After a turbulent spring of COVID induced virtual learning, some traditional public schools in the U.S. are hesitant to reopen with face-to-face instruction in fall 2020. In response to this uncertainty, many parents are taking their childrens' education into their own hands. Some are banding together to create their own kind of school, with small groups of students limiting contagion, referred to as learning pods. Many wonder what exactly these pods are and how they work. Even more pressing are concerns of equity and strategies ensuring that all families have access to this homegrown education option. Here, I define learning pods, examine what we know about the likely efficacy of learning pods, given current evidence, and discuss policy strategies that savvy innovators are trying across the country that could serve as quality guardrails and to expand access.