3 Questions to Ask About Learning Pods

Recently I decided to google learning pods and thousands of articles and information popped up, which was very overwhelming to say the least. According to an article from CNBC news, learning pods are “small, in-person groups of students learning together with the help of an in-person tutor or teacher.”

Like many other areas of our lives, the pandemic has presented us with radical change and that includes our children’s education. This uncertainty can lead us to feel fear, anxiety, and feelings of ‘I am not enough’ as a parent. We are in uncharted waters, and I know as a fellow parent, we just want what's best for our kids. But learning pods may not be the solution for every family and that should matter to everyone.

Don’t get me wrong. Learning pods are coming from a good place and are one response to the numerous deficits of online learning. Even before the pandemic, studies showed that online learning falls far short of face-to-face learning. We all  want our children to be in optimal learning environments, to have the opportunity to learn in person as we know the face-to-face environment is how kids learn best. 

So if you are considering learning pods as an option, here are the questions to ask.

Do they really provide parental peace of mind?

Sometimes. Learning pods run the gamut and there are many options to consider. For instance, they can be parent or teacher led. Also, if you plan to hire a teacher or tutor, you must first research and find one. So, it is not as easy as it appears. In the meantime, a myriad of local and national companies have sprung up to match those interested in starting or joining a pod, in order to provide structure and hopefully some peace of mind because your child will be gaining academic skills, building social skills, and having fun.

On the other hand, there are downsides to learning pods, including maintaining safety from the virus. Strict protocols must not only be upheld but also be agreed upon. If there is not complete buy-in the virus can creep in and spread to everyone that is in the pod. Finally, the cost factor is presenting issues for many families, which leads us to our next question.

Are they equitable?

Honestly, and unfortunately, no. And it can actually create what some people are calling “equity hoarding,” which not only sounds awful but also unintentional. Dr. L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy, a professor at NYU, explains that well-meaning attempts to invite underprivileged kids into pods and subsiding their costs “creates more of a model of charity than equity, and the fundamental issues with that is first, the person who was invited in is often viewed as the beneficiary.” 

With costs averaging $2500 a month per family, a huge swath of our nation’s families cannot afford them, creating a huge cry of inequity, especially for the majority of our nation’s families who are middle or working class.

Are they rife with problems? 

 The short answer is yes.

Public schools do not have rainy days funds, and if families disenroll in favor of pods they will have to cut costs.  Whether it’s student to teacher ratios or other cost cutting measures, “If dollars follow students, and in many states they do, that can mean that school budgets are directly reduced for each child that is no longer attending,” says Jessica Calarco, a sociologist who studies educational inequality at Indiana University.

Just to review, we are facing difficult and less than optimal choices with regards to augmenting, supplementing, or opting out of online learning. We also know that we are living in a moment of impermanence. We will not always be in a pandemic. Life will get back to some sort of  new normal where kids are back in school.

Until the majority of our kids have other options other than online learning we are asked to consider what is best for all our kids. Every single one of them. 

Brene Brown, best selling author and shame researcher, says that difficult topics require courageous conversations. When it comes to learning pods, when must examine not only what is best for everyone but also what is available to everyone. This is really hard to do. It's hard to discuss economic differences in our own schools and communities. It’s hard to look at the statistics which remind us that these inequities disproportionately affect people of color or Americans without a college education.

However, even in such trying times we must address these courageous conversations. Brown recommends trying to, “Stay awkward, brave and kind.” Yes, it’s tough. But when it comes to our kids, as Glennan Doyle, inspirational speaker and activist, tells us, “We can do hard things.”