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Editor’s Note: S. Kay Bell’s book, The Truth About Paying Future Taxes, is now in bookstores. In it, Bell offers readers 52 truths about how they can find tax savings in our complex tax code.
It’s tough being a student nowadays. Colleges seem to tighten their admission standards every year. Even elementary schoolers face challenges, thanks to federally mandated tests. So what’s a kid, and his or her parents, to do? Turn to tutoring.
Not that many years ago, people didn’t talk about tutors. The perception was that anyone who needed extra class work help probably wasn’t going to climb very far up the educational ladder. That wasn’t necessarily so then and it’s definitely not the case now.
More folks are seeking out one-on-one schooling help without any qualms. Even better, some of the tutoring is free. But to find the appropriate and most cost-effective tutor, you’ve got to do your homework.
Why Do You Want a Tutor?
Your first step is determining why your child needs a tutor. Does your son have a learning disability, or does he simply need a bit of added attention to complete his homework? Does your daughter do well in most courses, but have difficulty understanding certain concepts in one subject? External issues also could contribute to classroom problems. Large class sizes limit the ability of instructors to provide needed attention. Curriculum changes or even a poor relationship with the teacher can lead to lower grades.
Other signals that your child may benefit from a tutor include:
• He seems to be trying, but his grades don’t reflect that effort.
• She doesn’t complete her homework or does so poorly.
• He shows an increasing lack of confidence and motivation about school.
• She is anxious about tests.
Once you figure out where the problem lies, you can find the right tutor.
Start at the School
Under federal No Child Left Behind Act guidelines, schools that are deemed “in need of improvement” for two or more consecutive years must provide free tutoring to children from low-income families.
Such options are available via the Austin Independent School District’s Supplemental Educational Services (SES; www.austinisd.org/academics/ses/). The tutoring services are provided by state-approved instructors, said Mark Alvarado, coordinator of the SES program, and all costs are paid for by the school district. “It’s just one of many options. We have numerous other programs, nonprofits that work on campus, local universities, Boys and Girls Clubs.”
One of those nonprofits is Austin Partners in Education (APIE; www.austinpartners.org). (See our Special Feature profile of Executive Director Kathrin Brewer on pp. 54.) The group offers a variety of community-classroom volunteer programs in conjunction with the Austin school district. Linda Miracle retired in June as program supervisor for APIE’s Victory tutoring program, but she remains an enthusiastic advocate of the effort. In addition to working with the AISD, the Victory program also partners with Austin Public Libraries and holds some of its sessions in those facilities.
Victory’s one-on-one tutoring is provided by volunteers and covers all academic subjects for students grades 1-12. There is no charge for the tutoring, said Miracle, as long as the student’s parents pay Austin city taxes. While most of those taking advantage of Victory tutoring are struggling with their regular classroom work, Miracle noted that the program also offers help to advanced placement and honors students who are looking to improve or maintain their grades. “What we do is provide a different perspective,” said Miracle. “Sometimes just coming at the material in another way is what it takes.” Tutoring hours at most sites are from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. That time frame, said Miracle, works well for older students who have after-school activities.
While tutoring through a school district or volunteer program is convenient and the price is right, the major drawback is that such programs are limited to the school year. So if your child needs some help between semesters, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Pick a Private Tutor
One possibility for year-round help is a private tutor. An informal arrangement, such as hiring the honors student down the block, could be all you need to help your child’s academic performance improve. A reasonable price for this type of tutoring is $10-to-$15 an hour.
This type of tutoring usually is fine for basic homework help, but if you want more analysis of your child’s learning issues, you’ll want to hire a professional. Tutors with several years of experience, typically in the academic arena, can combine personal attention with proven teaching methods.
Kathy Donnell of Alpine retired last year after 21 years of teaching fifth and sixth graders. She now tutors students at those grade levels. “My school asked if I wanted to substitute teach and I said, ‘no, I didn’t want to do that,’” said Donnell. “I wanted to work but had to be in a job where I could set my own hours and get paid enough to make it worthwhile.” That’s exactly what she got when she agreed, at the school principal’s follow-up request, to tutor. Her contract arrangement with the school is her main job now, but she also has picked up a few private tutoring clients.
Most of Patrick Jones’ students are a bit older. Since moving to Austin in 2007, his Just Math Tutoring business (www.justmathtutoring.com) has grown primarily thanks to the demands of The University of Texas calculus program. “UT has been a real plus for me. They’ve got one of the hardest calculus sequences I’ve seen anywhere,” said Jones, who has a Masters degree in mathematics from the University of Louisville, KY.
Jones was a teaching assistant at Vanderbilt before his move to Texas, and still teaches the occasional class at Austin Community College. But his primary job now is tutoring, for which his base rate is $55 per hour.
Find a Franchise
National tutoring chains are another option. The most well-known are Sylvan, Huntington and Kumon. In the greater Austin area, each company has several learning centers; their online search engines can help you find the nearest facility. Typical monthly charges range from $85-to-$115 per subject, per month. In addition, most also charge a registration fee of $30-to-$50. An advantage of franchise operations is that they also often offer payment plans. A drawback of chain programs is that the tutoring sometimes is in small groups, three to four students to one tutor, rather than the one-on-one attention you get from a private tutor.
Explore Online Options
New technologies also have produced changes in the tutoring field. Sylvan offers an online program. Other web-based tutoring is available via MathNerds.com or Tutor.com. Cyber tutoring might be preferable if your child is shy, your family has scheduling issues or a learning center is not nearby, your child is easily distracted around other youngsters or your child doesn’t want his friends to see that he’s getting extra help.
Whichever tutor route you take, the added attention should lead to improvement in your child’s performance. Remember, though, as with regular schooling, you and your youngster will get the most out of a tutor if you get involved and find the right fit for your child’s needs.