Unit One The Children and You 34 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. • become familiar with creative activities, materials, and equipment • gain a more objective picture of their child’s development Due to all of these experiences, many parents have reported feeling a greater sense of self-satisfaction in their parenting roles. The number of parent cooperatives has diminished as mothers’ participation in the workforce has increased. Advantages and Disadvantages There are many advantages to teaching in a parent cooperative. Since the parents assist in making the administrative decisions, collecting fees, and ordering and repairing equipment, the teacher can devote more time to the children and curriculum. Another advantage can be the special relationships that many times develop between parents and teachers. A major disadvantage of a parent cooperative is the lack of control on the teacher’s part. Although the teacher acts as an adviser, parents are usually responsible for making rules. At times, there may be differences of opinion between teacher and parents. For instance, parents may feel that children do not have to help return toys to the storage place. The teacher may feel differently. This can cause problems for many teachers. Sessions Parent cooperatives usually operate for two or three hours, two to fi ve days each week. These programs may offer full-day or half-day programs. Some programs only operate on selective days of the week, such as Tuesday and Thursdays or Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sometimes these groups are structured by the children’s ages. For example, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, a group of two-year-old children will be scheduled. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, three-year-olds may attend. Other centers may prefer to use the “family-type” grouping. In this type of setting, children of mixed ages may all be included in one group. Fees Due to the parent’s involvement, fees charged at a parent cooperative are usually less than at other programs. Hiring only a head teacher helps reduce operating costs. Parents serve as the classroom aides. Generally, each parent will assist in the classroom several times each month. In addition, parents volunteer to perform many of the service activities. They may clean and maintain the building, prepare snacks, type newsletters, and do some special jobs, such as painting the classroom. Laboratory Schools Laboratory schools, or university- and college-affi liated programs, are located on a postsecondary or college campus (Figure 2.6). Although they provide excellent programs for children, their primary purpose is to support practicum experiences for future teachers and provide research opportunities. Most of these schools have a highly qualifi ed staff, a well- planned curriculum, up-to-date facilities, and excellent equipment. Campus child care centers typically provide care for students and faculty children. They also provide research facilities for faculty. High School Child Care Programs In the last few decades, many high schools have started providing career training for child care occupations. Like the laboratory schools, these programs train future child care professionals. Some high schools have their own child care laboratory facilities where students can work with preschool children. The preschool program may operate two, three, or even fi ve days a week. Preschool children of high school students, faculty, and community members usually attend the program. The high school students plan and present the curriculum under the supervision of a teacher who has a degree in early childhood education.