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Learning pods are the creative solution many families are depending on to help bridge the gap between students and schools. Delaware can help make them a reality for everyone.
One of our most urgent tasks is to find a way for Delaware’s children to get the education that they deserve and avoid learning loss, while still staying safe. That’s where learning pods come in.
Simply put, a learning pod is a small group of children – usually between three and ten kids – who come together in a type of mini-classroom. This allows families to share in learning support, costs, enrichment, and social experiences.
But, learning pods provide so much more than that. We’re urging Governor Carney to remove barriers keeping families and community organizations from forming learning pods to provide a safe return to learning.
The pros of learning pods are clear:
- Allows parents to trust that their children are receiving the education they need and deserve while parents are working
- Offers children a structured, social learning environment
- Keeps children safe
We know that one of the top concerns for parents is making sure that their children are present – both physically and mentally – for online learning, but parents may not have the time with the demands of their jobs. In addition, it has been well studied that children need the social and emotional aspects of attending school. Learning pods will allow children to receive a quality education – whether that is by a curriculum selected by families or by following children’s online learning plan from their existing school – while building necessary social skills.
Learning pods can vary in cost and sometimes. The cost of your learning pod will depend on such things as the teacher hired, materials used and location of the pod. However, many districts and states are recognizing that pods are an outstanding option to keep children safe and maintain learning. Some are providing resources or infrastructure to make them happen at no cost.
In Delaware, we can do more. Be an advocate for your child. Policymakers need to be flexible so that every child is in an environment where they can thrive and there is no one size fits all answer to education. Share your voice to make a difference for your family and for all families in our state.
Please sign our petition to urge Governor Carney to remove barriers and provide resources so all Delaware families can access this opportunity. Every voice matters.