Crow Island Elementary School

Crow Island School is just the best. Teachers and support personnel are wonderful, top-notch professionals and true leaders in the field of education. The Crow Island building (and surroundings) are incredible and the building has won several architectural awards. The district at large has been involved in a study of differentiation and they are fantastic at meeting the needs of children at either end
--Submitted by a parent

Our son did K-4 at this school. He did ok, but often was bored and unchallenged. Bullying was a problem, not so much for our son, but other boys and girls. The principals changed hands while we were there. This did not improve the situation. If your child is an average to slightly above average academic, then they will be ok. If your child is above...they will be bored. There are no organized school sports teams. There is no cafeteria: kids eat in a room in the basement or in the lounge area beyond the entrance foyer. There isn't any onsite hot lunch.Occasionally hot lunch is brought in via caterer monthly. The ISAT is administered starting in 3rd grade each spring. Kids are "drilled" in taking the test a week prior to the test to ensure optimal results for the school/district. Other than that, there are no conventional report cards w/ letter or number grades until Washburne.
--Submitted by a parent

We absolutely moved here for the schools. We will stay here for the schools. The teachers are caring and highly attuned to the needs of their students. They deftly work with the parents. When our children required a bit of a boost in reading they were immediately provided with the extra attention. Both are now solid readers. This is a highly affluent area with exceptionally talented, yet crazily driven people. (I've never seen anything like it.) Some parents can be a bit overbearing when it comes to getting THE BEST for their children immediately. Patience is not a virtue with District 36 parents. Come for the schools...the teachers are amazing.
--Submitted by a parent

Don't move here unless your kid is exceptionally smart. Our son is quite bright, yet the teachers in his first grade classroom did not recognize that he was having difficulty reading. After pointing this out to them, they still balked at his getting extra help. After many meetings, and many promises on their part, including involvement from the principal, he and we are still being completely ignored. Don't move here for the schools. In fact, plan on sending your child to a private school. These teachers are being paid too much money and the administration is in shambles. (Student-teacher ratio is 8/1 so you think they could get the job done, right? Wrong!) Right now, Crow Island has an interim principal and District 36 has Interim Superintendents. All of whom are being paid far too much with our tax paying dollars. Down with tenure!
--Submitted by a parent

My son is finishing up Kindergarten here, and so far I'm very impressed with the 'whole child' approach the Winnetka school system takes.
--Submitted by a parent

Crow Island has'A' Teachers and has the best teacher in the district.
--Submitted by a student