How "Learning Pods" Could Heighten Inequities in the U.S. School System

'With some school districts reopening and others quickly approaching their start dates, public school districts are scrambling to create schedules that can work for staff members and students. But many parents are worried about their children falling behind in this very atypical learning environment. And rather than deal with their districts directly, some parents are teaming up to create alternative education systems for their children, which are being referred to by a number of names, including “learning pods.” But because many of these pods will be shaped by the resources different families have at their disposal, they have the potential to deepen existing inequities in the education system along racial and socioeconomic lines. Joining The Takeaway to discuss are Prudence Carter, professor and dean of the Graduate School of Education at Berkeley, where she focuses on education inequality, and Christina Samuels, associate editor for Education Week covering educational equity.'