Rowe Elementary School

1424 North Cleaver Street

School District

Chicago Public Schools
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

charter

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 August 07, 2024

If I could give this school zero stars, I would. Be prepared because I'm not holding back. SOCIAL SUPPORT: One of the worst elementary school experiences I've ever had. If you love your child, do not send them here because they will humiliate your child as a disciplinary action. For example, if your child gets "in trouble," they will place them in a younger classroom for a few days. They clearly do not understand that disciplinary actions should correct a child's behavior; what does this correct?SAFETY and LEARNING: The school is filthy. The lunchroom is a small, dungeon-like room located in the basement, almost as small as the classrooms. The Before/After school program is run by teenagers who barely watch the children. So if an incident happens with your child, they will take the word of the kids instead of knowing what actually happens 100% of the time. Most of them (the before/after care babysitters) have relatives who attend the school and misbehave but never get in trouble because they know to hit or tease first and then tell on others first, as that's what they are told to do and it's their "unspoken policy." If your child gets in trouble, they will put them in a Kindergarten class. Discrimination and harsh punishment are highly expected for the small portion of brown children that attend.LEARNING and TEACHING: Believe the rating on this website. It lists: 3/10 for test scores, 5/10 in student progress, and 3/10 equity for a reason! Be very aware. On Google, all of the reviews are from kids who attended the school instead of parents because they tell the kids to leave good reviews. (Just check) I like the theme of the school naming the classrooms after colleges, but if you send them here, they probably won't make it to any of those colleges. They are poorly staffed with teachers who are not qualified (Most of the teachers there have less than 3 years of experience, including the vice principal), and it shows. I had to teach my child everything in order for them to succeed at this school. Sending your kid to this school is like sending them to be a test dummy for people who are 'trying' to teach.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2020

The teachers at Rowe are top notch, care about them and their home life. The fact that they were able to quickly switch to e-learning during this pandemic is impressive. Ms. Wilson (principal and former 2nd grade teacher) is great about communication. It’s great to see a principal who was recently a teacher, as they know what the school really needs.Also special shout out to the safety officers in front of building during morning drop off. They keep everyone moving and all students safe (while reminding rule breaker parents why we don’t let students dash across the street into oncoming traffic)
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2019

Horrible, I took my son out as as soon as he continued to cry when going every morning he was scared
Submitted by other on October 01, 2019

Mr Sutton is a horrible leader that does not support or care for students or staff
Submitted by student on May 13, 2019

Overall this school isn't the best but it could be worse. One positive thing about this school I didn't mention is the high school readiness. once I entered middle school they would already be talking to me about the different high schools and the types of high schools there are. this program helped me get into a great high school, in which I am attending today. but there are somethings that this school could improve on.
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2018

It's a great school and we are very fortunate to have discovered it.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2017

My child attended this school 6 yrs and our experience was amazing, this is one school where you feel like a part of whole. Open door polices, with teachers or the principal at all times, any issues you may have are address right in the momont & not put off, I loved that about the school, and the strong academic foundation my child received at Rowe I feel has set her up for success.
Submitted by teacher on August 24, 2017

Rowe is a uniquely incredible school and truly feels like a home. I am so proud to work in such a supportive and collaborative school environment. We have incredibly dedicated families, a skilled and thoughtful staff, and a collection of scholars who are bright, creative, and engaged in their learning. Our principal has led us to implement shifts that have increased the rigor of academic content, while ensuring we meet the social and emotional needs of all of our kids. As part of the Settlement House, we are lucky to have an extensive amount of services to ensure families have what they need to be successful. At Rowe, our kids say they are family, and that is felt in all that we do.Some of the comments below speak to the immense amount of growth in a charter school and that's true - but our growth has been for the better. We have been lucky to be able to be responsive to need and improve our school for our teachers, families, and of course, our scholars.
Submitted by teacher on March 13, 2017

Since Ms. Martinez the founding principal left, the school has changed a lot--and not for the better. (Notice how all of the positive comments on this site are from 2014 and before.) The current principal does not respond to parents, and many teachers and other administrators have left due to his leadership. Lots of families leaving too.
Submitted by other on August 02, 2016

Definitely a conformity school. Strict dress code and does not allow the students to be creative. Too many test but yet students get the same basic homework everyweek. Not challenging enough for my son. The things he was learning were things he already knew from home and head start. Teachers are seemed to be not genuine. Can't wait to get my son out of this school
Submitted by other on December 13, 2015

Too many strict rules and unnecessary tests that parents do not get results for. Scholars get infractions for any little thing and are more scared to go to school than actually enjoy it. Teachers are dry and do not have a genuine aura to them. My three kids really do not like going here. Homework is the same every week. They get bored and are not allowed to be their creative selves by being restricted to uniforms, same color socks and shoes, same hair cuts etc. This is just a conformity school
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2015

For me, Rowe was not a satisfactory school. My child spend 3 years here. The hours are 8:00-4:00, and for "scholars" a large amount of the time is spent in desks, doing testing interventions, and being constantly reminded to follow directions. Students do not get enough of a chance to be kids at this school (little play). There used to be a lot of art, drama, PE, music, etc. but it seems each year that gets reduced. In fact a lot of changes happen each year, which makes it hard for parents to know what is going on. (In fact I heard the principal just left and there isn't a new one yet.) Teachers are constantly leaving. Most of the teachers are from Teach for America and have little experience or training in education. They are also worked really hard (longer days than the students) and therefore usually get burnt out by the end of the year, which effects students. I'm sad that Rowe didn't work out. My child just isn't happy here, and I am finally connecting the dots and figuring out why. It's easy to "drink the koolaid" at first, but don't be fooled!
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2014

I have two kids that go to Rowe one in 3rd grade and the other in kindergarten, and I'm so happy about having my kids at Rowe because they are getting a great education, Rowe has great teachers and amazing stuff I love having my kiddos at Rowe.
Submitted by principal on December 04, 2014

CPS is implementing a new School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP) which expands the rating spectrum from three levels to five as explained below: Level 1+: The highest performance rating. Level 1: High performance. Level 2+: Average performance. Schools scoring a 2+ or higher are considered to be in "good standing." Level 2: Below average performance. The school is placed on "provisional support" and remediation. The district can then draft a school improvement plan. If the school does not improve, the district can further lower the school's rating. Level 3: The lowest performance rating, meaning the school is in need of "intensive intervention." Under this rating the school district will place the school under probation, and an improvement plan is drafted. After a year of being on probation, the school district can take actions such as replacing the principal and other faculty members, order new local school council elections, or operate the school as a turnaround school. Using this new system and thanks to the hard work of our entire team, Rowe has been classified Tier 1+. Something we are incredibly proud of at NUSH. We recognize this is a direct result of all our collective efforts big or small and most certainly a reflection of the quality of teachers that serve our scholars and our families *every* day at Rowe. This means Rowe is a top 10 elementary charter school in Chicago and amongst the top 100 elementary schools in Chicago.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2014

My school is the best, they are committed in the education of students, teachers strive in making scholars the best that they can be - lifelong learners aiming for success!
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2014

Rowe is an amazing school, strong leadership and extraordinary staff. Our son attended here for 4 yrs. We moved from the city and over the summer we have visited schools , public, private, gifted and haven't seen a school like Rowe. I wish I could have bring with me the entire staff. Strongly recommend this school. Also I wanted to share that even though my son is not enrolled in this school anymore one of the staff here has helped by giving me information and advice about the district and schools my son could be attending next school year. Thank you Rowe and all staff for everything . ROWE ELEMENTARY IS THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE CITY.
Submitted by parent on June 25, 2014

Rowe is great my daughter came out of kinder and she kows how to read real ggod. The teacher's really care to teach here. I leave far from this school and I don't care to drive all the way here because I know my kids are geeting a great education
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2014

Rowe is by far the best school in the city. Their approach to learning should be adopted city wide. I would highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2014

My daughter entered kindergarten at Rowe this year. She is thriving under the excellent instruction and leadership at this school. I highly recommend Rowe to any parent! It is fantastic!
Submitted by parent on December 29, 2013

This school and administration are the absolute best. My daughter entered kindergarten not able to recognize the entire alphabet and finished the year not only reading but spelling! ! Note in first grade she is doing basic algebra and reading chapter books. But aside from the academics, children receive a well-rounded education including socialization and conflict resolution. That is worth the school's weight in gold. I highly recommend them.