Co-Op Preschool Concerns- What does SAHP think?

[Deleted]

Hey All,

So as mentioned in the check in thread, we visited an open house for a local co-op this past weekend and I decided to sign DD2 up.  I was on the fence about whether or not I'm sending her to preschool at all, whether I want to do it at 3 or 4, and whether or not we can afford it.  Co-Op is significantly less expensive because of the level of parent involvement required.

So I spent much of yesterday reading through the paperwork. The one thing that's making me a bit uncomfortable is that parent involvement piece. Specifically, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the parents in the classroom thing. Theoretically, most people are good people including most parents, but I'm nervous about how they might handle discipline and I'm probably overly paranoid, but I do not know how I feel about the assist parents helping DD in the bathroom and whatnot, and I'm not sure how I feel about assisting other people's children in the bathroom when I'm the assist parent.  

I'm also just unsure about the whole thing in general. Preschool at a 1/2 (or less) of the cost than I've been looking at is definitely tempting...but I'm just not sure.  I have to do a "school job", assist in class 1-2 times a month, a couple cleaning days, and fundraise. It sounds like a lot of work. 

What does SAHP think? Anyone with Co-Op Experience?

[Deleted]

I've never heard of this type of preschool before, so I don't know anything about it. That being said...it sounds like a lot of work, and I don't think I personally would do it. What kind of fundraising do they need to do for a preschool? I would assume that the lead teacher would have a discipline guide for the parents, otherwise I would think it would be confusing for the kids.

[namastebiotches]

I have no experience with such a thing but I guess I'd ask if parents have the authority to discipline. Also I would verify if it's only the teachers doing bathroom duty vs parents. I wouldn't like that if so.
Once I'd get those answers, I'd fully decide if it was a good fit.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure if it's a common thing everywhere, but most towns here have them.

Basically it's a parenting cooperative and the way costs are kept low is by having parents all chip in on everything from assisting in the classroom to cleaning every weekend. There is one main teacher in each class and then 3 assist parents each day. You have to assist about once each month equivalent to the days per week your child attends.

Fundraising is done to offset the costs and I'd assume it helps pay for everything. There is one mandatory fundraiser and several non mandatory.

[Deleted]

namastebiotches, parents are expected to discipline in the same capacity the teachers and are also expected to assist in the bathroom if the teacher is otherwise unavailable.

[namastebiotches]

I guess it would come down to price difference. If it were pretty significant savings & I liked the facility/routines, I'd probably try it out.

[brachysira]

The closest one to us is 30 minutes away or I would have been excited to do it. At DD's old preschool, parents can volunteer, but the bathroom is tiny and right off the classroom and it very occurred to me to worry. You can ask the questions you have as suggested above or just decide not to worry. Fundraising might be terrible--I hated doing that kind of thing in high school--but I guess you'll just have to find out if you have to sit behind the table at a garage sale and bake some cookies or if you have to make calls or what. If it sounded bad, that would deter me...but even at the snotty expensive preschool DD is attending next year, there are fundraisers and parents have to make things to contribute (or contribute products from their business) and who knows what else--blah.

At a preschool we toured that accepts Head Start and other income-program and delayed-program children, they have an extensive description of how parents are to behave when interacting with children in the classroom, including that you should not tell children, "no," but redirect them and provide an explanation and other such subtleties, and had things like phrasing to use when speaking to children, which honestly felt a bit insulting and make me feel like we wouldn't fit in there, if the parents of children who attend there need this kind of instruction. I suspect at a co-op there is more of a community feel and with the respect to other parents there comes less direction, and it's a balance. But if there are lead teachers who will be present all the time and it is one room, I wouldn't feel like other parents would be able to exert much control over discipline and expectations for kid behavior would probably already be in place.

[penguin129]

I would see if there is some sort of background check involved for the parents that help out in the co-op. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable sending DD to something like this.I would need to see it in action first.

[Deleted]

Everyone does have to pass a background check and there are 3 areas on 2 levels.

[mrsmuq]

We have a few co-op preschools here, but they're not overtly popular. I'm a bit lazy (read: I can barely keep my shit together to take care of my own two kids), so the co-op model is not for me. I'd rather write a check and not worry about all the extra things you're mentioning.

Is there a set of guidelines for discipline in the classroom? (Since every parent needs to be background checked, and I assume finger printed), this would be the only area that theoretically would stop me from doing the co-op preschool thing.

(TBH though, if your gut is telling you you're uneasy for one reason or another, I don't see how that will change unless you have a dramatically positive experience with the whole thing.)

[ashiscute]

I'm not familiar with this type of preschool but I do not really like the sound of it. My kids have really enjoyed their preschool teachers and having a relationship with them and I think it would be kind of weird to have parents constantly rotating and missing out on that. I would also be concerned about parents being neutral in the classroom regarding their child interacting with others.

I'm with mrsmuq that I would much rather right a check and send my kids to school. Plus, I like the break from them and vice versa.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Unfortunately, our budget isn't flexible enough to just write a check, so if shes going to preschool, im going to have to get creative or save up until next year.

[Deleted]

They do have the same lead teacher all the time, the parents just assist.

[Deleted]

mrsmuq, there was a basic overview of acceptable discipline method in the handbook. Everyone is background checked, but not fingerprinted as far as I know.

[Deleted]

After a LOT of thinking and pondering and not sleeping for a few nights, I've decided to hold off on enrolling her in preschool at this time. She's had a lot of transition this year with me back and forth on the SAHM thing and I think what's best for her right now is just hanging out with me for another year. We'll look at preschool at 4 and I can hopefully save what I would have spent on the co-op and just enroll her in a traditional preschool at that time.

Thanks for everyone's feedback.

[ashiscute]

I'm glad you came to a decision you're comfortable with @mommatotwo! I so wish we could have universal pre-k so people wouldn't have to struggle with this!

[mrsmuq]

Aug 22, 2016 20:28:55 GMT -5 @mommatotwo said:

mrsmuq , there was a basic overview of acceptable discipline method in the handbook. Everyone is background checked, but not fingerprinted as far as I know.

I see you updated and have decided to hold off on preschool until she is 4. TBH, if parents were not finger printed, I would not be comfortable enrolling one of my DC in said preschool. 

Are you perhaps able to take the money you would have spent on this co-op preschool into a savings account to put towards a preschool environment you are comfortable with for next year?

(And I think you are making the right decision. You should be fully comfortable and confident in whatever schooling, child care or enrolled program you have your child in.)

[Deleted]

Aug 24, 2016 12:33:21 GMT -5 mrsmuq said:

Aug 22, 2016 20:28:55 GMT -5 @mommatotwo said:

mrsmuq , there was a basic overview of acceptable discipline method in the handbook. Everyone is background checked, but not fingerprinted as far as I know.

I see you updated and have decided to hold off on preschool until she is 4. TBH, if parents were not finger printed, I would not be comfortable enrolling one of my DC in said preschool. 

Are you perhaps able to take the money you would have spent on this co-op preschool into a savings account to put towards a preschool environment you are comfortable with for next year?

(And I think you are making the right decision. You should be fully comfortable and confident in whatever schooling, child care or enrolled program you have your child in.)

Yes, that is exactly what I'm going to do!

[mrsmuq]

Aug 24, 2016 12:37:17 GMT -5 @mommatotwo said:

Aug 24, 2016 12:33:21 GMT -5 mrsmuq said:

I see you updated and have decided to hold off on preschool until she is 4. TBH, if parents were not finger printed, I would not be comfortable enrolling one of my DC in said preschool. 

Are you perhaps able to take the money you would have spent on this co-op preschool into a savings account to put towards a preschool environment you are comfortable with for next year?

(And I think you are making the right decision. You should be fully comfortable and confident in whatever schooling, child care or enrolled program you have your child in.)

Yes, that is exactly what I'm going to do!

If any at all, what sort of preschool setup did you have DD1 in?

[Deleted]

mrsmuq, I worked fulltime until DD was almost 7. She attended a full time daycare/preschool from 2 until KG.

[Deleted]

What makes you ask, mrsmuq?

[mrsmuq]

Aug 24, 2016 19:28:42 GMT -5 @mommatotwo said:

What makes you ask, mrsmuq?

I was curious as to what your experience was because there are some things that have happened with DS1's preschool experience that will make me do things differently with DS2. Curiosity more than anything, really.

[Deleted]

mrsmuq, that makes sense. We were incredibly happy with DD1's preschool, she made so many friends and learned a ton. She was actually kind of bored the first half of KG because preschool had almost over prepared her.

But that was a different phase of our lives and we no longer have a need for a fulltime setting like that, and I'm undecided about sending her there just part-time. They do have a part-time preschool program, but being that there are some kids there full time, I think that might be problematic in terms of adjusting and making friends. Hard to tell, though.

We are looking at a couple of other preschools, and may even consider the co-op, but a year from now. Right now I think just having some time where things stay status quo for her is a good plan.