George W Tilton Elementary School

Honestly, I'm pretty worried about the environment at Tilton. The building is super old and they are constantly asking for grants for 'infrastructure improvements' but you can really see the wear and tear when you walk in—ventilation feels practically non-existent in some classrooms and with Chicago's chronic absenteeism rates being what they are, it's clear kids are getting sick and staying home way too much. The student-to-teacher ratio is also a struggle; when my kid was out, I barely heard from anyone, and it feels like the staff is too stretched thin to even keep up with basic hygiene and sickness protocols. It’s a lot of 'surviving' and not enough 'thriving' when it comes to the wellness culture there.

My kid has been at Tilton for two years now and it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the health stuff. The staff is really caring and they definitely try their best with what they have, but being an older CPS building, you can tell it’s a struggle to keep everything spotless. Communication is okay—I usually get an email if there's a flu bug going around the classroom, but sometimes it feels like I hear it from the other moms first. Their sick policy is standard, they're pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule which I appreciate so things don't spread too fast. It's an okay environment, just typical for a neighborhood school in the city.