The new school year is starting, and it comes with incredibly difficulty choices for parents. Should you send your children to school, and potentially put them at risk for catching COVID-19? Do you have the means to become an unpaid teacher’s aide and guide your elementary school children through a virtual school day? Some parents are solving these problems with “Zooters” and homeschool pods.
What is a “Zooter”? It is a word created by Elyssa Katz, who lives in Santa Monica, California. She is in the process of trademarking the word. She is also a mother of three, who understands the difficulty that parents face while trying to cope with school during a pandemic.
Katz charges parents a matchmaking fee that can range from $700 to $1,000. She and her team will interview tutor candidates, run background and reference checks, and then match the tutors to the right families. The role of these tutors is to be someone who takes over parental demands, helps children with online homework, and takes them outside when it is time for “recess”.
Fees for tutors and child care can range from $20 to $65 an hour. This can make the “zooter” solution be out of reach for families that are low-income or otherwise struggling.
In Baltimore, Maryland, all schools and surrounding counties decided to start the school year virtually. It is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through schools.
Some parents want their children to educated in person. Maryland Teacher Tutors offers one-on-one tutoring, group learning, and “learning pods”. The tutors are certified teachers. These tutors can offer in-person one-on-one assistance to a student. They can also teach a learning pod of students.
What about sending your children to school? There is a risk that COVID-19 could spread through a school, affecting both students and teachers. Unfortunately, this may be the only schooling option for low-income families who can’t afford “zooters” or homeschool pods.
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