Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/trading-control-for-partnership-guidelines-for-developing-parent-ownership-in-your-program/5014475/
It's 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The smells of coffee and disinfectant mingle in the air. As parents arrive, armed with buckets and rags, one hears the sound of laughter as friends greet each other. Volunteers check in with the equipment chairman, don name tags, grab a donut, and are off to work. They will spend the next three hours washing toys, disinfecting tables, cleaning windows, and wiping down walls. This event happens three times a year: at fall set-up, mid-year clean-up, and spring clean-up. By noon, the school looks and smells clean and these particular volunteers have put in three of the six hours they are asked to contribute as part of their enrollment in the Libertyville Cooperative Nursery School.The clean-ups are just one of the ways that parents can be involved in a school that encourages them to play a vital role in their child's education. Founded in 1945, the school flourishes in a suburban area north of Chicago. There are approximately 260 children in the half-day programs. Each family agrees to help in the classroom approximately once a month. In addition, volunteers serve on one of three committees or help the teacher with parties or trips. These ...