By Michael Kundu

For The Herald

MARYSVILLE – Six-year-old Selina Richardson didn’t want to share her mom with her class.

“Can you work at my table today, Mommy?” she pleaded.

Sara Sanford, Selina’s mom, just smiled and led her daughter into class.

Inside, Selina’s 23 classmates, along with five other moms, were preparing papier-mache paste to make Earth Day globes.

For five years, Quil Ceda Elementary School has housed the Marysville Co-operative Education Program, a K-through-6 program developed to incorporate daily parental involvement in the learning process.

“The program was established out of the desire to integrate learning between school and home,” said Mary Anne Yorkoski of the council elected to direct the program. “Parents contribute more to what happens in the classroom and tend to continue with that involvement at home.”

Parents sit alongside students and help facilitate class work. Parental participation also increases the amount of preparation time and flexibility available to teachers, said Andrea Hegge, a first-grade teacher.

“We average five parents in each class every day,” Hegge said. “This ratio really benefits the students, since academic challenges are much easier to identify and address.”

The program seems to pay off academically.

“On average, our 2001 WASL scores are about 25 percent higher than the district’s,” Hegge said. “It’s a great indicator that parental involvement and small adult-to-student ratios really work.”

Students freely socialize with non co-op students during the day at lunch, recess and in the combined reading program, said Jeannie Tennis, Quil Ceda principal.

“The only difference is that, in (the co-op) absenteeism is lowered, behaviors are improved and parents are far more involved in the academic and social progress that their children are making.”

Parents are required to work 2.5 hours in class at least one day per week, and must attend a monthly two-hour parent meeting. Parents must also be active in fund-raising efforts and help during field trips.

“That’s an added benefit because you meet so many others with similar education and parenting values,” Yorkoski said. “It also fosters a sort of micro-community, where parents get to know other kids, the kids know other parents.”

Enrollment is open to any Marysville family willing to meet participation requirements. There is no cost to apply. Applicants are selected by a public lottery.

“The best part is that my mom is in school with me on Fridays,” Selina said.