AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 21
aimed at helping families
through the process of starting
one and educators looking to
offer their services.
Lindsay Sikora, an attorney
and mother from West
Bloomfield, recently launched
findmylocalteacher.com, a
website that helps connect
parents and educators.
Sikora, who
is working on
the site with her
sister-in-law
Natalie Mazza,
called it “a
white-glove style
service,
” providing
parents with access to pre-
screened local teachers.
“I’
ve heard from a lot of
parents looking for teachers
to do either one-on-one or
pod-style teaching or to follow
their school’
s curriculum. This
is especially true of working
parents who want a teacher to
guide their children through
virtual learning,
” said Sikora,
who plans to hire a teacher
for her 4-year-old daughter
because she isn’
t comfortable
sending her to preschool.
Similarly, after
seeing all the
pod discussions
on social media,
attorneys Julie
Trepeck Harris
and Amanda
Rosenberg
decided to offer their legal
services to educators and
families when forming a
learning arrangement.
Harris said that often,
parents don’
t think about the
financial liability if a child
drops out, agreeing on a
curriculum, thinking safety
precautions inside and outside
of the pod, or what to do if
someone gets COVID.
“People are so flustered
right now because families are
feeling the pressure to have
something in place before
school starts,
” Harris said.
One mom, who asked not
to be named, said she felt
parents were in a frenzy to
hire teachers without much
thought about their children’
s
needs but felt pressure to get
on board out of fear that their
children would be missing
out. Others have criticized
pods for benefiting students
from affluent families who can
afford to hire the extra support.
Fees can range anywhere
from $250 to $400 per student
per week for a teacher. Non-
teachers charge $75-200 per
student per week. Nanny/
sitters charge $15-20 an hour.
Susie Aisner is a mother of
three and an associate principal
in the West Bloomfield
School District. She recently
commented on a Facebook
moms’
group page that what
schools had in place last year,
when COVID forced schools
to quickly switch to an online
format, was more “crisis
schooling than best practices
remote learning.
”
She went on to say, “I believe
all schools will have more
robust remote learning this
fall with significantly more live
instruction. Schools have had
the opportunity to improve
technology, train teachers,
and plan, all of which was
impossible last year.
“I’
d suggest giving schools
and your child a chance. If,
after the year starts, you still
feel extra support would
benefit you or your student,
you may find you do not need
a certified teacher but more
of an encourager/supervisor.
Many college students are
staying home and might be a
good, less expensive option if
you’
re staying with your local
school.
”
Lindsay
Sikora
Julie Trepeck
Harris