Yeah, the public schools in Chicago have a pretty bad reputation. They're not all bad, though. The problem is, it's hard to figure out how to get into one of the good ones.
The first option is private school. A lot of people don't like this because they're nearly always affiliated with one religion (which may not be yours, or you may just not want in a school) and they're very expensive.
If that's not what you want to do, you can enroll your child in a magnet or selective enrollment school. They are CPS public schools, but your child will have to test into them and possibly be put in a lottery to get in. But they're excellent schools. Magnet schools specialize in one subject (like career training, science, college prep, etc.) and selective enrollment is for students who perform well on an entrance exam.
You can also look into charter schools - they are also public, but run by private companies instead of CPS. I've heard mixed reviews though - there's not really any proof that they're better than regular public schools, although some may well be. You'd have to get into the one you want, but you can pick it.
