an amazing job of fostering a sense of community among students and families. What I like most about Peterson is that in addition to focusing on the academic success of students there is a lot of emphasis on socio-emotional wellbeing and the mental health of students. During recent years when there has been so much happening related to race and equality, Peterson has done a great job of emphasizing the importance of diversity among our community--and it is evident that they make conversations about cultural competence a focus for teachers, staff, and students. Also, the teachers and support staff at Peterson do a great job of meeting the needs of diverse learners and going above and beyond to make adjustments to the curricula as needed and connecting with the parents to identify the best way to support students who may be experiencing learning difficulties. Most recently, I have been very impressed by how Peterson handled all of the changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. My family sincerely appreciates the wonderful leadership team here and everything that the teachers have done this past year to remain connected with families and support students during remote and hybrid learning.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2021

Worse experience ever. I made huge mistake moving my child to this school. I really regrade it every day. It is my son first year here. My child use to love school, but not anymore. He started his first grade with a great motivation, good grades with all A’s, and good base. Since the beginning we have been working so hard to maintain his honor role and keep him top student. However, time by time my child start loosing interest of studying due to the level of discourages he receives from his first grade home room teacher.The school overall is good I have talked to many staff that were supper supportive and friendly. However, my experience with his home room teacher not good. I didn’t want to switch my son to different cohort because I want to teach him how to deal with situations when things not right. I can’t control teacher behavior, but I can help my son overcome all situations by being patient and polite. We have addressed multiple issues with teacher multiple time , but nothing has been done to improve. Every-time I talk to his teacher about an issue some how all his grades drops even if answers are correct she still mark him wrong. It hurts me everyday seeing my son going through this. I can’t keep talking to her because I feel things get worse rather than improve. I just decided to be silent and encouraged my son to do good no matter how others treat him or no matter what grade he receives. I show him strength, but reality I’m heart broken for what he is going through. I don’t want to happen to any kids. First grade teacher should be positive, motivate kids to learn, give kids credit for trying their best, acknowledge questions with support, and compassion. I don’t usually write reviews unless they good reviews, but I’m really frustrated for what my son is going through and want to be honest about review. I have been in school my entire life and have never experience teacher like this before.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2020

Worst Experience! The school receptionist is mean looking and feels that she is the Principal of the school. The receptionist is very disrespectful. One day as I was waiting to pick my son, she sent me out in the cold to wait for my son in a very disrespectful way. When I politely told her it is really cold and I just came from a conference with a teacher about the bulling of my son, she called the school security to me and my spouse! What a shame!
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2019

My children do not like this school at all. This is their first year at Peterson. My daughter enjoys music and gym class but wishes the gym teacher would teach more skills and not just have the children run in relay races - just a waste of time. My son is not happy in 6th grade and because of this he is not putting forth effort. I am afraid we will need to transfer out after the school year is over.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2018

The best experience for our daughter, exceeded all our expectations as we were somewhat nervous for her to enter CPS!
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2018

The best I could expect from a large public school. We have some amazing teachers who feel honored to be there with our kids. We have a strong core of parents who work with he team too and bring amazing opportunities for our kids and families.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2018

Peterson has been a great school for my son. He has had some social challenges and the counseling staff has been proactive and phenomenal in helping him. His teachers have been caring and do a great job teaching kids with a variety of backgrounds.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

As the mother of a fourth-grader, I am very happy with my son's experience at Peterson. The staff, administration, and faculty are top-notch, and parents are deeply involved. It is the center of our community life in North Park
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

Despite our eldest child qualifying for a CPS selective enrollment elementary school, we decided to dive in to this wonderful CPS neighborhood school because we really value our neighborhood community AND the real-life social experience of our children learning alongside others who may learn differently and/or learn at different levels. And we have loved it thus far! Our older two children will be enrolled this upcoming school year (3rd grade and kindergarten), with our third enrolling in a couple years. Our experience has been all that we hoped it would be, as Peterson is a true neighborhood school with a very strong sense of community and dedication to both academic learning and the social and emotional growth of all its students. There are a wide range of learners in every classroom, and from what our eldest child experienced in K-2, teachers work extremely hard to differentiate learning and students are grouped in math and reading according to ability. Our eldest child has grown very strong as a reader and loves it. Additionally, a group of parents in the school have taken it upon themselves to help raise substantial amounts of money, organize cultural and academic events throughout the year, and remain active members of the LSC -- parents are highly valued members of the Peterson community have a strong voice in helping the school become the best it can be!
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

We are very happy with Peterson as our daughter enters 2nd grade. She has had a wonderful experience so far with the diverse student body and the very professional, friendly, and caring teachers and administrators. There is a great sense of community, with many special throughout the year events.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

We have had a wonderful experience at Peterson with our son, who is about to start second grade. Peterson is an amazing neighborhood school that celebrates the diverse neighborhood it serves. The teachers are loving and encouraging, the administration is thoughtful and open to feedback, and parents are highly involved. There are also fabulous events throughout the year that are open to the community, like Unity Through The Arts And Sciences, International Night and Literacy Night. We feel lucky to have Peterson as our neighborhood option and are looking forward to our second child starting kindergarten next year!
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

I would rate our experience as a 10! The first year was a true success for my anxious student.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

I have loved our experience at Peterson! Our children were always treated with respect and given autonomy. The teachers were always ready and willing to hear positive feedback as well as suggestions for improvement. We are so happy there and our children are too!
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2018

This is an incredible school. My children are having an incredibly formative and positive experience because of the tremendous work of both staff and teachers.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2017

This is a terrific school. Parents are extremely involved and host fundraisers throughout the year, raising thousands in additional funds. Every year, kids graduate from Peterson and go onto NorthSide Prep, Lane Tech -some of the best High Schools in the city. Diversity is celebrated, kids are affirmed and gifted kids, as well as children with special needs, excel in every way. The reason the school is terrific is the neighborhood that surrounds it. The "Hate Has No Home Here" signs, that have gone viral post the 2016 election were started in North Park. The school feels has a tight-knit community watching out for the backs of kids, teachers and the neighborhood and the combination can't be matched. The principal is a gem...one of the best I've ever encountered and the teachers are stellar.