Hello, QACP…introducing Parent Educator Jamie Cho!

Dear Queen Anne Coop Families,

I am pleased to be joining the Queen Anne community and am very much looking forward to working with the cooperative families and educators. This will be my first year with Seattle Central College as a Parent Educator and I will be working with the morning classes (three-year-olds) and afternoon classes (Pre-K) at Queen Anne Coop.

This summer my family and I relocated from the Bay Area, California to Bellevue, Washington. We are slowly acclimating to the changes in weather and cultures. I have three children: two boys and one girl, ages 9, 6 and 3. I have participated in cooperative preschools with my children, and served both in various offices through their school Parent Teacher Associations and on the Board for the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education.

I started out working with children with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities in early intervention. I pursued a doctorate in Special Education through University of California Berkeley, in which I delved into theories and studies of early learning and development, as well as parenting, family systems and cultural influences on early childhood. I was fascinated with cultural interpretations of family, parenting and education in schools and homes as well as studies of parenting psychology.

Furthermore, during this time I worked in inclusive early childhood environments, witnessed best practices (including family-school partnerships and individualized programming), and research-based practices at work. I was also employed in teacher training, instructing credential students on how to employ best practices in their classrooms with students.

My academic studies, personal experiences, and professional work with teachers and families have strengthened my belief in the importance of families in guiding children’s early learning. I believe that partnering with families to create a cohesive educational team is essential to school success and that cooperative preschools can represent the best functioning of these partnerships.

Coop education brings together the expertise of parents and teachers to create an educational and rewarding experience for both children and adults. As a parent educator, by offering information, child rearing and educational strategies, and by building community and confidence, I hope to contribute to the growth of this community. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.