Protecting Learning Pods From Unnecessary Regulations

[PeteS in CA]

Protecting Learning Pods From Unnecessary Regulations

https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/jude-schwalbach/protecting-learning-pods-unnecessary-regulations

COVID-19 brought K-12 education to a grinding halt in March.

Many traditional public schools remain closed to in-person instruction this fall, while many families are left to navigate the school districts’ crisis online-learning offerings. 

Some families, however, opted to try a relatively new education model; namely, learning pods.

Parent-driven learning pods, in which families collaborate to create small education environments that emphasize in-person schooling to small student groups, swept the nation in response to school closures.
...
As pods gained traction, they also attracted the attention of government officials, especially as many district schools reported declining enrollments this fall.

As a result, 19 states have either imposed new or expanded regulations that can negatively affect families’ access to learning pods.

For the most part "Learning Pods" are the same as co-ops among homeschoolers, which have been around for decades. However, homeschoolers are doing it in compliance with whatever laws apply to homeschooling in various states while these "Learning Pods" are kind of wildcatters, operating outside of nice educratic definitions/regulations. States' efforts to define them as something outside of homeschooling and regulate them more onerously may have the effect of driving these parents into full-on homeschooling, an effect that I'm sure is as undesired by the educrats as it is unintended.

[Cyber Liberty]

The educrats are more upset by the co-ops than they are about homeschooling kids in general.  It puts kids with other kids who have like-minded parents.

[jmyrlefuller]

I'm surprised they haven't used coronavirus restrictions to try and split them up.

"Children of different households cannot be together! Violation!"