Louis B. Nettelhorst Elementary School is a public K-8 school in Lake View, Chicago. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) school district.
| Nettelhorst School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
3252 North Broadway Ave. , 60657 | |
| Coordinates | 41°56′30″N 87°38′41″W / 41.94167°N 87.64472°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public K-8 |
| Opened | 1892 |
| School district | Chicago Public Schools |
| Principal | Yasmeen Muhammad |
| Grades | K-8 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Website | nettelhorst |
Its namesake is Louis Nettelhorst Sr., a German immigrant who once headed the Chicago Board of Education from 1888 to 1892.[1] An 1893 Chicago Tribune article described him as "one of the most popular German-American citizens of Chicago".[2]
History
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2016) |
It first opened in 1892. For many decades Nettelhorst had a good reputation. In the 1950s its reputation began to decline.[3] Around 2000, few Lake View parents enrolled their children in Nettelhorst and the school had low test scores.[4] Children from other Chicago elementary schools that had too many students had been sent to Nettelhorst instead.[3]
In 2001 parent Jacqueline Edelberg met with principal Susan Kurland.[4] Edelberg desired to enroll her children in a neighborhood elementary school instead of doing so at a private school, going into a magnet school application process, and/or moving to the suburbs. Kurland asked Edelberg what it would take for her to place her children in Nettelhorst. After Kurland accepted Edelberg's demands, Edelberg established a parental group,[5] "Roscoe Eight", for the purpose of improving Nettelhorst; it was named after a playlot on Roscoe Street.[3] The parental group advertised Nettelhorst, beautified the campus, and organized committees to address specific aspects of the school. Parents personally painted corridors of the school.[5]
By 2003 CPS chose Nettelhorst to become a "community school" in an effort to lure families back to CPS, and a community enrichment class program called Jane's Place, as part of a partnership with the Jane Addams Hull House Association, opened at Nettelhorst.[6]
By 2009 families moved to Nettelhorst's attendance zone for the express purpose of enrolling their children there, and the school's academic performance had improved significantly.[3] Edelberg and Kurland later wrote a book about her experiences, titled How to Walk to School. The authors argued that the manner of grassroot-style fundraising and activism for Nettelhorst may be used to improve other American schools.[7]
Student body
editIn 2011 the school had 632 students.[4] In 2010 31% of the students were classified as low income. In 2001 77% of the students were low income.[8] In 2003 it had 380 students.[6]
Academic performance
editIn 2010 86% of Nettelhorst students were at or above the Illinois academic standard level. In 2001 35% were at or above that level.[8]
Campus
editThe school includes a cafeteria that uses a French bistro theme along with a kitchen designed by Nate Berkus; the kitchen had a cost of $130,000.[8]
One classroom has a 1940 mural done by Ethel Spears and commissioned by the Works Progress Administration, Horses from Literature. The Chicago Board of Education had the mural restored in 1996.[9]
Feeder pattern
editStudents zoned to Nettelhorst are also zoned to Lake View High School.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ "Nettelhorst is Candidate of Athletic Antecedents." Chicago Tribune. October 21, 1930. page 13. Page image. "The Nettelhorst school is named in his memory."
- ^ "Nettelhorst is Dead." (Archive) Chicago Tribune. Wednesday March 15, 1893. Retrieved on December 29, 2016. Page image (Archive)
- ^ a b c d Golus, Carrie (August 10, 2009). "Revolution starts at the playground". University of Chicago Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Beth (January 10, 2011). "Nettelhorst Elementary School's Remarkable Turnaround". Chicago. p. 1. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Wilson, Beth (January 10, 2011). "Nettelhorst Elementary School's Remarkable Turnaround". Chicago. p. 2. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Jacobson, Linda (December 3, 2003). "'Community Schools' Cooking Up Local Support in Chicago". Education Week. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
- ^ Cucchiara, Maia Bloomfield. Marketing Schools, Marketing Cities: Who Wins and Who Loses When Schools Become Urban Amenities. University of Chicago Press, April 23, 2013. ISBN 9780226016658. p. 11.
- ^ a b c Michie, Gregory. We Don't Need Another Hero: Struggle, Hope and Possibility in the Age of High-Stakes Schooling. Teachers College Press, April 25, 2015. ISBN 0807772011, 9780807772010. Google Books PT 109.
- ^ Gray, Mary Lackritz. A Guide to Chicago's Murals. University of Chicago Press, April 1, 2001. ISBN 9780226305967. p. 270.
- ^ "Elem North" (). Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved on September 30, 2016.
- ^ "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved on September 30, 2016.