SchoolPodUSA

Alternative schooling for the failing government system

With September right around the corner and several agendas moving forward in the Public Education world, parents and educators alike are scrambling to figure out the different approaches to fight back. One of these approaches requires breaking out of the box of what has been done for decades and moving into unknown territory. Many parents who have never thought about leaving public education are now crossing into the Home Schooling world. For some, a full leap is just not feasible, and that is where this new hybrid model has begun to take form. Pods and Learning Centers are beginning to pop up in numerous neighborhoods around the Country. Hundreds of Facebook groups as well. How does one get the information? Should we be spending hours stuck on Facebook or is there an easier way not linked to social media?

January 23rd, 2022,  Mess to Message Ministries announced the launch of SchoolpodUSA.com, an online platform, database, research tool & mobile-friendly website that provides parents, educators, and alternative learning centers with a centralized resource for important information on schooling options as well as a way to connect the parents, educators & Learning centers. As the platform matures, parent and community feedback will be incorporated with the intent to help families & educators navigate all the educational options available for their children. 

As the Public School System continues to evolve into what they feel is the correct education for children, parents are also evolving into adults empowered to take a serious look at parental rights and where they are being altered and/or removed. As parents take a closer look at education, they need access & better information regarding the many school options.

SchoolPodUSA was uniquely developed to serve the specific needs of families looking for alternatives, extra help, and centralizes all data and information to help those families navigate the full menu of school options.  

Finding the different schools or starting a new one has been a daunting experience as most people are used to 2 options. However, there are so many other options outside of public and charter. While districts have a “universal” enrollment system for traditional and charter schools, these other options do not include the government. These are decisions that parents make for their children and there is a major growing need for educators and therapists for this next season of learning. We are entering an Education Revolution.

Now parents & educators have a way to find each other rather than finding themselves stuck in a system that is failing them.

The platform was designed by Jennifer Mess and her development team. Jennifer, who also began Freedom Loving Teachers of NJ, has been an educator for over 20 years in the Public sector, has four children, and has been a point of contact for thousands of educators and parents struggling with the current system. 

Mess, who will continue to lead the platform’s evolution to best serve families and educators said,

“During this challenging moment in education, it is more important than ever to help families learn about the many great school options that exist. Our focus with SchoolPodUSA has been to listen to the needs of the parents and educators and create a solution that is definitely needed & valued by parents as well as educators & learning centers. There are brave parents and educators that have taken the leap to alternative options. The interaction with schools, parents, & educators over the last several months point to a clear “YES!” –  that they want more resources and find this type of tool useful.  Most importantly, we see an even greater potential to continue evolving this platform to ensure greater transparency, connection, & information sharing in the future.”

Mess began developing SchoolpodUSA after seeing the frustration of parents and educators alike. They felt completely ignored by administrators, BOEs, Unions, & the Department of Education. While Mess was interacting with her outreaches and the amazing people she has met throughout the past year, she found that the connection part was not working. There were hundreds of groups and no one could keep up. Requests for pods in an area were lost within a day. That is where the solution was born.

Once SchoolpodUSA was put into beta form, educators & parents were universally enthusiastic; Parents have shared their concerns about the overreach in public schools: they found it difficult to find other parents and options so they could really be the ones in charge of what their children are learning.  Nearly all who were asked said they needed a new resource tha makes it easier and more direct to find other people in their areas as well as information about school options.

“Wow, it’s all there!  It gives you everything, Very exciting.” noted an Educator participating in SchoolpodUSA beta phase. “It certainly bridges the gap for parents by keeping us informed and up to date,” said parent Lyndsie Lamela. “Until now, there was no place where you could get all your questions answered. Now it’s all in one location. I am grateful for SchoolpodUSA.“

Mess started testing SchoolpodUSA, contacting Educators through social and digital engagement and gathering feedback during Beta testing. The platform received numerous  inquiries during the initial public phase, providing her development team with quality data about user habits that will improve the experience for families in the future. 

Much like any other app or software, SchoolpodUSAwill grow over time, by responding to the feedback from its parent/educator-users that will help the team make fixes, add new features, and increase outreach– For more information on SchoolpodUSA, go to the full site here.