Why Schools are Turning to Tutoring

COVID-19 brought with it an entirely new set of obstacles to overcome. Our lives changed forever in an instant and left us grappling with massive shifts in careers, education, and of course health. Parents were forced to make difficult decisions regarding finances, often resulting in one parent reducing work in order to participate in remote learning. Don’t fret; even the most skilled educators found the pandemic to be one of the most unexpected challenges they have ever faced. Teachers struggled to adjust to the video format, technical issues were everywhere, and not all students had the same resources required for remote learning.

We are still attempting to measure the detrimental effects of the pandemic on academics. For the first period of fully remote learning, Houston school districts reported 42% failing. The previous year, the fail rate was only 26% with in class learning. Other school districts throughout the country are having a similar experience. During remote learning, grades 3-12 in Wilson County, North Carolina reported a 46% fail rate. This is much higher than the previous year.

 These gaps in milestones from missing class have affected even the most academically inclined students. Families everywhere have stories to tell of otherwise straight-A students receiving Cs and Ds, and even Fs in some cases. Some children are receiving their first F, leading to a paramount of stress for these students. With the mounting pressures of academics coupled with the radical changes to our everyday lives and interactions, kids are feeling hopeless. Besides grades, we must also be observant of our kids’ mental health. Remote learning meant very little socialization from peer groups that our kids often rely on emotionally. With normalcy on the horizon, is it close enough yet to reach? School systems agree that we owe it to our kids to try and mitigate the risks in order to resume traditional classes. A lot of districts are still offering remote to students and families who choose.

Feeling overwhelmed? Ok, parents, let’s all take a deep breath. Now that we have the bad news out of the way, it is time to share the GOOD news. The best thing about data is that it is intended to lead us to the results we desire. Your kids are powerful, unstoppable, and at this point have proven they can withstand a massive challenge and persevere. We still have plenty of time to get caught up and even advance your kids past their current level. With a little extra help from parents and tutors, you will be pleasantly surprised at the resiliency of your child’s mind. Even just an hour of extra studying per week can make all the difference. If we work together, we can make this year the most progressive your child has ever had in terms of their education. There is in fact is no better time than the present and once we get this train back on its track, it’ll be full STEAM ahead, as we say around here. If you find you lack the time or resources, our tutoring staff is always ready to jump into action. Just think, if our kids could withstand and overcome the hurdles that COVD-19 has thrown their way, there is no limit to their potential. The first-grader that stands before you could go to space, cure disease, lead the nation; anything is possible! Let’s work together to nurture that notion.

An important issue has been raised as to how we plan to fight the deficit across the country.  There has been discussion of adding extra time for school in some capacity, whether that be a longer day or offering evening classes. Other states are considering adding virtual tutoring programs to their respective districts. Universally, tutoring is the plan of choice, whether it happens at school or home.

You are probably asking yourself, “Wait a minute, didn’t we already see the harm from virtual learning?”

Not quite. The issue is not the format of virtual or remote learning, but rather the lack of training on such a format. Our teachers were highly skilled at administering in-person learning but being able to deliver an education virtually requires its own set of skills. In fact, virtual learning has time-tested data to back it up, and schools or companies that offer virtual learning have great efficacy. You not only have to engage but ignite as well. Creating that spark can be difficult, but proper training and execution lead to wildly successful students who not only learn but suddenly love to learn. This is often performed by hands-on experiences guided in a virtual setting and centered around making learning fun. Direct interaction and activities promote a more relaxed approach, allowing the most profound questions to surface and be discussed.

Virtual tutoring is highly recommended by many school systems to help close the education gap, particularly in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. With these STEAM fields having great relevance in terms of our everyday lives and careers, it is so crucial that we help repair any damage to better prepare our kids. Futurelink offers flexible tutoring packages to help you and your child catch up this fall and move beyond. Wouldn’t it be nice to get ahead for the first time in a while? Let us take the stress of remote learning from you and your child and spark their passion for education again through engaging activities and experiments. It has been our goal long before the pandemic to close the education gap and ensure the success of every child. Reach out to us today and we can continue moving forward together.