Gale Elementary Community Academy

My daughter had an excellent experience in kindergarten and now in first grade. My husband and I both attended neighborhood public schools and went to public universities for undergrad and grad school. We're strong supporters of neighborhood CPS schools. Through Gale, my daughter now has friends and classmates who are black, Latina/o, and white, as well as who are recent refugees from Kurdistan, Myanmar, and the Congo, to mention just a few countries of origin. The principal and teaching staff are using data-driven strategies to improve student learning, and I see a real desire to support the holistic needs of students. Gale is one of just a few CPS schools that has a greenhouse on site as well as a community-school garden that has been a focal point for partnerships with community organizations. There is a lot of negative press out there on neighborhood schools including Gale, which don't give the full picture. Please come and check it out for yourself! Thanks for reading this. :)

Gale School has good teachers and deserves a chance to improve despite the recent crime and budget cuts.

My daughter was in kindergarten at Gale and was being bullied by kids in her class and older children in after school programs. Aside from being made fun of, she reported to me that she was pushed to the ground and spat on (on 2 occasions). The worst part of her incidents was that no one at the school reported such offenses to the parent(s). I asked Miss Canales [Administrator to the Principal] why I wasn't phoned. She replied with an excuse of other parents not caring, so not feeling the need to call childrens' parents anymore. I am very involved in my daughter's education - chaperoning a field trip, bringing lunches and visiting the office almost weekly with questions. So you can imagine how enraging it was that I was never notified. I asked for a meeting with the principal and received nothing. I called and emailed numerous times awaiting a professional response, and instead received a message stating that my daughter was excluded from school due to medical records not being up to date (in which the doctor confirmed they are). This issue has been taken to the Chicago Board of Education due to her exclusion being a personal retaliation for me reporting Canales to the Principal.

We were excited to see some of our favoirte teachers gearing up for another wonderful school year. We have two children in Gale this year not only do we love it, but THEY love it! We are excited for a great year!