Kozminski Elementary Community Academy

THIS SCHOOL IS IMPROVING TREMENDIOUSLY. MY DAUGHTER IS IN PRE-K . I ADORE THE TEAHCER, AND THE TWO TEACHER ASSISTANTS. THEY DO THERE JOB VERY WELL . I HOME SCHOOL MY DAUGHTER ALOT, AND WITH HER IN THE PRE -K CLASS, IT HAS BEEN A BIG HELP. SHE IS VERY SMART, LEARNING MANY THINGS IN PRE-K. FROM PLEASE AND THANK YOU, TO SIGN LANGUAGE, TO COMPUTER SKILLS. WE DON'T NEED TO BLAME THE SCHOOLS SOLEY. WE NEED TO TAKE CHARGE IN OUR OWN CHILDRENS LIVES, AND HELP MUCH AS POSSIBLE RATHER BE AT HOMW WITH YOUR CHILD OR AT THE SCHOOL.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Kozminski and now my son is at Kozminski. Yes, there are frustrating things about Kozminski, but now that the administration has pretty much changed completely, I think that there is a much greater focus on the success of the children. Unfortunately CPS plays a major rold in what the children are learning, and when, so it may seem as though the teachers are not doing their jobs, but they are only doing what CPS is making them do. I always see returned work, and my son's teacher sends home all incomplete assignments so he can finish them. My son is not the fastest in development, and every one of his teachers works with him to help him improve. He went from making Cs and Ds to making As and Bs. No school is 100% perfect, but I'm happy with my son's progress, and that's what counts.
—Submitted by a parent

THIS IS A SCHOOL HAT HA, NO PARENT INVOLVERMENT, THE KIDS FIGHT SO MUCH, THE TEACHER GIVE OUT A LOT OF HOMEWORK AND THEY DO NO GO OVER IT IN THR CLASS ROOM MS MILLER IS A TEACHER THAT GIVE KIDS ALL THIS WORK, AND SHE DO NOT GO OVER IT AND THE PARENT HAS TO TEACH THE CHILD THAT HOME WORK SHE IS A BALL OF STRESS, AND THIS SCHOOL IS ISAT IS BELOW THE LINE HOW CAN THIS SCHOOL GET BELOW A LINE THEY NEED TO CLOSE THIS SCHOOL DOWN THATS WHY TOOK MY CHILD OUT OF THIS SCHOOL, IT IS TOO MUCH FOR ME.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a kozminski student. my child has been going there since pre k and is now in the 5th grade.... I have kept him in this school because of the scores and the fact that he is comfortable there. But at the same time a new reality has hit me.. The staff there are very strict on the younger kids but when it comes down to the older ones it as if they are terrified of them. Which causes them to feel like they can fight, vandilize property, curse etc... The staff needs to be more invovled in all the kids in every age bracket.... But as far as my child , my child wont be back to that school its time to find something better.
—Submitted by a parent

Nice show on the outside - teachers are very competent - but they have no books for the children and the few books that they do have are now allowed to come home and the kids are walking around with 40 book bags on their backs all day. No lockers. This could be a really great school...if only they were teaching with books that are literary no longer in print. And therefore not allowed home for the children to study or for the partent to purchase - in addition it's been 10 weeks and I still have yet to see any corrected papers from either in class or homework that has been turned in. Someone needs to do something about this school other than give parents the run-around!!! At this point I am scared to death for any upcoming statewide testing and am currently looking for an alternate school.
—Submitted by a parent

kozminski community academy has excellent teachers who care about their students. my child has learned so much over the years attending kozminski. the discipline is a bit lacking and could be better enforced.
—Submitted by a parent

I'd like to start by saying that Kozminski Academy is a good school with hard-working 'highly qualified' teachers. While we try to keep enrollment up, we accept kids from around the city. Many of these children have come from diferent backgrounds and surroundings. Our school has improved 6 straight years in a row (with only a handfull of other CPS schools system-wide). What we need to make this a great school is great parents who will step up and help rather than sit back and complain. The problems here are not the kids, teachers, or administration - it's the parents who hang around, spread gossip, and feed their need for entertainment and drama. It only takes a few 'bad apples' as they say...
—Submitted by a teacher

The teaching staff overall is very professional and knowledgable. I have not witnessed the horrible things some of these reviews claim are going on. It almost sounds personal perhaps from a past employee??
—Submitted by a parent

I am appalled by the lack of responsibility this school takes. Parents drop kids off at 7:30am--no teacher or administrator provide adult supervision or program to protect these at-risk children. After the end-of-day school bell, children who are not bused back to their homes are left to supervise each other. Fighting in the street, property vandalism, horrifying language and even gambling ensues. Hopefully the CPS CEO recognizes this school, not far away from his home, is an under-performer and needs new leadership and mission. If one takes a gander at the school's webpage...this school ensures that their student reach a level of acheivement commensurate with their abilities. I call on the leadership to provide the highly structured environment promised, and provide these at-risk children with guidance and supervision!
—Submitted by a parent

I think this school is a good school and every year there test scores go up. I feel that my child has been improving in her reading and math. She is also using bigger and more mature words and she is only in 4th grade so in my point of view I think this school is awesome.
—Submitted by a parent

My child started pre-K this year, and they have a great program. My child is very happy at the school. Their music offerings for all greade levels are impressive. They must have made some changes at the school because I've seen orderly conduct in the hallways and classrooms when I've visited, and the students have been polite and courteous. Also, they've received recognition from the state for steadily increasing test scrores for the past 6 or 7 years.
—Submitted by a parent

This school needs different and better leadership! The test scores call for an overhaul... Kozminski parents--stand up for your kids!
—Submitted by a teacher

This school lacks discipline, professionalism from staff and teacher's,and/or positive atmosphere. Put it this way any time a school discourages a parent from volunteering you know you are in a bad school. This school has teachers who do not and will not gain control in the classroom. The teacher's I have been involved with did not listen to their students. A Do not send your child to this school. My final words. Check out the school scores.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall, I think students lack discipline and are somewhat out of control. Once school is out there is lots of cursing, shouting, running in the streets, wrestling, fighting, etc. Where's the administrative control?
—Submitted by a former student