What is a Cooperative Preschool?

Cooperative preschools are wonderful places to share firsthand in your child’s initial school experience!  A cooperative preschool allows you, as a parent, to be intimately involved with your child’s education.  Seeing you participating in the classroom allows your child to see how much you value his or her education.  A cooperative preschool is a safe, secure, and gradual transition, for both parents and children, between staying at home and formal schooling.  It also provides an opportunity to meet like-minded parents and to form lasting friendships and support networks.  It is a tight-knit, nurturing community which offers parents a sense of camaraderie and parent/teacher partnerships unlike any other preschool experience.
A Co-op preschool is owned and maintained by the parents of the children enrolled, therefore keeping the costs lower than many other preschools.  Co-ops operate as non-profits, and the business operations of the school are run and maintained by a board of directors – the parents.  Parents also assist teachers in the classroom on a rotating basis and hold various roles of assistance to the school and to the board, thus making it truly a cooperative venture. The cooperative philosophy is based on these very important components: parental involvement, developmentally appropriate programs, and social, emotional, and cognitive skill-building by learning through play.
Preschool programs are more successful when parents participate. This remains true throughout a child’s education and is one of the most consistent predictors of school success and achievement beyond preschool.