A local umbrella organization, the Florida Council of Parent Cooperative Preschools, folded about three years ago. But parents whose children are enrolled at cooperative preschools swear by them. The Co-op Classroom Cooperative preschools are similar to traditional preschools, but you're likely to find more adults in a cooperative classroom. And cooperative preschools take advantage of the unusually high number of adults in the classroom. It's a very enriched kind of program.
Children also benefit from the extra attention they get by having so many adults in the classroom.
At Saint Matthew's, for example, parents not only assist the teacher, but also serve as baby sitters and janitors and perform administrative functions. Children get to share their school time with their parents. More importantly, parents get to share school time with their children. They become intimately familiar with their children's teacher, their studies and their classmates. We have some friends that have known my kid since he was 2 years old - there's a bond.