‘Pandemic pods’ expose new fault line in US schools row as parents opt to break away

WHEN Julia Keller, a teacher at a school in Monterey County, California, was laid off because of coronavirus-related budget cuts, she feared it would be difficult to find a new job.

Instead, she found herself in high demand, with parents looking for a qualified teacher to guide a small group of children through the unpredictable new school year. These “pandemic pods” have been cropping up across the US, as frustrated parents attempt to navigate their way through the increasingly politicised debate over how and when schools should reopen.

“Pandemic pods are the buzzword right now – everybody’s talking about it,” said Ms Keller, who added she now planned to spend the entire school year teaching pods of children rather than returning to the classroom.

Proponents say the pods offer a helpful solution: lonely children are reunited with their peers, and families can share the cost of hiring a teacher, while mitigating the risk of spreading infection. Julie Frandsen, from Pacific Grove, California, said she began looking into the idea when her teenage daughter’s private school announced it would be continuing with remote learning until January.

“The story of my daughter’s last year in high school can’t be just her sitting in her room,” she said.

Ms Frandsen said she planned to band together with two or three other families whose children were in the same classes as her daughter to eat lunch and work on projects together to give a sense of normality.

While Donald Trump has pushed for schools to open their doors, several of the country’s largest school districts, including Los Angeles, have ruled out in-person learning for the foreseeable future. Teaching unions have accused the US president of failing to offer the resources to reopen safely.

Amanda Uhry, who runs Manhattan Private School Advisors, said New Yorkers were particularly cautious, despite the city’s comparatively low rate of Covid-19 cases, with parents opting

‘Are pods fair? No, they are not, because the minority child in the city is not going to them’

to rent out vacant storefronts for five to seven children to be taught by a teacher.

Ms Uhry said she had helped to arrange 70 such learning pods in the city, but stressed that she had reservations about the idea.

“Are pods fair? No, they’re not, because the minority child in the city isn’t going to them,” she said.

Ms Keller disputes the idea that these learning groups connote privilege. “Many of these parents are struggling to make it but they’re choosing it because it’s important to them,” she said. “There are a lot of people out there who are doing this stuff who don’t have money.”