PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. — As the school year approaches for most Kansas City-area districts, parents rush to figure out how to best teach their children.
The idea of 'pandemic pods' – a small group of similar-aged students with a hired teacher from the parents – have gained traction.
Kimberly McClain, of Prairie Village, wanted her 7-year-old daughter, Evie Bea McClain, to stay on track and opted to place her in a pod.
"Knowing that my daughter is going to be back in some kind of a routine that will last longer than a couple weeks is a huge relief," Kimberly said.
The idea of joining a pandemic pod sparked Kimberly's interest when she saw a Facebook group with parents in the area looking to start.
"Somebody posted that they were looking for kids to join their pod, and it was an instant great connection right off the bat," Kimberly said.
Evie Bea will join a small learning-pod group in a nearby house, which provides a controlled environment to learn with a teacher there to guide them.
"It means that I have somebody on my side to really help me out," Evie Bea McClain said.
Kimberly said the pod also provides a "dedicated instructor" who will be able to her daughter help if some concepts are hard to grasp through virtual instruction.
It's a trend that caught parent Ashley Hunt's eye, too.
"I want them to be safe, first and foremost," Hunt said.
Hunt has two children, one going into kindergarten, the other first grade. But she knows not every child is as fortunate.
"The guilt is there, but, like, we all have to give ourselves a little grace, like, we can’t do any better," Hunt said.
She said she hopes there will be opportunities for more students to take on the pandemic-pod style of learning, as it can be expensive.
"A step is putting your money where your mouth is and trying to put in place programs that help out other kids that have parents who can’t do this," Hunt said.
Depending on the size of the pod and who is teaching, the cost can range from about $200 to $1,000 per week.
