Co-op preschools take 'village' approach to education

For a quarter of a century, much has stayed the same at the Magnolia Cooperative Preschool. Many parents start their children as toddlers and stay for years, often joining with a second child along the way. Technology is nonexistent; instead, the room is filled with hands-on activities such as play dough, an indoor sandbox, dress-up area and art table. And perhaps most unusual, two of the school's four teachers are both celebrating 25 years of teaching at the co-op.

Adele Anderson and Judy McEvoy started with their own children and then began teaching at the preschool, which currently serves about 175 families in 12 classes.

"I don't think I would have taught so long if it wasn't at a co-op," McEvoy said. "It's amazing the amount of things you can do with four assistant teachers — there's so much going on."

Parent cooperative preschools, which first began in Seattle in the 1940s, differ from regular preschools in several ways. Co-ops are affiliated with community and technical colleges, which provide parent educators to work with families on parenting skills. But parents operate the nonprofit schools, with volunteers cleaning the facilities, overseeing the budget, fund-raising, hiring teachers and providing snacks. Parents must commit to working in class once a week (or on a regular basis), as well as attending evening parent-education sessions.

"Teaching at a co-op keeps you pretty on your toes," said Anderson. "Our bosses are in the classroom every day."

Statewide, more than 101,000 parents enrolled in cooperative preschool programs from 1993 to 2003, with 186 preschools currently running, said Gail Davenport, president of the state Organization of Parent Education Programs and parent-education coordinator for Edmonds Community College. In the Seattle area, 11 community and technical colleges enroll an estimated 6,400 families in parent co-ops (parents receive pass/fail college credits).

Strong regional movement

The co-op movement peaked nationally in the 1950s and '60s but remains strong in the Northwest, said Dorothy Hewes, author of " 'It's the Camaraderie': A History of Parent Cooperative Preschools." Despite relying mostly on word-of-mouth advertising, many co-ops run at full capacity. At Magnolia, pregnant moms put their names on the waiting list for its three toddler groups.

Bellevue Community College runs the largest cooperative program in the state, with 1,600 families enrolled in its infant through preschool classes. In the last decade, the college added additional sites to accommodate growth on the Sammamish Plateau and in Snoqualmie. "There's still more demand than we have space for," said Julie Soto, director of parent-education programs.

Lake Washington Technical College serves 900 families at six sites, including 290 families in its Totem Lake toddler group. "Enrollment is very strong and very steady," said Pat McPherson, an early-childhood instructor.

While the community and technical colleges — which view parenting as a vocational skill — are credited with keeping co-ops unified, some worry increasing budget cuts are undermining the programs' ability to thrive. Besides providing parent education support, colleges offer co-ops group rates on liability insurance and training for board members.

"What really keeps us from growing is being able to provide more parent-ed instruction," said Maralyn Thomas-Schier, parent-education program coordinator at Seattle Central Community College. At Magnolia, funding cuts mean Anderson and McEvoy now teach some parent-ed classes formerly led by college staff.

Highline Community College jettisoned seven of its nine cooperative preschools last spring when it cut funding for parent instructors at all but its campus and Tukwila preschools. Left adrift, co-ops in Burien and Federal Way moved their affiliations to Bates Technical College, which sees its 19 co-ops "flourishing," said Diana Stone, home and family life instructor. One co-op went defunct, while four others joined Parent Child Preschools of Oregon, a nonprofit umbrella group that offers support and insurance for independent cooperative preschools.

"It was too great of a program to let it die," said Nicole Larsen, president of the Des Moines Preschool, which joined the Oregon group. The co-op coordinates its own monthly parent-education programs and had to raise tuition slightly to cover high insurance costs but "now we have more ownership," Larsen said.

Some preschools have their own building but the biggest challenge for others is finding an appropriate location that's not too expensive, Davenport said. Some co-ops rent space in churches, schools or community centers but end up moving often.

Stability in Magnolia

That's not an issue for the Magnolia co-op, which has been housed in the lower floor of the Magnolia Church of Christ since 1966.

During the school's recent fund-raising auction, a tribute to Anderson and McEvoy estimated the two teachers have touched the lives of 2,500 families over the years. At the grocery store, or anytime she sees a van with little heads driving by, "I expect to know everybody," McEvoy said.

Anderson serves as the school's head teacher and "even after 25 years, she's there for every school event, from moderating a forum on kindergarten readiness to dancing with the vegetables when Tickle Toon Typhoon comes to perform," said mom Brenda Miyake. "Many would say that Adele is the Magnolia co-op preschool."

In 25 years, the teachers have observed some changes: families are more diverse, parents tend to be older, more children are adopted, a number of dads and nannies attend and more moms work part-time, fitting co-op responsibilities around job schedules. Kids are more sophisticated and technologically savvy, but some lack fine-motor skills. McEvoy has seen kids who can't figure out how to grip a pencil because they're so used to grabbing a mouse.

"Their creative imaginations, their ability to play on their own, are sometimes usurped by all the programs they watch," Anderson said.

But while kids might turn plastic play cameras over to "see" the digital image on the back, they seem content with low-tech experiences as well. On a recent day, several played for long periods stacking and unstacking nesting dolls, while others carefully slipped Froot Loops onto string necklaces.

"Some educational programs feel that technology is an important part of people's lives, and computers in the classroom are a selling point," said Barbara Brodsky, a parent-education adviser at Seattle Central Community College. "We believe social interaction is so much more important. More screen time is not developmentally appropriate."

Indeed, "if someone brings in an old computer, we take it apart and the kids make robots out of them," McEvoy said.

The high adult-child ratio at co-ops allows more field trips, art projects and messy activities, Davenport said. At Magnolia, field trips range from an overnight family stay at Camp Long to visits to see the Seattle Symphony and Storybook Theatre plays.

Benefits for parents

Parent time in the classroom is considered an "educational laboratory," while more formal parent education sessions include brief lectures on topics such as discipline, birth order and child development, and a lot of discussion, Brodsky said.

Parents pick up ideas from watching other parents and just noting whether their child is doing the same things as the other kids.

"I feel like I'm always learning from the teachers and other parents, like how to deal with conflict amongst the kids," said Karen Kubota, mom of Emily, 8, and Adam, 4.

Teachers and parent educators who know individual children are more helpful than generic books when problems arise. "You really get an understanding of what kids need at each stage," said North Seattle resident Elise Brown, whose daughter, Lauren, is 4. Her husband filled in two days and came home amazed by the "magic tricks" he picked up, such as a hand motion for quieting kids down, she said.

Most parents join co-ops for their children, but "the wonderful bonus is they form really solid friendships and support systems with each other," Brodsky said.

"If someone has a baby, or has a death in the family, or has cancer, it's astounding to see the group rally," McEvoy said. "Other parents will make meals, offer to take their work day, set up play dates for the kids. It's very inspiring to watch the bonds between parents."

"You know that whole village thing that people want?" Anderson added. "It definitely exists here."

But the time and emotional commitment means co-ops are not for everyone. Brenda Fowler, mom of Brooke, 5, and Barrett, 4, joined the program with a friend, who promptly dropped out. "For some people, working in class, interacting with the kids, that's not their style," she said. "With committees, mandatory meetings and being called upon for extra stuff like driving a carpool or bringing something for a potluck, not everyone wants to participate to that extent."

But for her family, "it really is a lifestyle, and we're ecstatic to be part of it."

Stephanie Dunnewind: sdunnewind@seattletimes.com