After School Tutoring For Memphis City Schools Students

Did you ever need a little extra help with a school subject? At some point or another, almost all of us have. Whether it’s been something like handwriting or learning letters to diagramming a sentence or geometry, we’ve all had times when we’ve struggled in school. (This does not mean the struggle we had staying awake in early morning classes!) While classroom teachers are doing everything they can to help their students and facilitate learning, they can’t do it all. They need help. The Memphis Schools school board leaders struggled with this issue. Here’s one way they’re trying to help these struggling Memphis Schools students (and their teachers).

The Memphis Schools system has created a department to handle the recruitment and organization of community members who are willing and able to donate time and effort mentoring students. As stated on the Memphis City Schools website, “helping one child learn helps us all. Children must master basic reading and mathematics skills to succeed in life, and all of them can. But some need a little extra help and a little extra time. Some of them need you.”

Memphis Schools are calling on the entire community to help tutor students, and will give volunteers all the training and materials needed to do the job. Adds the Memphis Schools website, “All you have to invest is a little time. And when this investment grows, everybody profits. It’s time we stopped asking, “Why doesn’t somebody do something?” Somebody can. You. Join Our children – Our Future, the new Memphis City schools volunteer tutor training program.” It is a wonderful initiative that is being undertaken by the Memphis Schools system, and one to be copied by other school systems throughout Tennessee and the nation.

When participating in the program serving students attending Memphis Schools, volunteer tutors work with K-6 students for 30 minutes once or twice a week, and 45 minutes once a week for those in 7th – 12th grades. Times for tutoring sessions will be individualized for all Memphis Schools, and will include times before, during, and after the school day. Individual schedules of volunteers will be considered when scheduling tutoring sessions.

Volunteers at any of the Memphis Schools will receive approximately 2 ½ -3 hours of training, as well as all materials they might require when working with their student. Tutors can pick the age of the child they work with, as well as what subject (either Reading or Math) they want to help in. Volunteer tutors must have a high school diploma, and have a strong concept of algebraic concepts if tutoring in higher math. In addition, all volunteers must agree to a background check, in order to ensure the safety of all Memphis Schools students

How To Start Your Own Virtual Supplemental Education Services (SES): After School Tutoring Program

The type of company that offers federally funded supplement education service (SES) tutoring has changed in some cases drastically from years past. In the beginning, fairly well-known companies and not for profit agencies that already offered private tutoring services offered SES tutoring services to school districts. Many parents, already familiar with the names and services these companies provided, were happy to receive free tutoring for their children. School districts were glad to get help for the children experiencing the most challenges and were excited at the prospect of increasing school achievement.

In some school districts enrollment was paltry because the districts simply did not have the personnel, experience, time or money to implement the mandated tutoring requirement in the way the federal government envisioned. The federal government then stepped in to make it clear that school districts were obligated to advertise to parents that their children were eligible for free tutoring to increase enrollment. After that time, SES exploded. The number of enrolled children increased along with the number of providers, particularly small independent providers. During the first 2 years of SES, principals, teachers and other educators watched the program in action and in some cases, eventually hired by the well-known companies to implement their programs. Those individuals began to understand that they would be very effective in conceiving and running programs because they were intimately familiar with their students and the challenges they faced with achievement.

The number of provider applications in some states has doubled every year and because of the way the No Child Left Behind Act has set up their criteria for eligibility, the number of children participating continues to rise as well. The economy also played a contributing, yet unforeseen, part in this phenomenon. With the rise in unemployment, the number of children eligible for free and reduced lunch increased thereby increasing the number of eligible children. This coupled with increased teacher layoffs, all worked to create the current state of SES. There are now hundreds of SES tutoring companies who are providing SES tutorial services to millions of children across the United States. But of the many, a few have taken some bold steps in venturing into the virtual realm. As education changes, more and more of it will be done remotely. If you’re considering starting an online/virtual supplement education service tutoring company, there are a few things you should consider prior to launching your business.

Every SES tutoring company should strive to be as effective and cost effective as possible and strategic use of technology is an excellent way to cut on marketing costs as well as operational costs. Still other SES companies have chosen to run a Virtual SES tutoring program using laptops, Webcams, Skype, Portable Headsets, Go to My PC, MiFi Hot Spots ($20 – $80) – Verizon with or with-out a contract, Virgin Mobile, and/or Clearwire (In select areas) – no contract ($35 – $60).

There are various online programs that will either support existing learning books and curriculum or are stand-alone programs, and others that use technological tools to present the material to the students. The stand-alone programs are fairly simple, you pay a license fee per child (usually $5 to $10 per child per month or $99 a year is going to be typical) for the child to have unlimited access to their program. Many programs are interactive and are tailored specifically to each child’s learning ability. Learning CD’s will typically cost you a one time fee but you would be able to use the same CD for multiple children.

This is a necessary component of any curriculum that re-quires the student to have internet access. You cannot rely on the school system to provide computers though you can certainly ask if they would allow you to use their computer lab. There are a couple of things to note here particularly when it comes to costs and the students actually being able to use a laptop. Do not buy any equipment that is incapable of handling at least your basic windows. Windows CE for example is the same type of software that you will find on mobile devices and many programs, particularly your interactive programs will re-quire more capability. Netbooks are not a good idea, they are not meant to handle most interactive online curriculum and unless you get a warranty against any damage, you are bound to run into problems with broken equipment.

It may take some time to really do your research to find cost effective laptops and those laptops may likely have to be found overseas but your time is well spent looking for Laptops rather than Netbooks.

You should know if you are running an online program that some states and/or districts do not allow online SES tutoring programs – i.e. Connecticut. Before deciding which states to target, you may want to contact the state’s education agency and consult the state website to verify that online/virtual tutoring is acceptable for supplemental education services.

From the Tutor: 8 Signs of a Great After School Program and What To Do If You Don’t Find One

In the US nearly 28 million school age children have both parents employed. About 7 million of them are alone without any adult supervision every day after school. That represents millions of kids on their own, and perhaps even with responsibility for younger siblings, 15 or more hours every week. The need for safe, educational and fun after-school activities has never been greater.

Look for after-school programs in your community. Often you can find a school that is open as a Community Learning Center. These centers represent an efficient use of school buildings, and can minimize the need to transport some or all of the students they serve. Nonprofit youth organizations [such as YM/YWCA or scouts] very often are partners in school-based programs or maintain their own programs off school grounds. Churches and other faith-based organizations also sponsor centers, quite often in their own facilities. If you can’t find any such program, gather a group of parents and work with one or more local organizations to create one.

8 things to look for in a quality after-school program:

1. Is the physical location safe? Secure? Drug-Free?

2. Will your children get homework help and encouragement? Is tutoring available? Are there educational enrichment activities?

3. Is the program fun for kids? Inviting? Interesting?

4. Are parents welcome? Are they required to give time? Can community members volunteer

5. Are the activities well suited to your community?

6. Are staff members professional?

7. What community organizations are involved?

8. Is it affordable and available when and where YOUR FAMILY needs it?

Be sure that you get answers to all of these questions. DISCUSS them with your family [include kids whenever you can]. That way you can decide if a specific program is RIGHT for you. But what if NONE in your area seems like the right one? Then what?

• Gather a group of concerned people. You will find that many if not most working parents would agree that there are not nearly enough high-quality after-school options.
• Talk details. Find out exactly what your neighbors and friends are looking for, and, even more important, how they are willing to help. You’ll be surprised at the many people, parents or not, who would be happy to share an interest or skill.
• Talk to the non-profit leaders in your community. Enlist their help in general and specific ways.
• Publicize your efforts at meetings and in local publications that will accept your letter or article.
• DON’T STOP until you find or create a GREAT EXPERIENCE for your kids while you are at work each day!