The school is owned and operated by parents and staff who have experience in early childhood development. The cooperative model recognizes that parents are a child’s primary educator, so parents work on a rotating basis in their child’s classroom as assistants. In 2017, Alpha-Bet moved to a hybrid model that allows those families unable to assist in the classroom to still benefit from the small class sizes and community environment that Alpha-Bet provides by opting out of acting as a teacher's assistant. They still have an opportunity to act as Board Members or participate in special school events. We are a half-day program with classes meeting weekdays from 9:30am-12:30pm, offering classes for three- and four-year old children, based upon their age as of September 30th. Alpha-Bet Preschool is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. The standards for licensed child day centers address health precautions, safety of all children, the ratio of children per staff member, equipment, program, and record keeping. Fingerprint background checks through the FBI and Virginia State Police, as well as a search of the Child Protective Services registry, barrier crimes check in multiple states (if applicable), and a Sworn Statement of Affirmation are all a part of the background check process for all staff members, Board members, and cooperative volunteers at Alpha-Bet Preschool per VDOE Licensing Standards.
