Across America, many public spaces are taking on an unlikely new responsibility this fall. They are welcoming children for distance learning while their parents go to work. Among such places are martial arts centers, dance schools, community centers and libraries. With many schools still closed because of the coronavirus crisis, a lot of Americans are looking for places to provide supervised learning to children during the workday. These places can help families that had difficulties with distance learning last spring. But organizers admit they are a poor replacement for schools with professional educators. One example is in Broward County, Florida. When schools in the area announced plans to begin the new year with distance learning, dance studio owner Katie Goughan thought immediately about the difficulties facing working parents. Her dance school, Dance Explosion Company in Hollywood, Florida, hired a temporary teacher. The teacher is there from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to make sure the students are studying. The dance school program costs $150 a week, or $35 a day.
