Rose Scharlin Co-Op Nursery School - Silverlake, CA
Choosing a preschool these days is akin to trying to land a coveted seat at the American Idol finale. You must make your request early, in writing and then pray that your application stood out among the rest while you wait in hopeful anticipation for the mail to be delivered with the magic “YES,” thereby confirming your suspicion that your child is indeed one-of-a-kind.
Only then can you rejoin your fellow over-achieving parents with your head held high as you bask in the glow of early childhood admissions. But for other not-so-lucky parents, acceptance to a top-notch nursery remains just out of reach and some even go so far as to ponder their inadequacies as a family.
Hopefully, those folks won't wallow too long in that silly “myth” that their child is now destined for community college. I mean, this is preschool right? Otherwise known as playschool? ABCs, Puff the Magic Dragon, a swing set and voilà - you have a preschool!
Well, that depends. In Los Angeles, an early childhood education tab can run as much as $12,000 per year or more and parents affording those schools certainly are interested in a bit more than crayons, cookies and juice.
So, is a cutting-edge education reserved for only the privileged? Not in LA!
One such sought-after Los Angeles preschool attracts the elite but is far from pricey. In fact it's quite an affordable option, five days for under $450 a month - if you're willing to do the work.
Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School located in the neighborhood of Silverlake is a parent-participation school in which the current families own and operate the school. As members, parents are required to work one day per week as teacher-aides as well as participate in monthly membership meetings, maintenance days, housekeeping days, fundraising duties and a host of other community centered activities.
“It can be a lot of work but the community feeling it fosters and the time I spend here with my child is worth it,” says co-op member Nicholas Wilde.
Founded in 1939 as the Echo Park Cooperative Nursery School, Rose Scharlin is a multi-age, free-play environment and takes a rather progressive stance on early childhood education, adopting a non-violent philosophy with little structured activity and absolutely no punishments or punitive consequences. You may be wondering how a school can corral 25 toddlers and pre-adolescents without punishment or rewards. The Rose Scharlin community contends that they start with plenty of freedom, healthy limits and lots and lots of unconditional love.
“The reinforcement of positive parenting strategies is something I cherish about the yard interactions on my work day,” says new member Doris Del Castillo.
Veteran parent member Kim Walls looks back on her time as a learning opportunity for not just her children but for herself as well, “The mentoring and support from teachers and experienced parents has certainly taught me a ton about parenting and friendship… I have bridged the lessons I've learned by being a part of a truly caring, supportive, wholly invested community of participants, aligned in a single vision - healthy, happy children.”
The school’s child development philosophy follows the theories of Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson.
Rose Scharlin has the distinction of being the very first cooperative nursery school in the City of Los Angeles and the model upon which local schools patterned themselves. We believe in holistic and emergent curriculum. Our school offers experiences that acknowledge the whole child: playing, learning, sharing, feeling, exploring, discovering and creating.
The school is almost entirely outdoors and incorporates this unique aspect in its curriculum with a focus on environmental awareness. The school maintains an organic vegetable garden, fruit trees, recycling program and in 2005, a butterfly garden was created in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, which subsequently awarded Rose Scharlin with the prestigious Certified Wildlife Habitat award.
Rose Scharlin meets the needs of its students with an exceptional five to one ratio and offers parents the option to participate in parent education programs in conjunction with the Center for Nonviolent Education and Parenting. The school is also planning to open up its doors to the community in the form of monthly lectures on a variety of special topics important to Los Angeles families.
Some parents are put off by Rose Scharlin’s lack of structure and unconventional approach to discipline but considering their application roster was four times the amount of spaces they were able to offer for this fall, I'm guessing that they must be doing something right.
Gilbert Brebes takes over this year as Director, having worked at Rose Scharlin for the last several years as an associate teacher and previously as a co-op member when his daughters attended the school under the helm of former Director, Janet Young.
Next time, we’ll explore the world of Waldorf.
For more info: Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School, California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools, TEACH through Love, Center for Nonviolent Education and Parenting
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