Preschool with parent volunteers?

Question

Does anyone know the name of the type of preschool where the parents have to volunteer and help out with classroom jobs in exchange for lower tuition rates? I'm looking for one in the Annapolis, MD area.

Answer 1

They are usually called Cooperative Preschools. They require parents to donate a certain amount of time to the program, either in the classroom or doing things like cleaning or setting up the classrooms. It's a great opportunity to see what really happens in a classroom and tuition is sometimes lower than in other types of programs.

Answer 2

They are usually called cooperative preschools.

Answer 3

Those are generally called co-operative preschools, but I've never heard of any that offer lower tuition in exchange for volunteering.

Answer 4

Headstart?

Answer 5

Head Start is free.  You might want to call your local elementary school, social service agencies and churches and see if they can help you.  You might want to check the local high school and vocational-technical school, too, because they sometimes have free preschool programs as part of their training classes.

Answer 6

Yes it is the Coop or cooperative preschools. The truly cooperative preschools are dependent upon parent participation. There may be a lead teacher who is not a parent, but all other staff are parents and you must spend so  many hours a week in the classroom on a regular schedule. IT tends to be cheaper because they do not hire aids or other outside people in order to save money and pass it on to the parents.