For crying out loud - what do I want in a preschool??

[goodcents]

Okay.....so my dd is in a preschool now part-time. It basically a theme-based cirrciculum which is decided by the teachers and then approved by the educational director. They do all the standard stuff, focus on four seasons & holidays, circle time, reading, dancing, singing and some spanish. My problem is I am not really feeling the educational director. I find her cold and slightly irresponsible.

For example, my DD just turned 3 in the end of December. From Sept - Dec she was in the 18-36 month old room. They then decided to move her to the 3-4 year old room. Fair enough, I wanted her to move, but I really didn't put ANY pressure whatsoever. I was kinda like "Ya' know, follow her lead, I am not in a rush.". Well they give her 2 days of transition time (1 hour a day in the new classroom) and then BAM! the transition is over ~ & she is in the new class!!

To say the least the transition hasn't gone over very well. I am now splitting her morning b/t the old class, and she moves over to the newer class later in the day. Upon discussion about the transition with the educational director she said "Well you were the one putting all the pressure on." I was totally shocked, because I am *really really really* not an UBER pressure parent, and I really did my best to speak up about the fact that I thought the "2 day/2 hour" transition was not enough time.


So, being not so pleased with our current situation, I went today to go and check out a Montessori school. I wish I could say I loved it but it just seemed a little off to me. I didn't really feel like the teacher was really really warm, the director and owner was obviously very passionate about her work and school (she has been there for 30 years). I was also turned off with the whole "You leave the kid at the door and that's it." They tried to tell me DD would be fine, but I like to think I know my daughter. She is really outgoing, but she is still very, very sensitive. I like the concept of choice offered to Monti. students, but it didn't really seem to have the creativity I was looking for.

So now? I am confused, befuddled, and really wondering if switching is a good idea at all. BTW there is no Emilio schools here and the Monti school I went to see is the only one within a reasonable distance.

[kewb]

For me it boiled down to the teachers. There is a new director at my childs day care/pre-school this year but the old one was awful to deal with. I was always amazed she worked with children. I did not like dealing with her but the reality was my children spent very little time with her and lots of it with thier teachers and their teachers are the best. For all of the issues I had with the director she still ran a heck of a program.

The 2 day transition does not sound right. Where my children went transition was weeks.

Is your dd happy? Do you like her teachers? Do you think she would like the Montisorri teachers better? Can you let her spend some time there without you to see how she likes it? These are the questions I would want to answer before making any deisions.

[boongirl]

I've been trying to find a good preschool for my dd for over a year now. I keep saying that I want to work part time and find a preschool/daycare for her but I can't find one I like. She is in coop preschool now which we both dislike because of the school politics (me) and the crowded classroom (dd). I've seen preschools that smell moldy and have poor ventilation, ones that have no outdoor playspace, ones that have 20 kids with 2 adults, ones that have no security and babies screaming from the infant room, ones that have 2 year olds working on worksheets, and ones that look ok but have huge wait lists. The ones that look ok are the ones that have sunny rooms, nice outdoor playspace, hands-on curriculum, lots of field trips and different activities, and very nice, welcoming staff. That latter is particularly import to me because I believe that first impressions mean a lot. So, the conclusion I've come to is that I do, I will wait for the preschools that I felt good about to have openings or I will just keep her home with me. Children do not need preschool. If you have bad feelings about the school, pull your child out and have some fun with her at home or do your own fieldtrips.

And, chances are that the director is claiming you pushed to have your child moved to the other classroom as a way of deflecting responsibility off herself. Not a good sign.