Euclid Cooperative Preschool: One of Euclid's best kept secrets
According to E. Kim Coontz from the University of California Davis, cooperative preschool programs are one of the best kept secrets in early childhood education today. Cooperative preschool education began in 1916 in Chicago and continues to provide preschoolers with affordable, quality preschool programs. Cooperative preschools are run by committed parents and qualified staff members who appreciate parents and welcome them as partners into the classroom. Parental participation is geared to suit each family. Parents can participate with a varied level of commitment as administrators, board members, committee heads, committee members and classroom participators. At a time when parental involvement is being promoted as key to student academic achievement, cooperative preschools offer parents the opportunity to be actively involved in their child’s first educational experience.
Families of Euclid have the opportunity to participate in a cooperative preschool experience at Euclid Cooperative Preschool. The preschool is currently enrolling for the 2010 school year. Euclid Cooperative Preschool, a non-profit school that welcomes all families of preschool age children regardless of race, creed, national origin or religious belief, is presently located in the Church of the Epiphany at 21000 Lakeshore Boulevard.
Not much is known about the early years of Euclid Cooperative Preschool. The school’s founder, Audrey Bass was a mother of preschool age children who moved to Euclid in 1945 and found there were no preschools in the area. Cleveland Day Nursery Association provided support to Mrs. Bass and a small group of parents who opened Euclid’s first preschool. In 1948 Andrew Bass was the first student enrolled in Euclid Cooperative Preschool. Hazel Beaufait Stroh was one of the first full time teachers in the school. After leaving Euclid Cooperative Preschool, Stroh joined the Cleveland Day Nursery Association and assisted in setting up 40 cooperative schools in the Cleveland area. The original location of the school is not known. It was located at the Boulevard Presbyterian Church at 24600 Lakeshore Boulevard before it was moved to its present location.
In 1993, under the direction of Marilyn Eckert, the school became one of the few preschools in the area to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The preschool has historically focused on providing children with a meaningful and developmentally appropriate early childhood experience. Eckert, too, understood the importance of this in her 23 years as a teacher and director from 1982 to 2005 and she promoted staff professional development opportunities that supported classroom instruction.
Continuing in its' tradition of excellence, in May 2005, Euclid Cooperative Preschool became one of the first preschools in Cuyahoga County to volunteer for a Star Rating by Ohio's Step Up to Quality program and for the past four years it has been recognized as a Three Star program, a level of quality achieved by less than 15% of all Star Rated programs. This distinction has been earned by providing families with low staff to student ratios, highly qualified teachers with 44 total years of experience, and a developmentally appropriate curriculum that is aligned with the Ohio Early Learning Content Standards.
Over the past 62 years, Euclid Cooperative Preschool has served more than 1,500 families. Kirsten Holzheimer-Gail and her husband Kevin chose to send their three children and, when asked to comment on her experiences, Gail shared the following:
“Euclid Cooperative Preschool provided our children with a wonderful foundation for learning. The teachers were nurturing, creative and made learning fun. The cooperative component helps to promote the importance of being involved in your child's education and being active in the community. The Euclid Cooperative Preschool provided a great way to make connections with other parents and build strong friendships. Many of the parents who were involved in the preschool are now serving in volunteer and leadership roles in community organizations such as Euclid Youth Soccer, Euclid Youth Hockey, PTAs, parish councils, etc.”
If you would like more information about the unique early childhood educational experiences provided by Euclid Cooperative Preschool, call (216) 731-1316 or visit the preschool's website at www.euclidcoop.org.
Those with information they can share about the early years of Euclid Cooperative Preschool should contact the director, Donna Sudar, at (216) 486-5987.