What are some qualities of a "good" preschool?

Strictly referring to child care centers that focus on education and not just care and entertainment. A preschool's intended purpose is to provide children with the proper building blocks to prepare them for school. Even the infant room isn't exempt, babies as young as 8 weeks old can learn patience and how to occupy the same space as other children. I've babysat many little ones who woke up as the slightest noise, but in a preschool you can have 4 babies screaming at the top of their lungs and the other 4 will be sound asleep the entire time.

While I doubt that putting a baby in a preschool gives them an academic edge there is something to say about being more adjusted and comfortable in a school environment. If they've gone to school as far back as their memory goes than they may resist it less in later years. Needless to say, if you are comfortable with letting strangers take care of your baby, an accredited preschool is a decent option. There is a level of insurance, a parent can expect that the building is up to code with state regulations and that all staff are properly trained. However, some centers do flirt with the edge of the law and are constantly being warned by the state about certain code violations and burnt out staff members. The key is finding a good one.

Some things to look for:

Ratio: The laws in each state vary, but the typical numbers are a 1 to 4 teacher to child ratio for children under the age of 3. For children over 3 the ratio jumps to 1 to 10. That's right...imagine 1 teacher with 10 3 year olds. Personally that's where I draw the line, I tried, I really did. I completed my 220 hours of student teaching in a HELLISH preschool doing a 3 and a half year old classroom. Never again.

Never again.

Ever.

So parents, stop and count the kids in the room, if they don't add up...walk right out because that is a SERIOUS violation of the law.

Classroom Size: The law states there can only be so many children per square foot, a typical room is designed to hold either 8 (for the under 3's) or 20 (over 3's) but all buildings are different and some are awkwardly retro-fitted. Don't be afraid to ask how many kids can legally be in each room at a time...then count.

Don't be fooled by cubbies, if you see 12 cubbies in a classroom that should only hold 8, its probably because some kids are part timers. Preschools make their money by filling up as many time slots as possible. If a classroom has 8 kids all day but loses 1 at 1:30pm, you can bet they will try to find someone who needs child care from 1:35 to close.

Safety: This should be a #1 concern for a center, all outlets should be plugged, nothing should be in disrepair, no loose cords, etc. Take a look around and see if you can spot anything that you would deem a hazard. Chances are if the teacher is not constantly looking around for possible harm than they're not going to be on their A game for your child.

Teacher Behavior: If you walk in and hear a teacher yelling, that's probably not a good sign. Unless of course there is something chaotic going on and the teacher needs to shout to be heard, but is still managing to have a child-appropriate tone of voice. If you walk into a classroom and a teacher is yelling, that's a horrible sign. If they're going to yell in front of an "in-take" then they clearly don't give a rat's ass anymore and are frankly a danger to your child. Run in the opposite direction.

Artwork: A large part of childhood is art, unfortunately there are many teachers who focus more on the product and not on the process. They want a cute decoration for the wall and to give to parents when the idea of art is to let a child be creative and express themselves...and get messy. Look on the walls, if every child's project looks the same...that's bad, if nothing on the walls looks like it was messy...that's bad. A child should go home with paint under their fingernails and a sense of pride.

Of course there are more things parents should look for on an "in-take" but these are the major ones. I will cover more little secrets and things to search for and ask about in another post.

But parents, please ask questions. Ask lots and lots of tough questions. Assume every school is a hellhole until proven otherwise. A good school will enjoy the challenge of answering your questions, they'll want to showcase their high standards. Want to know how many of the staff are CPR certified? They'll smile and tell you it is a REQUIREMENT for their staff, hell they may even pick up the bill for the CPR classes to ensure their staff have it. A bad school? The director will break eye contact...talk in circles, kind of like a bad politician. If you feel like they're a used car salesman, then its probably not such a great joint.

I've had parents ask me if I would bring "my child" to certain centers and I've always said if they have to ask that then they shouldn't being their child there. You'll know when it's right. There's a vibe happy kids, teachers who don't yell, and it doesn't feel like they're putting on a dog-and-pony show for you.

Don't forget that they are providing you a service, as the parent, you are in charge, and a good preschool will embrace that.