Getting Started Guide to Pods

From classes at local schools to families coming together and forming co-ops to the recent growth of “micro-schools,” homeschoolers have always taken advantage of the larger community to ensure kids get the education they need.

Now that millions of children are learning at home—virtual schooling or homeschooling—“pandemic pods” are the latest education trend. But “pods” are just another name for the cooperative arrangements homeschoolers have always used. If you are joining or leading a pod for the first time, you can draw upon the experience and lessons learned in the homeschool community.

There are two primary types of pods in this new learning environment.

• Self-directed pods: Consist of families who have registered as homeschoolers. Self-directed pods have a significant amount of flexibility because they can largely set their own learning goals and styles.
• Learning support pods: Consist of families who are enrolled in a school but doing some or all of their learning at home. Learning support pods have more constraints and predetermined structure to follow because the students will need to meet the school’s requirements for each school subject.  

If you’re interested in joining or forming a pod, here are some tips and resources to get you started.

Figure out what you and your kids want and need in your pod.

• Scheduling: How often and for how long will your pod meet? Parents who work full-time outside the home might need a pod that meets daily. Families with more flexible schedules might only want to meet one or two days a week. Half days might work best for other families. Decide what works best for you and your kids and look for a pod that fits your needs.
• Content: What subjects will be covered in the pod? Will there be time for “extras”—like art, music, or gym?
• Workload: Will the pod act like a co-op where parents share the work of organizing, tutoring, and child care? Or will parents pool money to hire a teacher to work with the students? Perhaps one parent is taking charge of the pod and other parents are paying him or her.

Once you know what you need in a pod, you can connect with other families who have similar needs.

• If you’re still enrolled in a school, you might want to pod with families in the same school. Having overlapping grades would be helpful. That way you’re following the same curriculum and basic schedule.
• If you can’t find families in your school who want to join a pod, you can still get many of the social and support benefits by joining a pod that isn’t linked to your school.
• If you’ve registered as a homeschooler, you have a lot of flexibility as you look for a pod because you’re setting your children’s learning goals for the year.
• Whatever type of pod you’re looking for, there are groups on social media—especially Facebook—dedicated to helping families connect with each other.
  • The Pandemic Pods-Main group has more than 40,000 members; but it also lists local chapters, including several in Pennsylvania. If there isn’t one in your area, parents on the existing sites seem eager to help new pods get underway.
• Local homeschooling groups are also a great resource. Here are three sites that can help you find groups in your area:
  • The Homeschool Mom
  • Pennsylvania Homeschoolers.com
  • Home School Legal Defense Assoc.

Safety is essential!

• Background checks are important for anyone who will supervise children. However, you should be mindful that background checks only flag people who have been previously convicted. Ensure a safe environment for your kids by not allowing them to be alone with adults you don’t know.
  • In our debate league, we have a “more than two” rule—adults are not allowed to enter a room where there is only one student present. Likewise, students are not allowed to enter a room where there is only a non-family adult present.
• You might want to consider liability insurance or waivers if you are hosting a pod.
• The PA Department of Human Services recently released guidance for parents forming “learning pods.” The stated purpose of the new rules is to facilitate forming pods by giving waivers so the pods don’t need to be licensed as child care centers. However, the guidance includes a list of requirements related to COVID-19, emergency responses, notification to the state, and more that parents should be aware of. (My understanding is these rules don’t apply to people who have registered as homeschoolers.)

Pandemic pod, co-op, micro-school—whatever name you use to describe your group, the end result should be the same. You and your children will get to learn and grow with other families as you navigate these challenging times.

*Please note: nothing in this post should be construed as legal advice. If you have legal questions, please consult an attorney. For legal questions specific to homeschooling, you might want to consider joining HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association).