`Learning Pods’ Spread to Left-Behind Kids With Cities’ Help (1)

Prolonged school closures driven by the coronavirus pandemic prompted parents across the country to start learning “pods”—some with well-paid tutors—for small groups of children to learn in person.

That trend in turn has raised concerns about students with limited means, many of them Black and Latino, being left behind. Some cities and community organizations are responding by launching their own versions of learning pods designed to reach students with the greatest needs.

In San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Boston, local governments and community groups have used a mix of public and charitable funding to give small groups of students the chance ...