Looking for a liberal, diverse preschool in catonsville, EC, or west baltimore...or farther! (Columbia: co-ops, daycare)

[symptomsofmadness]

...any ideas???

[SmokeyLisa]

Not sure what you mean about liberal in a preschool. You might want to define it more because people can mean different things, not conservative, okay with kids coming in out at different times, not rigid in learning, etc. Also, I assume you mean racial diversity, some people mean economic and other just openess to other people, ideas, etc.

La Petite - EC Centennial area
Children's Manor Montessori - EC
Columbia Academy - I believe that have an EC location near 100. I visited other locations but not this particular location,. They were okay, I thought my kid would be safe and learn. However, I did like La Petite and Children's Manor more.
Childtime - I have heard good things about them but I did not visit it, it is not too far away from Children's Manor.

You might want to try some of the schools in Columbia, depending on where you are, you could be right next to a location and just as close as another EC school. You will economic, racial and diversity of open there, not saying that you will not get it in EC and Catonsville because you definitely will, it is just a question of how diverse do you want the pre-school. Some would say that in a class of 30 students that 5 minority or poor kids is diverse others will say it isn't diverse.

The Montessori school will be more rigid then the others. There are some good Catholic schools in EC & Catonsville but I do not think they will make the cut for liberal and are less diverse than the schools above.

Good Luck.

[J_Lurk]

Yup, need to define preschool. Some people say "preschool" when they mean "daycare" and some say it when they mean "1/2 day program x days per week." Also, what age are you looking for? For part-time, a lot are already full for the fall. There are a lot of good co-ops in Columbia (and I've heard of a couple in Catonsville as well).

[symptomsofmadness]

yes i meant preschool (for a four year-old), not daycare. and i should have written progressive, not liberal. and i really want diversity...not a watered down definition of diversity.

[SmokeyLisa]

In EC, I would still recommend Children's Manor, I think it is worth a look.

In Columbia - Wilde Lake Children's Nursery, Running Brook Children's Nursey - was recommended to us. I did not research it because the hours of a co-op did not work for me. You might want to try Columbia, love of learning (one of the most expensive programs in the area) or Bryant Woods Montessori programs, also. Most of the part time programs are co-ops, religious or montessori. All of the co-ops that I know of are in Columbia. If you are okay with full day but 2 or 3 days instead I would add the young school to the list but it is also in Columbia.

Post back and let us know if you find a school that meets your criteria. Good Luck.

[J_Lurk]

There are eight co-ops in Howard County. When I was looking one was nice enough to give me the full list: Wilde Lake Wilde Lake Children's Nursery ~ Columbia's oldest co-operative preschool!,
East Columbia East Columbia Preschool Home Page
Longfellow Longfellow Nursery School - Homepage
Children & Company Children & Company Cooperative Preschool in Howard County, MD
Children’s Time Children's Time Preschool - Cooperative Preschool in Columbia Maryland
Middle Patuxent Nursery School Middle Patuxent Nursery School
Oakland Mills Nursery School OMNS Site
Stevens Forest Cooperative Preschool Steven's Forest Nursery School - Columbia MD Cooperative Nursery School

I know Oakland Mills still has a couple of spaces in its 4s class. In my experience they are diverse, but there are only 16 kids and I'm sure it varies from year-to-year.

I've heard good things about the Catonsville Co-op. Catonsville Cooperative School - Home

We also looked at the program at First Lutheran, which was very nice but we couldn't fit it into our schedule: First Evangelical Lutheran Church

[btsilver]

I grew up in Catonsville. Your child has the best chance if he or she goes to Mount Providence. I went here for preschool and it put me light years ahead of the other students by the time i went to kindergarten. As far as I could tell its diverse and liberal.

Home

[ultracheapsk8]

avoid Stevens Forest Coop. Just look somewhere else.

[Chrissyjae3]

That's funny I just sat in the 4's class with my son and did not like the teachers at all!! That was at Stevens Forest co-op

[fancykats]

Does anyone know anything about Bet Yeladim Nursery School? Will they take children of other religions?