The proposed regulations as written will result in shutting down many thriving cooperative preschools.  As a former member of a cooperative preschool, I've seen first hand the benefit of involved parents in the classrooms.  My experience as a preschool parent had a tremendous positive impact on my children and me.  I've since gone on to take leadership roles in our elementary school PTA, girl scout troop, and as a softball coach.  The current proposed regulations are overly burdensome on cooperative preschools and would effectively shut them down.  Specifically, these two alternatives are overly restrictive:

(1) Complete the 36 training hours (16 orientation, 20 ongoing) required of professional staff, or 
(2) Remain in constant sight and sound supervision of a staff member.

To preserve the parent cooperative preschools in Virginia, the Proposed Amended Standards should be revised to allow cooperative preschool parents to work in the classroom without sight and sound supervision of a staff member provided that the parent:

(1) Satisfactorily completes the same background checks required of professional staff; and
(2) Completes a total of 4 hours of orientation and ongoing training annually.

I respectfully urge you to implement the above changes to the proposed regulations in order to preserve the viability of traditional cooperative preschools.