Our graduates go on to be highly successful at a variety of high schools, including selective enrollment schools, neighborhood schools, and charter schools. Here’s what some former students and current and former parents have to say:

“CFS was completely different.”

I joined CFS when I was in the second grade. I had previously gone to a regular public school where everyone was taught the same things in the same way and no one got the most out of what we were learning. At CFS it was completely different. Our teachers would meet us where we were. At CFS my teachers were ready to teach and guide me through advanced math and they even helped me develop a love for reading. Without CFS I would never have been able to do the advanced math I am doing now or read countless novels and books for fun.

Khushi, former CFS student

“I saw how much more growth my students showed every year.”

As a parent and an educator, I love the Free School’s philosophy. When I started working at the Free School, my eldest started her educational journey there. Her sister started a couple of years after. I got to see firsthand the commitment the school and the school community have to children. The commitment isn’t about test scores, it’s about the growth and development of a child as a whole person. As an educator I saw how much more growth my students showed every year than when I had taught in more traditional environments that tested them to collect data and prove growth. Both as an educator and a parent I saw how young people thought critically and engaged with the world in meaningful ways. The CFS philosophy develops caring, thoughtful and just leaders for our world. I saw the impact on my students and see it in my children at home. When life changes forced me to enroll my girls in a more traditional school, they excelled. They excelled because the Chicago Free School taught them to be critical thinkers. Year after year, the feedback from their teachers always includes how they stand out among their peers. I know this is because we were lucky enough to have their formative years at the Chicago Free School.

Heba Abbasi, CFS Parent and Teacher

“CFS teachers are flexible and responsive.”

All of the teachers at CFS are absolutely amazing. They are flexible and responsive to the needs of every child and are always looking for ways to tap into their natural interests and curiosity. They learn through doing a much wider variety of activities than what you’d see at most schools: games, puzzles, weekly field trips, free play, creative projects at their amazing Maker Lab. One highlight of my kids’ day is the electives, which change and vary based on student interest, from astronomy to art to coding to cooking. They really educate the whole child here. They teach social/emotional skills and work on building those skills just like they do with academic skills. There’s an open line of communication between parents and teachers. I know what my kids’ strengths are, what they’re struggling with, and what their teachers are doing to support them and help build lagging skills. They instill in kids the values of community, social justice, and mutual respect. Many schools will say they support these things on paper, but the awesome folks at CFS really embody those values in everything they do. We feel very lucky to have found this gem of a school.

A current CFS parent

“Teachers genuinely enjoy and care for children.”

Our daughter had an incredible experience in the Pre-K/K class at the Chicago Free School. Ms. Lisa, the experienced lead instructor, and Ms. Jaylyn are wonderful teachers who foster a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for the children. There is a lot of learning through play, art, and free choice, which builds the students’ confidence and encourages their curiosity. To anyone concerned about the school being “too” open, there is also plenty of structure, routine, and curriculum, including activities supportive of literacy and math. The class also regularly takes field trips around the neighborhood and sometimes beyond, using the public bus system. 

Another area where the school shines is in developing emotional intelligence and teaching age-appropriate conflict resolution. We saw the benefits of this in our own very spirited and intense child, and we also witnessed it on the playground. 

One of the best surprises about the school for us was the high level of communication with parents about what the students were doing on a weekly basis. This mostly came via a detailed weekly newsletter and photo set. Additionally, each semester we received detailed reports about our child specifically. The teachers were always interested in any information we shared that could give them greater insight into our child – for example, if she didn’t sleep well one night or if she showed a new interest in something. Through all our communications, it was clear to us that the teachers genuinely enjoy and care for the children. This was true not only for her regular classroom teachers, but all the other adults at the school as well. There is a true sense of community.

CFS is a small, excellent school with a lot of scrappiness and heart. We are so grateful for the education and socialization our child received there. We had to move out of state, but if we had stayed in Hyde Park, there is no question we would have continued on with the Chicago Free School. It is a gem.

A CFS Parent, 2024-25 school year