Co-op Preschools - any downsides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can work out participating in a coop preschool, is there any downside? It seems like a nice way to transition kids to FT school. But I never see coop preschools mentioned among the best preschools in the DC area. Am I missing anything?

There's always less prestige associated with a co-op b/c of lower costs (up front, that is - ignoring the nickeling and diming) and higher parental involvement. Over the years I've been involved with three different preschools - one co-op, one traditional, and one montessori. The co-op was clearly the least "academic" in nature, and cliques of women on power trips ruined the school for me. I managed to get by one year only.

IMHO, a good director will run a strong school. A poor director will ultimately ruin a school - even one with dedicated teachers. Obviously, my co-op had a terrible director who tried to divide and conquer, which can often be the case in schools with strong parental involvement. Those in her favor had positions of authority over the rest. So basically, unless you can strike a balance between your duties as director and the level of parental involvement, you'll likely to create these situations at a co-op.

In more traditional environments, as parents remain on the perimeter, there are less variables for a director to control. So the focus can be on the quality of education where the emphasis is on academics.

So if your goal is community, check into co-ops, but get a good feel for the director and see if teacher turnover is high. If academics is your goal, seek out more traditional schools.

[Anonymous]

I agree. The director and parents make the school.