COVID-19 DIDN'T BREAK THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT WAS ALREADY BROKEN.

FAMILIES ARE LEAVING TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS IN RECORD NUMBERS FOR PODS, HOMESCHOOLING, CHARTERS, AND MORE.

- COREY A. DEANGELIS

WE ARE WITNESSING an exodus from public schools that’s unprecedented in modern U.S. history. Families are fleeing the traditional system and turning to homeschooling, virtual charters, micro-schools, and—more controversially—“pandemic pods,” in which families band together to help small groups of kids learn at home.

The result has been an enormous backlash. A recent New York Times opinion article claimed that families forming pods is “the latest in school segregation.” Denver Public Schools issued a formal statement in August urging parents not to unenroll their children—even though the district is not reopening its schools in person—because it is “deeply concerned about the pods’ long-term negative implications for public education and social justice.” Falls Church City Public Schools in Virginia issued a similar statement the next day, pressuring families not to withdraw their children. Administrators were concerned about “pandemic flight” and worried that “an exodus of students” would cause schools to lose money.

The vast majority of students have been out of the classroom for nearly half a year because of the K-12 school closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Although it’s technically back-to-school season, millions of children won’t actually be returning to school buildings. About three-quarters of the nation’s 100 largest public school districts decided not to reopen with any in-person options this fall, which has left families scrambling for alternatives.