Mayer Elementary School

Well, Oscar Mayer is OK. I am a student who is in 7th grade. Many of us upper grade kids feel that the whole school revolves around Montessori. We feel as if we get less attention for our needs, such as we need to change our schedule many times for the little kids nap time. Every year we need to donate money. There are no upgrades for the older kids. All the upgrades go to Montessori. There are like 15 Montessori classrooms but 3 7th and 8th classrooms. There are split grades. That sucks. The only thing that doesn't make it a terrible school are the out of state trips.

We just moved from the suburbs to the city and Oscar Mayer is our "neighborhood public school". We LOVE it! My kids have adjusted really well. Their teachers are wonderful and the parent involvement is overwhelmingly cool! :)
—Submitted by a parent

This is our fifth year at Mayer and we now have three children at the school. In short, our children are thriving in this engaging and well thought out learning environment.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year here and we are continually disappointed with how the school is run. Yes, many parents are happy, but that seems to be because they have children that "fit the mold" & have acclimated to the classroom without problem. I have a higher needs child & instead of giving mindful focus to her good qualities in order to bring them out, focus is on behaviors that are undesirable for school (yet still completely age appropriate) and are dealt with negative reactions that include threats and punitive punishment. We wanted our child to attend Montessori so her spirit could be nurtured, but instead, our 3 year old has faced a variety of non-nurturing emotions ranging from disappointment, abandonment, discomfort and isolation. Since starting school, our once happy child now calls herself "bad" & has exhibited a series of behaviors related to stress including nail biting and bed wetting. Other behaviors that we would only see occasionally, like hitting and nonsense talk, have increased. Majority of faculty is very young and inexperienced. Instead of looking for the root/cause of a behavior to help children having a problem, they seem to view the child as a problem.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of 2 kids at Oscar Mayer in the 3-6 year classroom. So far, it's been terrific. I understand the Montessori system very well. OM does a good job with it. Some issues I'd like to address: Class room size: The class rooms are a bit small, and yes, the kids sometimes do their work in the hallway - this is NOT a big deal, as I know of another private school Montessori that does the same thing. Class size - This is tricky. remember, in the 1st class room, the 3-6 class, there's going to be a need for a solid child-to-teacher ratio, however due to CPS regulations, it is sometimes difficult. OM does a solid job, using assistants, and sometimes special needs assistants to help out. It is a tough situation, but OM is doing the best they can given their resources. Diversity: This makes me laugh. I'm not white. Here's the deal, if you want the school to be successful, you NEED the neighborhood to fill all its spots. Have you seen the LP Neighborhood that OM is in? It's 90% white, but here's the deal, the parents are educated, middle to upper class, and work pretty hard. That's really what you want, I think. Ok, I think the school is great. I hope it continues!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends Mayer's Montessori Program. Truely an amazing school:) We could not be happier!
—Submitted by a parent

I'm an 8 year old currently attending the third grade.So far each and every teacher I've had has been excellent especially my current one Ms.Sankey who I'm starting my third year with. The parents and principal have been great!

We transferred our 1st grader to O.M last year from private school (a recurring theme of parents at this school) after becoming increasingly impressed with the administration, resources and parent group over the past several years. We have been thrilled. The education is fantastic, the teachers are dedicated and the administration is forward thinking. O.M. is well on its way to becoming one of the best schools in the city. The negative reviews of the school both on this site and in general generally relate to a lack of spots for students outside of the district. While this is true, it is simply a byproduct of those in the community now embracing the wonderful opportunity that O.M. presents.
—Submitted by a parent

my child attended preschool at OM in 08 the class she was in also had children with special needs in class i ended uo taking my child out of the school because the child that was austic violated my child while she was using the bathroom the teacher scared my child so bad to keep this secret told her that she would get fired if she told me the truth the principle scared her they called themselves trying to scare my child quite and took her outta the waiting room where i had been picking her up from everyday and put her on a school bus it was only after i ran around this school like a crazy lady looking for my child that she was found and brought back to me also i had a meeting with parent whom hadnt been informed of what her child had done until minutes before the meeting and all she could say was that he touchs and pokes to get what he wants Totally unexceptable i contacted the regional office the board of ed police and dcfs i needed answers asap as to how this was allowed to happen to my child and why when i first addressed it to the teachers they told me it didnt happen school started in sept my child was out of there by oct this i definetly dont recommend this school to snyonr

School is overrated and overcrowded. This place is run less like a school and more like a factory. Teachers have too many kids to pay adequate attention to them and classes are overstuffed, so children are doing their work in the hallways. In the 3,4, and K class, too many 3-year-olds mean teachers spend much of their time getting the youngest ones dressed and out the door. Older kids get less teacher time. Parents are type-A and cliquish. In the younger grades, the classrooms get less and less diverse as minorities are pushed out by the children of middle class professionals living in the Lincoln Park area. Classes go from mostly African American in 6-8th to mostly Caucasian as the kids get younger -- the dividing line being the year the school began to develop a reputation.
—Submitted by a parent

the school is improving at a fast pace , it will be a top school in chicago in the next few years.highly recommended !!!
—Submitted by a parent

I have a son in Kindergarden and my daughter just started pre school at Oscar Mayer and I feel so lucky to be part of such a wonderful school! The teachers are awsome and so caring. The office workers, lunchroom staff, principal ect... are the best, always smiles on their faces. It is such a positive place and I'm so happy my children start off their education in a positive way!
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children attending Mayer, I could make that 2 because my oldest just graduated 8th grade and I am so happy. Mayer has disappointed me in that I have one more child entering kindergarten and they put her on the waiting list #444 to be exact. They told me there is no chance that she can go there. Montessori program is nothing but a ploy to get those who live outside of the Lincoln Park area out of the school. The classes are over crowded, there are some GREAT teachers there but mainly you here nothing unless you are on the play lot every week and happen to catch the teacher walking by. The student are unruly and there seems to be no discipline. if you are thinking Mayer is a great even good school, take a look at there scores, you'll see differently.
—Submitted by a parent

This school appealed to us because of its free all day developing Montessori pre-school program. Their pre-school classrooms seemed over crowded which raised questions for us regarding the attention and safety our child would get. Their extracurricular activities (after school programs, language, music, art, & drama) make it very appealing to us. In the end we had several issues with the school which did not convice us that are child was in the best learning enviornment for our young child.
—Submitted by a parent

The diversity and community aspect of the school provide a safe and comfortable environment for learning, exploring and sharing.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are doing an awesome job as the school has grown. The parents and community provide a tremendous amount of support and energy every day.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is five and her education has been fantastic. She comes home every day with new topics and I can not wait until my second daughter attends in the fall. Great school, teachers and parents.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school with a wonderful principal and amazing teachers. It is not a typical CPS school -- It is Montessori in the lower grades and is on track to be an IB middle school.
—Submitted by a parent

Both of my children graduated 8th grade from OM. Seven years ago, I was impressed with the school, it' administration, the teachers and overall atmosphere, I couldn't recommend a better school! I was active, knew most teachers/staff and they knew me as well as my children. Currently new administration has taken over and it appears they are building a new student body while just ignoring the current students and the problems that exist. There are some intolerable things going on at the school, during school hours and little disciplinary action has been. I've felt lied too more than once by this administration and as a parent, graduation day cannot come soon enough. There was a time when I would have highly recommended OM. If you really like the school, Pre-K though 3rd, then move your child. If you dont' live in Lincoln Park they don't want you there anyway.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son tranfered from local private school KG to Mayer last year. We were pleasantly suprised, it felt like fresh breeze. His teacher is clearly one of the best, encouraging, supportive and most importantly seeing each student as an individual. Teachers really look for parental input/ vs pretent to seek for it in previous school/ Leadership is superb. We look forward to IB program starting this fall.
—Submitted by a parent