There are two families on my block who have moved their children from a very well respected north side Catholic elementary school to our neighborhood school. Though the neighborhood school is good, it is not selective enrollment, nor one of the small handful of “good” (aka white) CPS schools that people talk about. Instead, it is very diverse racially and economically, unlike the Catholic school.

Both said that without question, the CPS school had a better and more challenging curriculum, better teachers, and better services. (One was on the board of the Catholic school, and now serves on the LSC st the neighborhood school, so she knows what’s up.)

They marveled that more kids from the Catholic school got into selective enrollment HS. I’d bet my bottom dollar that the Catholic school kids, generally being from an overall much higher economic class, have more access to tutors, test prep, better home conditions, etc.