Now Accepting Applications for the 2026–2027 School Year

Our school serves children from preschool to 8th grade

Joyful Learning in the heart of Brooklyn

Welcome to The Co-op School!

At our school, Progressive Education begins with joy. We offer students and families a creative, nurturing environment that emphasizes Social-Emotional Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning through rich, interdisciplinary projects.

Located in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, our independent school serves children from the 2s program through 8th grade. We nurture strong academic skills while cultivating the essential values of curiosity, compassion, and collaboration.

Our Programs

Preschool

Ages 2 - 4

At The Co-op School, preschoolers thrive through play, exploration, and community - growing curiosity, creativity, empathy, and confidence every day.

Lower School

K - Grade 4

Our K–4 program nurtures curiosity through student-led learning and the Responsive Classroom approach, fostering joyful, supportive spaces for growth.

Middle School

Grades 5 - 8

Our Middle School fosters curiosity, critical thinking, independence, and empathy through inquiry-based, interdisciplinary learning that prepares students for high school.

Our Values

Compassion, uniqueness, innovation, community action, anti-racism, and joy—these core values are the backbone of everything we do. Our staff and students practice them in our classrooms, during projects, at recess, and reinforce them at all community meetings.

Our Approach

We strive to inspire passion and teach students to become protagonists in their own educational journey by fostering their innate sense of curiosity and creativity. Joyful learning lays the foundation for lifelong learning and critical thinking.

Our Community

Our parents and staff are brought together by our desire to provide our children with quality progressive education at an accessible price. We all play a crucial role in the journey of upholding the school’s guiding principles and overall operations.

At a Glance

Numbers that reflect who we are, together.

212

students enrolled

45%

BIPOC staff

25%

families receive financial aid

98%

first-choice high school acceptance rate

What makes our School Unique

Each child is nurtured as part of a loving and supportive community where classrooms function like families – helping one another, meeting and working through challenges together, and showing care – while our sense of community extends into the home through strong partnerships with parents, who actively participate in school projects and events.

What makes our School Unique

Like Us, Love Us, Follow Us!

See the joy of learning in action – updates, student projects, and everyday magic from our classrooms.

What Our Families Say

Hear how The Co-op School makes a difference, straight from the families who know us best.

"Family events at the Co-op School are one of our favorite parts of this community. Whether it's movie night, the Valentine's Day party, or the Thanksgiving potluck, we love the opportunity to gather outside of the normal school day and enjoy each other's company. We also love the parents-only events like the Gala so that we can kick back and relax without the kids!"

Elizabeth

Parent to Preschoolers

"There are really no words to describe my gratitude to the Co-op School teachers at the noment. I could never imagine the level of dedication, sense of mission, and creativity our teachers would demonstrate in this time of online schooling. Mastering the balance of addressing the childrens' need for structure and content, as well as of compassion and love. 'Thank you to The Co-op School teachers and administration feels simply not enough.."

Daphna

Parent to 3rd Grader and 8th Grader

"We feel truly cherished here, I wish all parents and children could have all that the Co-op School offers. [Students) skip into school happily, teachers listen to family and students' wishes and concerns. Music teachers write songs for our school, woodshop and science teachers collaborate in creative making projects. Joy, community service, uniqueness, innovation are celebrated and created here."

Gina Youmans

Parent to 8th grader

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John Smith

Parent to 6th grader

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Answers to the frequently asked questions.

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Progressive Education focuses on the whole child development - cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and physical - rather than just academics. Children learn through inquiry-based, hands-on discovery, rather than rote memorization or drills. Teachers act as facilitators and guides, helping students develop curiosity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills that last a lifetime.
Our classrooms are like families - students support one another, work through challenges together, and build strong, caring relationships. Collaboration and cooperation are emphasized, with group projects, problem-solving activities, and opportunities for children to share their voice and ideas daily.
Parents are active partners in their child’s education. We extend our sense of community into the home through parent participation in school projects, events, and workshops. Together, we build a strong partnership that complements our program and philosophy.

We believe that it is important to consider the whole student throughout the assessment process. A test can provide a “snapshot” view of the moment, but it doesn’t show the student’s whole set of strengths and abilities. However, assessments do help us chart student progress over time, pinpoint specific areas of strength and growth, and make needed changes to curricula. Standardized test results are considered as one piece of data along with other performance evaluations, including teacher-made tests, projects, and creative assessments.

The Co-op School uses Northwestern Evaluation Association (NWEA) MAP Growth as a part of our assessment process starting in third grade. This adaptive web-based standardized assessment measures growth and proficiency. MAP is used in addition to other formal and informal assessments that take place in the classroom.

Students are screened three times a year with the DIBELs literacy assessment. Teachers also administer F+P running records during the year to get a better sense of reading level and skills. Our math curriculum has assessments at the end of each unit.

The Co-op School is not a daycare program; enrollment begins at preschool age (2 years and up). Our early childhood program provides a nurturing, play-based environment where children build independence, social-emotional skills, and a love of learning. This foundation prepares them for a smooth transition into kindergarten and beyond.