Jews in the D

20 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 

It Takes a

 Village

With many schools starting online, some 
families are turning to pod learning.

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A

round the time the Walled 
Lake Consolidated School 
District announced it would 
begin the school year with remote 
learning, Hillary Glaser and her 
husband, Craig, sat down to devise a 
game plan. As working parents of two 
boys, ages 7 and 8, they wanted to 
make sure their kids would receive a 
meaningful education while engaged 
in online learning. 
The Glasers decided to join three 
other families in creating a small 
group of kids who will learn together 
outside the traditional classroom. 
Called a pod, or pod learning, this 
style of education is a common 
practice among families using a 
homeschool curriculum. 
Now, with so many schools 
providing online education, an 
increasing number of parents find 
pods an appealing way to educate 
their children during a pandemic. 
Pods allow families to share the 
burden of having someone oversee 
the learning process, enable parents 
to maintain a work schedule, allow 
children to enjoy social interactions 
and provide academic support. 
The Glasers overhauled their 
attic playroom by turning it into a 
space that will accommodate five 
elementary-age kids. There are 
tables, beanbags and couches so that 
each child can find a comfortable 
workspace. A college student will 
facilitate the learning process as they 
follow the virtual learning program 
offered by Walled Lake schools.
“Her role will be to make sure the 

kids are doing their lessons and not 
goofing off. She will also help the kids 
with their learning if they need it, but 
in no way is she acting as a teacher. 
We have full faith that our school 
district is doing the best it can to 
make this work,
” said Glasser. 
Plans for the upcoming school 
year vary by district, but many are 
holding off on bringing students back 
in the buildings. Some schools are 
offering a hybrid of in-person and 
online learning. Among the Jewish 
day schools, Hillel and Frankel plan 
on opening their doors but giving 
families the option of choosing 
online. Farber is opening doors 
for pre-K through first grade, but 
announced it is going virtual for all 
other grades through mid-October 
after a teacher contracted COVID-19.
Regardless of what a school is 
offering, there are no easy decisions 
for parents. For some, the safety of 
in-person learning is a concern, while 
others worry about the quality of an 
online education. Factor in worries 
about the social and emotional well-
being of children engaged in online 
learning and the 2020-2021 school 
year is shaping up to be one of dread 
and anxiety for students and parents. 
By mid-summer, it was hard to 
ignore the barrage of posts on social 
media about pod learning. Parents 
began looking for other families to 
create a pod and looking for teachers 
or tutors to help facilitate. Educators 
were also posting about their services. 
The pod craze also inspired a few 
local moms to create businesses 

TOP: The Glaser family: Hillary, Craig, Ori and Yoav. ABOVE:
Ori and Yoav Glaser will start the school year off as part of a 
learning pod. 

