About Us
Our History
Founding Over 50 Years Ago
Poe Co opened its doors over 50 years ago, on February 4, 1974.
The school was founded by a group of parents as part of an effort to build community and strengthen the local public elementary school, Poe Elementary.
Poe Co was initially established on the campus of Poe Elementary, with support from the University of Houston’s Laboratory Nursery School.
From the beginning, parents have coordinated the administrative details of the program and participated as parent-helpers in the classroom.
National Recognition
In 1991, Poe Co became the first parent cooperative preschool in the country to earn N.A.E.Y.C. accreditation. The school has renewed its accreditation successfully ever since.
In November 1992, Poe Co was visited by Amy Driscoll, a leading early childhood education expert who highlighted Poe Co in her book: Cases in Early Childhood Education, published in August 1994.
A New Home in the Museum District
In 2021, Poe Co moved from its original location on the Poe Elementary campus to St. Matthew Lutheran Church in the Museum District. While the move was driven by changes with HISD, our campus improved, increasing our space and affording the opportunity to specially design our playground and classrooms for the current era’s curriculum and goals. Our outdoor space has primarily natural materials, opportunities for many different kinds of play, and an extensive kid-tended garden. Similarly, our classrooms are spacious and light-filled, with areas for all sorts of play and learning.
Outdoor Classroom Legacy
In 2016, Poe Co’s outdoor space was recognized as a Certified Nature Explore Classroom by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. More on this process can be found here.
Our new home incorporates many of the features that earned this recognition, including open spaces for large-motor activities, various structures for climbing, a mud kitchen, water table, outdoor art, sandbox, and large garden.
Traditions
With over 50 years of history, Poe Co has developed a number of long-standing traditions for students, parents, and staff.
These include: Thanksgiving potluck, rodeo-themed Trike-a-thon, school-wide play dates after school and on weekends, a family camping trip weekend every fall, and much more.
Our Educational Philosophy
Poe Co’s mission is to provide a playful, nurturing environment in which children progress across developmental domains, while their families are given ample opportunity to build community and actively participate in their child’s early school experience. Our curriculum is carefully planned by professional teachers to meet the needs of the individual child within the group setting, with consideration for developmental age, ability levels, and interests.
We use principles from the Rice University School Literacy and Culture Project, which involves child-led storytelling. Our space is designed to encourage the children to freely explore and initiate their own activities. In addition, full class experiences, such as storytime, games, singing, and dancing are incorporated each day.
Parent Involvement
Poe Co was founded by parents who sought to be involved and present in their child’s early education. As such, Poe Co has functioned as a cooperative since the beginning.
As a cooperative, families work together to manage the school, as members of the board or of various committees. Parents hire the teachers, enroll the children, take care of the finances, and perform all the behind-the-scenes tasks to operate the school.
Once a month, a parent from each family serves as “parent-helper” in the classroom. These pre-scheduled days are special mornings to spend with your child. As parent-helper, you assist the teachers, tidy and clean the classroom, and – most importantly – play with your child and their friends.
Parents are always welcome in the classroom and we encourage parents to share their knowledge and talents with the class.
Learn more about the cooperative model by scheduling a school tour.
