>>> THIS MORNING IN OUR SERIES
"CORONAVIRUS IN THE CLASSROOM,"
A LOOK AT PANDEMIC PODS.
>> THEY ARE A SMALL GROUP OF
STUDENTS COMING TOGETHER OUTSIDE
OF SCHOOL, EVEN HIRING THEIR OWN
TEACHER.
THE MULLIGAN FAMILY FROM
ALEXANDRA
ALEXANDRA, VIRGINIA, CREATED A
POD FOR THEIR FIRST GRADE
DAUGHTER.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THIS IS A REALLY HOT TOPIC,
SO I’LL START WITH YOU, KATRINA.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO CREATE A
LEARNING POD FOR YOUR DAUGHTER,
AND HOW IS IT GOING TO WORK?
WHERE IS THE TEACHER GOING TO
COME FROM?
HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK, ET CETERA?
>> SO YOUR FIRST QUESTION FIRST.
WE WERE PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT
JUST THE WAY THAT THE SPRING
WENT.
WE DID VIRTUAL LEARNING, AS A
LOT OF FAMILIES HAVE DONE, AND I
THINK WE ALL FOUND IT TO BE AN
IMPERFECT SOLUTION.
I MEAN, IT WAS SORT OF THE BEST
OF A BAD SITUATION, BUT FOR OUR
DAUGHTER, WHO IS A RISING FIRST
GRADER, I THINK IT WAS JUST
REALLY CHALLENGING FOR HER, TO
BE SITTING IN FRONT OF A SCREEN
AND TRYING TO DERIVE AS MUCH AS
SHE COULD FROM ONLINE LEARNING.
I THINK WE WANTED TO FIND A
SOLUTION THAT COULD MITIGATE
SOME OF THE RISK OF CORONAVIRUS,
BUT ALSO GET OUR DAUGHTER
WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER
STUDENTS AND HAVING THE SOCIAL
ACCESS.
>> STEVE, I MEAN, AS I
UNDERSTAND IT, YOU MOSTLY
MANAGED YOUR DAUGHTER’S VIRTUAL
LEARNING THIS PAST SPRING.
WHAT DID YOU NOTICE THAT MADE
YOU WANT TO CREATE THIS POD FOR
THE FALL, AND WHERE DID YOU FIND
THE OTHER FAMILIES THAT ARE
PARTICIPATING?
>> WELL, THAT’S RIGHT, I DID DO
A LOT OF THE TEACHING ASPECT OF
IT, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT’S
REALLY HARD.
IT’S PARENTING AND TEACHING AND
TRYING TO HANG ON TO YOUR DAY
JOB, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
ONE THING I NOTICED IS THAT I
REALLY LIKED TEACHER.
IT’S SOMETHING I ENJOY.
IT WOULD GO GREAT FOR MAYBE THE
FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE WEEK, BUT
BY THURSDAY, I WOULD SORT OF
START TO LOSE SOME OF MY FOCUS.
I WOULD BECOME NOT SO GOOD OF A
TEACHER AND WOULD KIND OF NOT BE
A GREAT PARENT, NOT NECESSARILY
A GREAT EMPLOYEE AT MY DAY JOB.
IT WAS FUN TO DO FOR A LITTLE
BIT, BUT YOU COULD KIND OF LOSE
TRACK OF IT OVER TIME.
AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT YOU LOSE
A BIG SOCIALIZATION ELEMENT.
KIDS LEARN AS MUCH FROM EACH
OTHER AS THEY DO FROM THEIR
TEACHERS.
THAT WAS A BIG THING THAT WAS
MISSING.
WHEN WE DECIDED TO REACH OUT TO
TRY TO SET UP A HOMESCHOOL POD,
I’M A GIRL SCOUT TROUPE LEADER,
AND WE REACHED OUT TO OTHER
PARENTS IN OUR TROUPE, OTHER
PEOPLE WHO HAD A CHILD WITH
OLDER SIBLINGS THAT MIGHT
COMPLICATE THINGS, AND SEE WHO
WAS INTERESTED.
>> YOU CREATED THIS STATEMENT OF
PRINCIPLE.
ALL FIVE FAMILIES HAVE TO ABIDES
BY THIS.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE SHOWS
SYMPTOMS OF COVID?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO OUR GROUP IS BUILDING THE
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES TOGETHER
NOW, AND WE STARTED WITH KIND OF
A DRAFT.
EVERYBODY PROVIDED COMMENTS.
WHEN SOMEBODY HAD SYMPTOMS,
WE’RE BASICALLY GOING TO FOLLOW
THE CDC GUIDELINES, ABOUT WHEN
THEY STAY HOME AND HOW THEY
NOTIFY OTHER PARENT IN THE POD.
>> KATRINA, REALLY QUICKLY, SOME
WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS YET
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHITE
PRIVILEGE OR WEALTHY PRIVILEGE.
A LOT OF FAMILIES CAN’T AFFORD
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
YOU TOOK THAT INTO
CONSIDERATION, AS I UNDERSTAND
IT.
HOW SO?
>> WELL, WE’RE CONCERNED ABOUT
THE KIDS THAT ARE GETTING LEFT
BEHIND.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A
TREMENDOUSLY DIFFICULT THING TO
DO.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE’RE
TRAINED TO DO.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE
RESOURCES AND THE TYPES OF JOBS
THAT MAKE IT FEASIBLE.
FOR OUR POD, WHAT WE’RE DOING,
WE CAN’T SOLVE THE SYSTEMIC
PROBLEMS AT PLAY, BUT WITH CAN
AND ARE GOING TO INCLUDE A
FAMILY IN OUR POD THAT CAN’T
CONTRIBUTE FROM THE RESOURCE
STANDPOINT BUT CAN CONTRIBUTE
JUST IN TERMS OF BEING PART OF
THE GROUP AND THE SOCIALIZATION
AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHICH WE
THINK WILL BE GOOD FOR OURSELVES
AND OUR COMMUNITY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
KATRINA AND STEVE, BEAUTIFUL
COUPLE, BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR TALKING WITH
US THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> A REMINDER TO TUNE IN TONIGHT
AT 8:00/7:00 CENTRAL FOR A