Managing Remote and Hybrid Programs as a Preschool/K-12 School
Schools are adopting diverse policies for social distancing for the 2020-2021 school year. Many families are forming insulated “pods” as care and learning circles, where a small team of families rotate the daytime responsibilities for their children. During this challenging time, the Komae app is available for free as a tool for schools help parents connect and organize those groups.
Komae is a cooperative childcare app that provides a flexible care management option for school systems. Traditionally on Komae, parents swap ‘Komae Points’ as a way to manage and coordinate care for their children within a trusted network.
The app can be used to coordinate the rotation of care days and communicate need within trusted groups regardless of a family’s capacity to give. Families who give and receive in kind use Komae forever free. If a family needs more help than they can offer to others, we’ve made Points available for purchase. If a family serves others more than they need care for themselves, we offer quarterly Point Cash-ins where parents redeem extra Points for family-forward, kid-happy gifts.
Getting Started
Please fill out this form letting us know that you are a K-12 school or preschool seeking to assist parents in scheduling and managing care rotations, including for homeschooling. After completion of the form, our team will be in touch within 24 hours to walk you through the next steps outlined below.
Next Steps
- Our team will create a group for your school within Komae to make it easy for families seeking pods to find each other. Families and teachers may additionally self-organize into smaller, private Komae groups for their pods.
- Our team will prepare an email template and flyers you can share with your families that include best practices and a link to the group within the Komae app.
- We continue to support your school throughout the year to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Contact us with any questions you may have and to let us know how we can help.
Best Practices
- Pod Up: Create small teams of 2-5 families only to limit community exposure. Families should clearly communicate COVID-19 hygiene practices and expectations within their pod and select the combination of families that is right for them. Limit the number of hired educators that have physical contact with a pod.
- Lean into Parents’ Skills: Many parents are willing and able to provide tutoring within their pods for certain skills. Some skills may be novel, like engineering, music, or cooking. Encourage parents to recognize their talents and capacity to teach.
- Drop Off Social Distance Style: We encourage distance drop-offs. Rather than walking up to greet the other parents at the door or go into their house, just let the kiddos cross the last 6 feet on their own.
