The Garden Cooperative Nursery School

All three of my children have been through this school. I can’t say enough good things about my eight years of experience here. I don’t want to bog down this review with philosophy and teaching jargon. I think you can find out a great deal from the website and by touring the school so you can make your own educated decision about the school’s viewpoints. I can only base my review on my personal experience which has, without a shadow of a doubt, been enriching and challenging (in a good, «oh no, I am going to learn the hard way» kind of experience). No school is without it’s flaws, and for what it’s worth, I have found flaws experienced through this school to have been experiences that allowed the community to work together for the better of all children involved.
This school will never punish a child. They will never shame a child. They will take every precaution necessary to make sure your child has the best chance of success. If you want a traditional school that teaches the alphabet, and/​or uses timeouts or punishment as a learning tool, then this is not the school for you.
The school is run by parents, and as such the membership ebbs and flows every year. The dynamic on the yard changes every year as the children grow, or as different parents work at the school or as the Board changes. The idea is to create a community that is able to have open fluid discussions about the school and the children who are the focal point of the teachers and the community at large.
The truth is every school has it’s own culture, and you have to decide what kind of culture fits your needs (this is a coop which means you will have workdays and family jobs and meetings at least once every month, and fundraisers, etc.) and the needs of your child (are they getting the support they need, are they enjoying the school, are they learning how to interact with other children and move through emotional situations with tools learned at the school, etc).
For me, I needed a school that would nurture my children by treating them with respect and never judge, shame or punish them. All of my children STILL, some 4 years after they have left, want to go back to visit and help «teach» the children there. My now 10 and eight year old lament about no longer being in preschool at the Garden (they have expressed jealousy of my youngest who is in her final year at the school. They tell her how lucky she is to have those «nice teachers»). If proof is in the pudding, then my children are proof that the school’s philosophy, true dedication to each individual child and the needs of the family are a complete success.
Choosing a preschool is a very personal choice. No one can tell you what is best for your family and your child. I will say this school has worked very hard for my family, so much so that I have been there for eight years. I believe in what they do and the children they nurture. And knowing, thanks to the parent education offered through the school, that my child’s brain grows from 25% up to 90% of it’s full potential from birth to 5 years old. As such I chose a school that gave my children the best opportunity to socially and emotionally (and neurologically) grow to their fullest potential in a nurturing and caring environment. I’m not sure I could have asked for more for my kids.

A lovely play-​based, outdoor school that values community, and support of children’s imaginations, emotional needs and development. Member families are owners of the school and share in setting policy and practice. The curriculum and practices there are emergent: They grow with what the children and community need.
If you are looking for firm structure, an emphasis on academics and seat work, this school is not for you. The philosophy and daily curriculum is based on children learning through playing, doing, hands-​on sensory experiences, process art (an experience, not a «craft,» see books by MaryAnn Kohl), body movement, stories, and imaginary play. The parallel curriculum of social/​emotional support stems from non-​violent parent education (Echo Center training), influenced by the writings of Alfie Kohn, Marshall Rosenberg, and Daniel Siegel, among others. All the parents receive (free) comprehensive training and continued support in these strategies.
If you are looking for a «cheap» preschool, this school is not for you. Although tuition is inexpensive, what you do not pay in dollars you pay in TIME. Lots of time. You will work as an assistant teacher one day a week, you have family job that you perform throughout the year (from laundry to gardening to board member, and they change over every year); there are at least three Saturday work days through the year, lots of fundraising time, and more. The school and every member-​family places a value on working together, community support and making fixes together when needs change. It’s an opportunity to collaborate in your child’s education and environment, not to be «subjected to» it. Most co-​ops are set up in a similar way.
The investment is well worth the effort, as the payoff is a supportive community that teaches how and why to meet children’s emotional needs, communication, and offer support for challenging behavior. These are the values we don’t see any more in the public schools, and it’s no surprise to me that so many of the applying parents are teachers and experienced educators during the current educational climate. This ups the ante of the quality of support for the kids as they play — the ratio of adults to kids on any given day is about 3:1 (8 adults: 24 kids), and a good percentage of those adults happen to have prior education experience/​training (at least they do these days, membership changes year to year, and of course new bonds are built as new families come in). We draw educators because our curriculum is based in real child development – like the old days.
If you’re feeling like this sounds like a PR campaign, you’re right — I’m a huge fan (and a former public elementary school teacher troubled by the Testing climate). We started at the school in September (2013) and have been delighted with the environment, activities, and support of the kids.
Co-​ops aren’t for everyone; you need to be willing to problem-​solve, be thoughtful of other points of view, and to come to consensus within the community. When you join the Garden, you enlarge your extended family. No family is perfect; no school is perfect; but the support the Garden offers to my child, his friendships, and our parenting is a perfect fit for us.

two of the children i babysat for back in 2006 went to this school and i bought along the youngest sibling who was a little too young (at the time) beautiful campus, very spacious and all the teachers are very nurutring and engaging. The curriculum is there and it teaches everything from respecting one an other to science. Its what a true preschool should be.