Research Aspira Charter High School Charter Schools in Chicago, Illinois

“Mirta Ramirez HS is currently sharing space with a public grammar school after their old location was shut down by the fire dept. The students are constantly harassed by the security guards. The school offers no AP classes so students are not prepared to attend college. Parents offer to volunteer but are never contacted by the Aspira organization that runs the school. All of the good teachers left this year due to zero support from the Aspira administration. Only nieghborhood children attend this school because their parents believe the false promises of Aspira. Most of the students that attend are low income minority kids who desperately need a good education.”

“Mirta Ramirez High School has been a nightmare back and forth. If it's not for it's great teachers, this school will have gone straight to the bottom. This school does not offer gym classes, and as we students need 2 credits of gym, they pile up two so called gym/health classes which does not help at all with the students being active in any sort. We don't have an actual gym teacher; we are thought by a former computer teacher. Um!! there's no comparison at all from gym to computers, so we don't experience the real thrill of having gym classes. But at the other hand, we do have a handfull of great teachers and advicers that care more about its students than the 'school' itself. Students are rarely informed of what's really going on with the school. No help nor support from principal for seniors. Sad I Know...”

“Mirta Ramirez School offers no honors classes or after school activities. Teachers leave mid year with no warning or explanation to students or parents. Students use old computers and have no internet access. The Aspira Organization boasts that their schools have PTO's & after school activities for students & workshops for parents all of which is false. The students & parents set up a PTO last year but there has been zero support from Aspira. We had a great principal, asst principal and senior counselor who were all fired in June. Two teachers quit at the beginning of the year and they have yet to be replaced. The students are the ones who are suffering through all this turmoil. Parents are trying to support the school but this is impossible when Aspira will not listen to the students, teachers or parents.”

“School doesn't offer gym, music or art. Need to improve quality of teachers and classes offered. Students deserve a school building they can be proud of. Principal needs to recruit and keep teachers who will not leave during the first month of school. Children who are smart are not challenged and students who need extra help do not get it. Unfortunately, the parents do not participate as they should. Those who offer to help are never encouraged to do so.”