Parent Education and Cooperative Preschools Need to be honored, maintained, and FUNDED
A decade ago when I had a 5 month old baby, I returned to my job as a 3rd grade teacher. I cried every single day when I drove away to what was my dream job. I wanted to crawl into a hole with my perfect baby. I felt constantly overwhelmed and emotional. I didn’t know why life felt impossible. I didn’t know I had postpartum depression - its impacts were so severe.
I finished my year as a teacher as I was committed to my students and also reliant on the paycheck. The next school year I was working part time and joined the toddler coop on the North Seattle College Campus. Slowly with the support of my parent educator Betsy, our teacher Karen, and the community that surrounded me, I climbed out of that hole.
The friends I made that year are still such important friends in my life and the lessons I learned from my parent educators have carried me through all the aspects of parenting - in the early years, sleep and potty training. Later, I was equipped to parent when my children were sad, anxious, or struggling. I even reached out for help a few times when I was no longer enrolled in coop and my previous parent educators supported me. I was empowered and had the resources I needed.
I was supported as a parent to regain a sense of self and to find a new career that would better fit my needs as a mother. I became a child and family photographer after I was inspired by another parent who photographed my children in my second year of coop. I built a business and learned how to photograph children using the skills I learned from Parent Education. Knowing about temperament has impacted me as a parent but also as a photographer. Understanding many ways to respect and work with each unique child has been pivotal to me being able to build my business. Between my first two kids and my third, I did return to being an elementary school teacher and the lessons I learned impacted my ability to connect and support children.
My favorite part of my identity is who I am as a parent and this rolls over to all aspects of my life, including my business. I would not be the person I am today without the cooperative preschool system - the lessons I’ve learned and the support I had carried me through postpartum depression, parenting (of 3 kids who all went/go to cooperative preschool), and creating a business.
When considering funding for the Parent Educators, it’s critical to recognize the deep (sometimes quiet) impacts on our community. I would not be the person I am today without the supports of:
North Seattle Cooperative Preschool Toddlers (15-16): Parent Educator Betsy, Teacher Karen
Ravenna Cooperative Preschool Pre-3s (16-17): Parent Educator Dawn, Teacher Christi
North Seattle Cooperative Preschool Toddlers (17-18): Parent Educator Beth Goss, Teacher Kari
Wedgwood Cooperative Preschool (18-19): Parent Educator Beth Goss, Teacher Beth Graham
Northleaf Cooperative Preschool Infants (24-25): Parent Educator Beth Goss, Teacher Monica
Northleaf Cooperative Preschool Toddlers (25-26): Parent Educator Ximena, Teacher Monica
Please click below to learn more, donate, and sign up for a family mini session to support the Cooperative Preschool System.