Evanston, IL
Chiaravalle Montessori School

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
The school tends to favor people who are enthusiastic about Montessori. They also look for potential parents that will make big donations and have already introduced their children to Montessori.
I noticed 2 different situations when the teachers saw you observing them and when they were unaware they were being observed. It was concerning.
We loved Chiaravalle when our first child went back in 2007. The toddler program was wonderful. Those 2 teachers were wonderful. They were informative, loving, and had a great connection which the children and parents felt as well.
Unfortunatley now there are so many new teachers with less experience trying to run a class and my husband and I both felt like things were very unstructured. We had a terrible time with communication and often felt dismissed.
This year we are attending Near North Montessori and look forward to a more well rounded, positive experience.

Parent #2
Chiaravalle is a terrific preschool program centered on the Montessori method. They encourage children to explore a wide range of topics and activities, and most importantly encourage parents to step back and observe the many things their children are capable of. Just watching the children arrive and depart is remarkable - even the 3 year olds are taking on the job of hanging up their belongings and being responsible for their coats (with ready back-up from the teacher or a fellow student, if needed).

Parent #3
In the past we heard great things about the school and were excited to start our child's education at Chiaravalle. The teacher we had out initial interview with was the reason we chose the school. She was very welcoming and explained everything to expect clearly. Then on the first day of school we were so very upset that she was no longer teaching. I was very nervous, this was my toddler after all. Now I can see why she may have left. The institution as a whole is very misleading. My child came home with a fever and the teachers never mentioned how her day went. When I asked the next day, one of the assistants said she was "kind of off" in the morning. The staff seems very off to me and the administration has not been helpful when parents feel unsure about something. Since the tuition has gone up as well, we have decided to go to Rogers Park Montessori next year and leave this nightmare behind us. Please visit the school multiple times before deciding to send your children to this school. We learned the hard way. :(

Parent #4
There is no cohesion between the school and the parents. The teachers work hard to communicate effectively with parents but if administration suddenly decides to pop into the picture and sees something they don't agree with or truly understand- they take over the situation without concern to what has already been established by both parent and teacher. How can they have any say about my child when it is the teachers who are with my child day in and day out. Whenever I tried to resolve an issue with the administration they would pretend to be interested and nothing would be done. Only the teachers understand how to peacefully resolve conflict between children as well as show compassion for parents with concerns and struggles.

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

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