Why are parents required to do a weekly shift?
Portland Cooperative School requires a substantial investment of time and energy from families. This commitment is deeply rooted in our philosophy of building a school community that enriches not only our children, but also our own lives and the community beyond our school. Weekly shifts promote a deepening of relationships between parents, teachers and children. Parents and the teacher form a team that actively works together to create a positive learning environment. As relationships deepen, trust develops, ideas are shared, problems are solved together, confidence grows and the willingness to take risks, out of a desire to learn, expands. This occurs in relationships between parents, between parents and teachers and between parents and students. Promoting interconnectedness is at the core of PCS’s philosophy, and the weekly shift plays an important role in helping to make this happen. Weekly shifts also give parents more opportunities to hone their parenting skills. The more time pa
