From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Michelle Cordero, and this is Heritage Explains.

Around the country, as bars, gyms, restaurants, public pools, daycare, spas, and salons are open, most public school

districts will remain closed for the start of the upcoming academic year.

And just last week, even some private schools in Maryland got orders to close as well.

But in the midst of what I know personally is a time of panic for many

parents, an incredible education movement is happening right before our eyes. The free market is offering

hope to parents who are running out of options through something called pandemic pods. Full disclosure, I'm one of those parents.

So what is a pandemic pod?

Basically, parents team up with other families in their neighborhood or social circle

and pool together their resources.

They quarantine their children together, usually in small groups, and then hire a teacher or a

private tutor to work with their children inside their home. Here are two moms in Kansas City

and how they're making the pod concept work for them. Hi, Mommy!

They're best friends, for sure.

Rachel and Natalie's kids were in the same kindergarten class in the Shawnee Mission School

District.

That is, until COVID-19 canceled in-person learning.

Me as a working parent, it was really hard to suddenly get that notification of, hey,

there's no school next week, and we don't know when it will be back. For both moms, virtual learning proved

difficult. I am not a teacher. I do not have that gift. With a new school year looming,

they're tackling it together. So I could teach the girls on Mondays and Thursdays. Then they'd go to

Rachel for Tuesday and Friday, leaving just one day of solo learning

...