Parent Created Schools in the US

Post-COVID, some traditional public schools may not reopen with face-to-face instruction this fall. In response to this uncertainty, some parents are taking their child's education into their own hands. Some are coming together to create their own kind of school, with small groups of students, referred to as learning pods. Many people wonder what exactly these pods are and how they work. Even more pressing are concerns of equity and strategies ensuring that all families have access to this homegrown education option. In this memo, I define learning pods, examine what we know about the likely efficacy of learning pods, given current evidence, and discuss policy strategies that savvy innovators are trying across the country that could serve as quality guardrails and to expand access.