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October 25, 2016 
Vol. 46 No. 12
Cooperatively Speaking
The Latest News from PCPI

Hello Again! 

As membership forms have been rolling in, I've had a chance to learn a little more about the schools and people that play a part in PCPI.  In some ways our schools are so different in the number of families served, the communities they are set in, and the way the schools operate. But at the core, we all share the common thread of family involvement and play as the foundation of learning.

I can't wait to find out more about your school!

Dianne Rose, M.Ed.
Editor, Cooperatively Speaking

PCPI Members Only
Have you taken a good look at the PCPI website lately?  It's filled with of all kinds of helpful information. For example, did you know you can renew your membership electronically, and all of the tools are on the website?  

The PCPI website can also be a great resource for families thinking about joining a co-op.  It might provide a few inspiring words or ideas that you can use on your school website.  You'll also find some great articles about the importance of play for young children here and here.  You can even order publications.

The section of the website I find myself drawn to most often is the directory.  I'm not really the kind of person who enjoys reading a phone book, but for me, the PCPI member directory is a passageway to a whole world of cooperative schools and councils, and I feel like I can learn something from each one to make my own school even better.

From flipping through the directory and clicking on school links, I've found that member schools come in a hu
ge variety of shapes and sizes, ages and places.  From Charlestown Playhouse, in Phoenixville, PA, which was founded in 1936, to the relatively recently established Carmel Cooperative Preschool in Carmel, IN.  From Alpha-bet Cooperative Preschool in Manassas, VA, which serves 16 families to Stepping Stones Preschool in Glendale, AZ that serves 200 families.  From Mayfair Co-op Preschool in Farmington, MI, which has one staff person who is both teacher and director, to Mamaroneck Community Nursery School which has 20 teachers on staff.  

Outside of physical attributes, each school is also unique in educational philosophy, pedagogy, and curriculum.  From the Montessori influenced Redbud Montessori in Davis, CA, to the Forest
School at Meridian Hills Cooperative Nursery School and Kindergarten, to Maple Street School in Brooklyn, NY that follows Teaching Strategies Gold (formerly Creative Curriculum), and many, many more, each school has adopted an educational style and strategy that is uniquely their own.

With so many variations in cooperative schools, what is it that ties all of us together?  We all share in the belief that families are an essential part of the educational process.  That's not to say that it is done in the same way from school to school, but it is always there: parents, children, and teachers learning together in a cooperative (ad)venture.  

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Are you interested in sharing more about your school?  We'd love to hear from you!  Please contact Dianne Rose at pcpinewsletter@gmail.com.


Launch of State Cooperative Statute Website
On October 26th, the National Cooperative Business Institute, in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture, will launch the State Cooperative Statute website.  According to NCBA CLUSA,  

"The State Cooperative Statute Website, a comprehensive, state-by-state review of co-op law, is expected to address the challenge of inconsistent legislative framework for cooperative development in the U.S. Currently, approximately half of the states in the U.S. have co-op statutes. Nationwide, both incorporation legislation and enabling legislation is needed to create a legal environment conducive to cooperative growth."

PCPI Advisor Meg Kennedy Shaw reports that the terms of the new State Cooperative Statute might, in time, be of significant interest to our US based members.  More information and a link will soon be available on the NCBA website

Share 
Cooperatively Speaking with friends!

We'd like to reach as many readers as we can.  PCPI welcomes parents and staff of member schools, councils, and libraries.  There are lots of ways to share Cooperatively Speaking:
  • Forward this message to your school or council network email list
  • Send a list of email addresses for contacts at your school or council to pcpinewsletter@gmail.com to have them added directly to the distribution list
  • Click the Join Our Email List or Forward to a Friend buttons at the end of this newsletter

To submit an article or idea, please email pcpinewsletter@gmail.com.  Thanks!

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Parent Cooperative Preschools International (PCPI)