Willard Elementary School

2700 Hurd Avenue

School District

Evanston Central Consolidated 65
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:10
Type

public

School Map for Evanston Central Consolidated School District 65

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 teacher on July 10, 2023

Overall Willard has an inclusive atmosphere, which I liked. However the staff was a bit cliquey for my tastes. There is not support for new personnel, even though they say they do. They will let you drown under the massive amount of work and then when you're at your breaking point they say "hey let's try to support you" but by then it's too late. The senior SPED "mentor" was arrogant and unhelpful, and spoke ill of other personnel to the children. I would not recommend working there unless you're completely ready to find everything on your own with no help.
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2023

We moved to Evanston from the city and did not know what to expect. We came from a great Magnet school in the city that focused on dual languages. Willard is teaching the right things at the right time and the teachers are experienced. Both my kids' teachers have been teaching at Willard for 25+ years. My daughter's learning accelerated at Willard and we enjoy less stress from no homework. I can't say enough good things about the school, including the after school child care option. I only rated Family Engagement as a bit lower because no one has approached me to join the PTA , which was somewhat be expected. I assume there are lots of parents involved, but as a diverse family, I would want the opportunity to serve and provide input.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2023

Willard does a great job, engaging parents, and they clearly love their students, but they attempt to compensate for the lack of quality among their teachers, with a host of poorly implemented programs that produce very little in the way of results.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2022

Willard has exceeded our expectations! The teachers are great and they really care about the kids. The music teacher puts his heart into the music classes and the after school rock band program. The librarian is so caring and kind. The outdoor garden/learning area is maintained by a mom. The community of parents is super active and supportive, from tending with the garden to helping at the celebrations/festivals after school. Many kids walk or ride bikes there each day. The school district is going through an overall reset with no longer busing students and building a new neighborhood school in the 5th Ward, so that will also add more resources within the school district. At Willard you get what you and your child put into it. If you're active and supportive, the school gets stronger. Having experienced the private/Montessori version of elementary school that's currently available in Evanston near Dempster St/downtown/beach, and then having switched to Willard, we can wholeheartedly say that Willard is the better choice.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2022

The Willard teachers and staff put their hearts into every child's learning experience. The pandemic has created challenges at every school, but the Willard community - administrators, teachers, staff, and PTA - all found creative ways to inspire and connect through it all. My child is excited everyday to go to school and learn with the amazing community of dedicated teachers at Willard!
Submitted by other on November 10, 2021

I wish there was an option for 0 stars.Special Ed and bilingual needs go completely unmet. The focus on "black and brown kids" is total hypocrisy. I would never recommend this school or district to any family or even any teacher. The teachers that work there are great, only redeeming quality.Stay away.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2018

We are very happy with this school. My children love their teachers! Lots of activities and the administration is caring and responsive. Great overall
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2018

Willard was a disappointment on many levels. My child attended this school for a number of years, and only had one teacher stand out as impressive. The rest seemed uninterested, as if they were simply going through the motions. The "specials" teachers were hit or miss, however, the art teacher was so uninspired and unprofessional, that she all but ruined my child's love for art, which is her favorite activity at home. When I addressed concern with her one time, her response was stubborn and defensive, clearly fired off from a cell phone with auto correct functionality, because the email was in jibberish, and very unprofessional. The school nurse was extremely flustered at all times, and any time I went into the school to sign my child out early, I found her red faced and scattered and melting down over something, leaving me feeling very uncomfortable that this person was in charge of emergency medical situations, and that this lack of professionalism was even tolerated. Often when popping into the office, though, it would take several minutes for the secretary to stop her personal conversations and acknowledge that a parent had entered. When my child, who is an avid reader, attempted to sign one of her favorite chapter books out of the library, she was told to get something simpler, less long. Graphic novels were present in all the classrooms. There were no advance or gifted programs or opportunities. Socially, the place was a nightmare. The bullying was prevalent at every single grade level, and while my child wasn't always the direct victim, she was a witness, and it was a daily distraction in most classroom environments. We did not even know that such extreme bullying could be tolerated, much less occur at such low grade levels. These were not isolated cases, but rather, we sadly learned, the culture of the school. The parents are cliquish and unwelcoming, and this hostile energy transfers to the children. A solid foundation for learning and socialization is important to us and we made the decision to remove our child from Willard. It was the best decision we ever made.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2014

Willard epitomizes what an elementary community is all about. The teachers/administrators truly care about students and enjoy seeing them thrive and grow both inside and outside of the classroom. They teach far more than texts/theory, but give the children a chance to apply the insights. Parents are extremely involved and put together their own out-of-school curriculum that is second to none - from international arts journeys, to cultural celebrations, to author meet and greets, to great field trips, to no-cut athletics, to the most fun classroom celebrations, the parents care about the whole community, in addition to their child(ren). And then there are the students - the lovely students who bring the place alive. They are caring, respectful, and responsible. They are active. They are smart and intellectually curious to learn more. They make the school better by excelling academically and connecting concepts from year to year; they also make the community stronger through being kind to one another, introducing each other to traditions/cultures, and showing up each and every day, ready to learn. One child of mine is at Willard and one is at Haven M.S. - they are prepared!
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2014

In all honesty, we had no idea what the schools were like when we moved to the district. What a welcome surprise that we just so happened to buy a house not too far from Willard. Willard has been, and continues to be, such an amazing experience for both my children and we as parents. It definitely is more than a school...it's a community. In general, the teachers are great and know their children and challenge them accordingly. Of course, not everything is going to be perfect, but feel that the teachers and principal are more than willing to work with both parents and students to get to their common goal. Would definitely recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2014

Not so much. The principal talks a good game but rarely solves problems, particularly social/bullying issues. The teachers are good at the K and 1 levels, but are hit-or-miss in the upper grades. The parents can be unwelcoming and clique-ish, just as many of the kids are (llikely from the example I see) and not much is done to correct this with the kids. No great emphasis on art or phys ed (revolving door). Teachers will move on to new concepts before ensuring kids grasp the earlier ones, which results in struggles for many. I've had three children go through the school (one still in 4th) and given a choice to begin again, I would honestly move to Dewey's district.