White Center Co-op Preschool

Parent Education in Washington State is in danger! We need your voice!

Advocacy | SSC Co-op Preschools Cooperative preschools and parent education programs have supported Washington families for generations, offering high-quality early learning alongside education and community for parents and caregivers.

We need your voice, current families and alums. We are collecting personal testimonials, letters of support, and stories about how this program has shaped your family’s life. Your words will reach decision-makers in ways that data alone cannot. If this program has mattered to you, your voice can help protect it, for today’s families and for those who will come after you. Click below to take action!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflUaUjTIkJy1jdK_hZV2N7XIeU_d-bW0lRai7BYt2-lqkqOw/viewform

Parenting is real, skilled, and essential work: so says the state of Washington since the 1940’s. Yet now the program that fulfills that mandate, our Preschool and Parent Education Program, is in jeopardy. Over the last several years we have seen multiple programs across the state close. Most recently, the Bellevue Co-op, a long-standing leader in Parent Education, is scheduled to close this June. This has raised urgent concerns about the future of similar programs across Washington, including ours. We need your voice.

To understand the current issue, let’s understand the history of the model. During World War II, women stepped in to learn all sorts of skills that supported the war efforts: in uniform, in overalls, overseas, at home. Gradually the definition of “women’s work” expanded. Even “mothering” came to be understood as important work that would strengthen the future of our country.

Nationally recognized educator Katharine Whiteside Taylor helped formalize a model that valued parents learning alongside their children within the public schools. Parenting with a foundation of child development was seen as crucial during the 40’s then 50’s. So important that it became a vocation like any other that women, in particular, were exploring. Community Colleges, often called Vocational Schools, were the logical settings to offer classes that prepare learners for a “trade” where hands-on experience is necessary for learning. (Just like electricians and plumbers, did you know your Parent Educators are Union members?)

Washington State took this idea further than almost anywhere else in the country and sustained it. Today, Washington stands out nationally for maintaining a statewide, college-linked parent education and cooperative preschool infrastructure. Multiple community and technical colleges offer formal programs where parents earn college credit while participating as learners and co-educators in cooperative preschools. Oregon offers a similar, though smaller-scale, model through Linn-Benton Community College. In most other states, cooperative preschools still exist, but they are typically parent-run or community-based, without integration into public college systems. Washington’s model is not only historic, it is rare.

This model has endured for decades because it works. It has flexed with the times to reflect shared parental responsibilities and inclusion. Families don’t just enroll, they lead, govern, and learn together. Parents gain practical skills in child development, group decision-making, and community leadership, while children benefit from stable, responsive, developmentally appropriate care. Our program still believes that strong families mean a strong future for our state and country.

Fast forward to today. Washington state, as set by the legislature, subsidizes a portion of the College budget. To be responsible stewards of funds, during understandable budget crunches, each College must examine the departments and classes it offers to make sure they meet the educational needs of the community. That means, we need to prove to the college and our legislators that Co-ops ARE the community!

docs.google.com

Have you started 'the talk' yet with your little ones? Teaching children about the birds & bees sometimes feels like a tricky task. The subject is crucial, of course, but complicated as we all bring our own baggage to the conversation. This can mean that we put it off over and over, which increases its weightiness in our minds.

Would you prefer to have an expert guide you through what children need to know and at what age and developmental stage? Well, you are in luck! Join us for a conversation with local s*x educator, Amy Lang, as she presents her Bird, Bees and Kids seminar for us, geared for parents of children from about ages 4-12. Tickets are available now - both for co-op families and our wider community. Find the link here or at the link in our bio.

https://www.westseattlepreschools.org/events/birds-bees-with-guest-speaker-amy-lang

It's time for our annual Greenery Sale! Orders are due by November 13th. Don't miss out! Order here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4HIH6yIgJxos-9QsF96ExAA3vJToUOOzTd7fVIN4L9JwonA/viewform

We are at White Center Pride today! Stop by and say hello! (We are across from Beer Star) 🌈

The Bridge School is offering a sample Outdoor Education Class!

https://www.bridgeschoolcoop.org

One of the really amazing parts of Bridge School is a full day of outdoor education each week led by outdoor specialists. The kids get hands on science in the real world, and develop a love for nature. They also study indigenous legends and traditions surrounding the land. It's amazing to see how this time in nature resets people's nervous systems.

We are $1,124 into our $3,000 goal! Go Team!
We have ONE MORE WEEK to email/text/post to your family, friends and social media to help us raise money for necessary classroom repairs and updates!

If you'd like to just donate to the overall fundraiser, do so here:

Please support General Donation at White Center Cooperative Preschool's Our Community Loves to Read, Read-a-Thon My school is having a Our Community Loves to Read, Read-a-Thon to raise money for updating and improving our indoor and outdoor classroom spaces. I'd be thrilled if you could support me!