Another parent, Marlene Arroyo, is in the middle of navigating Chicago Public Schools. She sends her two children to her North Side neighborhood elementary school. They do well. She says they are being challenged.

But she says the school doesn’t have enough programs while other schools appear to have more.

“You would think that just because they’re in public schools, they’re all the same, and they’re not,” she said.

For example, their after-school program ends at 2:45 p.m., which is hard for working parents. Other schools go until 6 p.m., Arroyo said.

And their school, Falconer, only goes to sixth grade, and she’s unsure where her daughter will go next year. She applied for several magnet and selective enrollment schools. But her daughter, despite good grades, was waitlisted for all of them.

Now, Arroyo is thinking about trying for a charter school.

If all schools could offer the same programs, Arroyo said, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.

Not having public schools generally having the same programs as other public schools hardly seems fair.

Move

I I do not have school age children should I still move?

Hopefully under a falling piano.

Is the piano on fire or me?

For example, their after-school program ends at 2:45 p.m., which is hard for working parents. Other schools go until 6 p.m., Arroyo said.

My school day itself ended at 2:45. When are they wrapping? 1?