by Kirby Lindsay, posted 22 July 2011
On Tuesday, July 12th, Woodland Park Cooperative Preschools opened up for their summer session – in brand-new digs at Fremont Baptist Church.
The leadership at Fremont Baptist wanted to lease their vacant space in the (daylight) basement to a school, according to Amanda McGarty, current Chair for two of the Woodland Park preschools. Meanwhile, the parents of Woodland Park had decided to move to another space, one with more outside area. “It all feels like something bigger than us was happening,” McGarty said of the synchronicity (or the pull of the Center of the Universe?) that landed Woodland Park at Fremont Baptist Church.
It Takes A Community To Run A Preschool
Woodland Park consists of three schools, differentiated by the age of the children. The Woodland Park Pre-3s Cooperative Preschool serves children that will be two-years-old by August 31st. The Woodland Park 3 – 5s Cooperative Preschool serves children 3 to 5 years old. The Woodland Park Community School, which only operates a summer session, serves children of 6 years, and prepares them to enter kindergarten in the fall.
Three schools means three separate Boards of Directors, run by the parents of the students. ‘Teacher Tom’ Hobson provides instruction, but as a cooperative – operated under the umbrella, and guidelines, of the North Seattle Community College Cooperative Preschools program – the parents all take significant roles in the day-to-day operation of educating the children.
Hobson acknowledged that the co-operative model, “it’s not for everybody.” McGarty agreed, although she praised each aspect.
Parents agree to serve as Parent Educators (P.E.) one day a week in the preschool, which gives the Pre-3 classroom an approximate ratio of 2 kids to one adult. In the 3-5 class, the ratio is lower – about 3:1.
Parents must attend Parent Educator courses through North Seattle Community College (NSCC), and enroll at NSCC to do so. Hobson has seen some parents use this opportunity to take other courses while there, and at least one went on to become a certified teacher.
Parents also take on an additional job, beyond being a P.E., including gardener, field trip coordinator, or chairperson of the board. “I feel lucky to get to be the chair,” admitted McGarty, who said she has encountered any grievances yet – while Hobson credited her style of leadership with much of the harmony.
McGarty believes the cooperative model builds a sense of community among the parents and kids, and that the social aspect draws in a lot of parents. Another draw would be the way the sweat equity keeps tuition low.
“We teach privileged children,” Hobson described, “not in the sense of having a lot of money but privileged in the sense of parents with time to give.” While some of the parents do work full-time, and some work part-time or have grandparents help out, McGarty admitted that a majority are those who have chosen to be stay-at-home, full-time parents.
Their involvement means, “this is not my school,” Hobson stated, “it’s the parent’s school.” When he took the job in 2002, he saw a potential for problems – “I can get calcified about things,” he admitted – but staying flexible while the parents direct the school has led to many innovations – including the ‘outside classroom.’
The Community That Builds The Preschool
Previously Woodland Park had been located on Phinney Ridge, in a daylight basement space in The Community of Christ Church, at 5555 Phinney Avenue North. The space served them very well, and they had no problem with the landlord. About the new classroom, while slightly smaller, Hobson observed, “everyone comes in and says, ‘this is the same space.’”
The change sought by the parents of all three schools came from a desire for more space for the ‘outside classroom,’ and their enthusiasm for getting the kids outside every day. At Community of Christ, the outdoor space consisted largely of some asphalt and a mud pit. At Fremont Baptist, they have transformed the east side yard – long an unused, deteriorating playground – into a child’s wonderland of toys, plants and treasures to discover. They may also be allowed to garden another plot – for veggies – on the west side of the building.
Additionally, inside, they gained access to several common areas. These include the nursery, which they expect to use as a mud room for the kids, and a full, industrial kitchen. A small auditorium space with a mirrored wall and small stage, that Hobson called ‘The Cloud Room,’ could be used for plays, larger games, rain days and imaginative play. “I may find that we use it in a completely different way,” he acknowledged, as the kids – and their parents – lead the way, but “I think there will be running involved.”
The new location also thrills Hobson (who many Fremonsters already know from his work with the Fremont Arts Council) with its many options for class field trips, community partnerships, and resources.
As you see the roughly 40 students, and their Parent Educators, out and about, feel free to say hello, and welcome. Also, learn more about the school, and ‘Teacher Tom,’ on his blog, where he describes ‘teaching and learning from preschoolers.’ Here’s hoping Fremonsters can also share in that education now that Woodland Park has been pulled into the Center of the Universe, at Fremont Baptist!
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