Re: Is the number of adults a problem at a co-op?
I really relate to your question. My son has now been at a co- op preschool for two years and, particularly before beginning PS, was very slow to warm up to new situations and was extremely shy with new people. In fact, I had officially enrolled him in a small, home based PS for this reason. The closer it came to Fall though, the more I had the instinct that he was ready for something a little bigger with more options and I loved the idea of being involved in his school in the way a co-op allows. So, with some hesitation about the rotating adult situation, we enrolled him in a co-op PS that we had really liked, Albany Preschool.

Despite my worries, it has been an extremely positive experience for him. He has become much more confident and comfortable with new adults as well as with new kids and situations and I attribute at least some of this growth to getting to know new adults in a safe situation and being able to think of them as a friend's parent. The comfort, though, has definitely extended to his life outside of PS. All that said, it did take him a while to get used to this situation and, despite absolutely loving PS, he stuck quite close to the head teacher for the first year. (Thankfully, she really understood his approach to new situations and was extremely patient and loving towards him.)

He still will often choose to do an activity that is led by a parent he knows well, rather than one that seems quite up his alley, but is led by a parent he doesn't know as well. But, having the chance to get to know new parents at his own pace has been a very important experience for him and now (at age 5) he really likes to tell people about how he ''used to be really shy with people he didn't know.'' Good luck with your own decision. APS parent

Can some current families enrolled in Albany Preschool provide some comments about the enrollment process? How long was the line on enrollment day last January? How early did you get in line? Do you wish that you had gotten in line earlier? If you didn't get in, is there anything you would do differently in order to get in? Or is this just not a big deal? Albany Mom

We have heard a lot of generally positive things about Albany Preschool/Coop recently but I haven't heard much yet about the teachers there or about the way that they coordinate with the parents volunteering in the classrooms. I was wondering if the parents serve in more of a support (more hands to help) role, with the teachers still clearly in the lead or if it is more of an equally shared responsibility. I think in general, I'm wondering about pros and cons of coop situations, particularly the degree to which the kids' experience is driven by the head teachers vs. the parents who happen to be there on a particular day. Interested Parent

- Each family has a job in addition to in-class participation. These vary widely from laundry to being part of the fundraising committee.

- For morning program students, there is a classroom participation component. If your student attends 5 days/wk you are in the classroom one morning each week (always the same day of the week.) If your child attends 3 days/wk it works out to every second morning.

- The wonderful director, Terry, is in charge of curriculum. It is very well-planned and targeted to the n! eeds of the students. Suzy the head teacher is there in the morning as well along with 4 or 5 parents. On your day you must arrive 20 minutes before the start of the day to set up and meet with Terry. She directs you about your specific job and also about what bigger concepts are being worked on in the school and what to keep in mind or watch for.

- You are given a monthly calendar that tells you when you participate in class and what your station will be that day. The stations are well-defined down to the cleaning tasks for the end of your shift. The stations are South Yard, North Yard (yes, we have 2 yards!), Cooking Table (the cook brings the food and helps the kids make their own snacks!), and when there are 5 parents, Games Room.

It is always easy to get support from a teacher if you encounter a situation that you don't know how to handle. I think participating at the school makes me a better parent. I know what my son is doing and I really see how he is at school. I also see other kids his age exhibiting the behavior characteristic of his age -- which makes me understand that he's just being 4 sometimes! I also get to do things with kids that my son would never do -- like girlie dress-up and art! The other advantage of the co-op is the price, of course. In my experience the other parent's styles and variety is an advantage. Some of us are mellow and some more boisterous (just like the kids). I suspect it took my son longer to come out of his shell because of the variety of teachers, but he has always loved it. Sometimes I wonder if a non-coop school would model problem solving and conflict resolution more, but my son seems to have learned in those areas on par with his friends at other schools. I hope I have addressed your questions. If you want to talk some parents at the school you can call and talk to the membership chair (a family job -- right now I think it is Louise). She can answer questions or hook you up with another parent if you wish and you can visit too. Good luck with your preschool search. Sharon

I would like to know what opinion parents have regard the afternoon program at Albany Preschool. I've seen some posts at the website, but all of them are related to parents participation (which has to do with the morning program). I would like to know what your opinion is specifically about the afternoon program where you don't have parents participating, only teachers. When I went to the tour (in the morning) I loved the school, and left decided to enroll my daughter. However, as I return to look closer the afternoon program, I didn't see the same nurturing environment that I saw at the morning program. I'm interested to know others opinion even if your child is no longer at the school. Thank you. Ina

We were very happy with Albany Preschool 2001- 2003 and plan to send our youngest child there next year. We found it to be a very well run coop, and the ''play is the work of the young child'' philosophy matched our own. The best part was meeting and getting to know other Albany- Berkeley families who place a priority on their child's education, and really feeling a part of the community.
Albany Parent

Re: What's it like in the Coop world?
We had our son in a co-op (Albany preschool) for one-and-a-half years, and we felt that it was a very positive experience. The children do not seem at all bothered by the presence of many adults; in fact, it was a bonus to have so many willing hands to help, and I think even the small kids developed a sense of real community. We did not find the requirements for participation to be a big drain on our time -- but I switched off with my husband on the participation day. The extras (family job, weekend work days) were not at all time-consuming. Generally you can make many decisions, great and small, about how much you want to do. You can choose a family job that fits your schedule and doesn't make unreasonable demands, or you can throw yourself wholeheartedly into the process and volunteer to be fundraiser or some such. I would highly recommend the co-op situation for getting to know people in your community, for establishing ties that will last as your child starts school, for having close-up experience with your child's education and socialization, etc. In short, we found it to be a good thing. Good luck with your decision, a satisfied co-op parent

Re: Preschools with good playgrounds
Albany Preschool, 527-6403, 850 Masonic Avenue in Albany, has all the things you list, and it's a lovely school. It is a cooperative, however, which means you will have to invest a significant amount of time helping to run the school. It is significantly cheaper than non-cooperatives. Louise

Re: Preschools with good playgrounds
The Albany Preschool (Cooperative) has a super play area; two yards, both with gardens. The south yard, which is the biggest and has the best sun, has a great working garden where the kids help to plant flowers, peas, berries, etc. There are also fig trees there. The north yard is a little cooler, but it also has a wealth of flowers and greenery. Both yards have play structures and lots of toys (riding toys, sand toys, trucks, etc. etc.) to use; the north yard has a popular little play house as well. Both yards are safely fenced,though the north yard's fence is chain link (with some privacy features like greenery and a cut-out train). Outdoor play is encouraged (including water play), and if your child is energetic, he could well spend almost all of his day outdoors -- it's his choice. My son only goes inside for the required circle times, ''story and rest,'' and lunch/snacks.

Two provisos it's hard to get in (your child is a little young for this year), so you would have to apply early (Albany residents have preference, though kids from other communities do get in). And the elevated BART tracks are right across the street, though this doesn't seem to bother any of the kids in the slightest. Good luck! Linda

More accolades for Albany Preschool! (850 Masonic, 527-6403) I just wanted to point out that they also have an afternoon program, which does not require parental participation in the classroom, and is excellent. The teachers are all very dedicated and caring, and most have been teaching there for many years. My son has been in the afternoon program for over a year, and he loves it. Suzanne

I highly recommend Albany Preschool. My children went there, and still (they are teenagers) speak fondly of their years there. Also, I am a preschool teacher, and I think Albany Preschool is one of the best schools I have ever seen or worked at.

My daughter's wonderful preschool, the Albany Preschool, still has openings in both the morning and afternoon programs for Sept. 98. The morning is a co-op (9-12), the afternoon program(12-3 or 12-5) is run as a regular (non-co-op) program. Located at 850 Masonic Avenue near Solano, there are two play yards as well as a cooking & art projects everyday, guinea pigs and even a gecko. The school is remodeling the bathroom to meet ADA guidelines starting next week, so we will be wheel-chair accessible when school opens on September 14th! For information, please call: 527-6403. Roxane