Evanston Township High School

Not really understanding the purpose of the comment below about white kids in AP classes and blacks in special ed. I am a black alumni and I took plenty of honors/AP classes while attending this school and that thought did not once cross my mind. I personally believe that there are a lot of black students that can strive more and take more challenging classes, but that doesn't mean that they are all in special ed!!! With that being said, there are also a lot of black students that I have known that have taken all AP classes. If I were you, I would completely revoke that comment! This school is actually very racially intergrated and I enjoyed getting to know more about other races and cultures. ETHS has been a great school in building character and intelligence. Most of the teachers and tutors are always ready to help. As long as your child has proper training at home, he/she won't be involved in too many altercations, if any..
--Submitted by a student

I didn't see many recent reviews of ETHS, so I thought I would give my two cents. I had a son graduate in 2010 and I have a daughter that will be a freshman in the 2011-12 school year. My son took Honors and AP classes and didn't like them (he did however appreciate the credits when he go to college). My daughter is going to be in the new mixed level Honors classes. I don't have a problem with that. The school is very racially segregated right now. You see mostly white kids in AP classes and mostly black kids in Special Ed classes. Aside from that, I think the school does a very good job. There are something like 40 different sports teams and over 100 clubs. There are a variety of support programs to help the students (SOS/Wildkit Academy) as well. Recently, we have been in the news a lot for negative things. We do have some challenging students from the rough parts of town that have issues. Our administration and school board need to be more firm with problem students. I think the reason we are featured on the news so much has more to do with the fact that quite a few of the news people live in Evanston and some even have students at the school. Overall, it is an excellent school!
--Submitted by a parent

I attend this school now and absolutely love it. I love the diversity. ETHS gives a taste of the real world without putting anyone's safety in danger. For the most part, the teachers and faculty are great. The school also offers exceptional courses. One that stands out in particular is Senior Studies. The class entails a first semester filled with experiential, relevant learning with topics from education to crime and punishment. Then the class offers a second semester independent project, which each students creates based off of his/her interests. Senior Studies prepares students for college by teaching time management and presentation/communication skills and having a rigorous, truly interesting curriculum. The class is a mixed class, but you would never know it. Also, ETHS offers a ton of extra-curricular activities that appeal to every student's interest. There is a ton of support offered to help students succeed. I love Evanston and am glad that I will graduate Evanston Township High School.
--Submitted by a student

Excellent teachers, Strong principal/school leadership, Challenging academic programs, Teacher's, talk to parents regularly about their children's progress. Challenge students to learn. Give students the attention they need to thrive in class.
--Submitted by a parent

The school has something for everyone. A real learning atmoshphere exists at the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Wonderful experience for both of my kids. Great diversity, great teachers, great administration.
--Submitted by a parent

I just recently graduated from this institution and I absolutely loved it. There is a unique diversity because we house the richest of the rich with others who aren't as well off under one roof. Now, granted that this diversity does not necessarily foster complete integration, being exposed to people of different economic lifestyles was beneficial. Academically, like previously said, the school is really great for students going in the right direction. Most Honors classes are taught at a high level and are helpful to those enrolled in them. However, there is a huge disparity between Honors and AP classes and Regular ones. I have heard countless tales of people dropping from Honors to Regular and having an ending grade with very high A's. There is no middle ground. Extra-curricular activities are great and offer a multitude opportunities.
--Submitted by a student

As a parent of a student who came from a private school, coming to ETHS was very difficult for my child. We was used to teachers being very willing to help my child. Although there were some helpful teachers ETHS, the majority of them were not as helpful as we would have liked them to. Like some other posters said, ETHS is a good school for advanced kids, but there are not very good opportunities for 'average' students. We also found that the school was very racially divided. Socially it was also difficult. Because of these reasons my child left the school
--Submitted by a parent

Evanston is great it provides us with so many opportunities to better ourselves and prepare for college and the real world. People often categorize our school as ghetto but they are mistaken. Our school is very diverse and people come from many different economic backgrounds. It is almost impossible for people to say that we don't interact well with one another because all of our programs like choir, meet different types of people/
--Submitted by a student

While ETHS has some very good programs, it can sometimes a little to daunting of an experience for 'average' students. I have attended ETHS for the past four years, and can say that the academic competition is a little too intense. Yes, I do think that there is a need for academic competition, but the level that it is at here is just a little ridiculous. Yes, it does offer high level courses, but the teachers who teach these courses do not truthfully 'teach the class,' they more or less 'speak/teach at the class' and expect you to understand. Also, everybody seems to think of ETHS as very diverse. It is not that diverse. While there may be many ethnicities represented, most people only socialize with there own ethnicity will severely limits the 'diverse interactions' that are 'available.'
--Submitted by a student