We need a ‘national tutoring corps’ to fix gaps in our children’s education before college
Amid the chaos currently afflicting higher education, there is another slow-moving disaster that has us all worried. The pandemic inflicted untold injury on the educational achievements of young people. In higher education, we already see the results on high school students, but we fret even more about the impact on little kids, the disruption of that all-important early childhood education. It is a ticking time bomb that cannot wait to be addressed until students come to our campuses, or worse, fail to come to college at all. Unless the nation does something, we all will take a serious hit in global competitiveness, to say nothing of our children’s opportunities.
Here is an idea. Let’s build a National Tutoring Corp. For decades we have discussed the benefits of national service, the kind of purpose-driven experience that would bond young people across the country. We may now face a crisis urgent enough to convince us to act. We should create a small army of tutors to help our children catch up from the pandemic gaps in their education.
We could recruit young people to a national service corps with the promise of generous college loan forgiveness, at a level that makes it worth their while. Instead of loan forgiveness that just benefits the lucky, college students would be earning that investment. It would be an investment in education at every level.
This proposal would help solve multiple problems at once. First, we lost serious ground in our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy. According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (the “nation’s report card”), the educational attainment of our young people declined dramatically since 2019. Math scores suffered a “devastating” loss, the largest ever recorded. Only 26 percent of eighth graders have proficiency in math, and only a third in reading.
Even worse, decades of progress in closing the opportunity gap have been wiped away. In a country built on the promise of meritocracy, we are allowing that reality to shift dramatically overnight. We worked so hard for so long to ensure that children born into poverty could slowly but steadily catch up. Now they’ve fallen massively behind, and yet again we risk wasting their talent and crushing their dreams. I fear the next assessment of fourth and eighth graders during the 2023-24 school year will inspire more hand-wringing when its results are released.
As Education Secretary Miguel Cardona put it, the situation is “appalling and unacceptable." How we respond to this “moment of truth for education,” he added, will determine our nation’s standing in the world. Back in the 1950s, shocked that the Soviets pulled ahead in the space race, the U.S. quickly founded science and math schools like the one I graduated from. This should be another Sputnik moment.
Research shows “high-dose” individual tutoring works, moving at exactly the right pace and building confidence. Other countries, such as Britain, and some states, such as Tennessee, have specifically funded tutoring to catch up from pandemic learning loss. Our new tutors would require meaningful training, but not nearly as much as is needed to command a full classroom.
Flooding elementary schools with college-educated young people will also inspire the next generation of students with the possibilities of education.
National public service would also solve another simmering crisis by bringing together young people across demographic and political divides, as the military does now. At a moment when our nation has cleaved into tribes and retreated into silos, we also have a crucial need to invest in the skills of civil discourse. We should bring together young people across the political divide to focus on the common good and, quite literally, to maintain our nation’s standing in the world.
Years ago, I spent time volunteering to tutor in a third-grade class and will never forget Tony, the brilliant, bespeckled nine-year-old whom I’m quite sure will someday find a cure for cancer. For the rest of my life when I think about policy choices, I remember his eager face. He made me think hard about how we distribute educational and economic opportunities. He made me realize how much talent we squander.
Tania Tetlow is president of Fordham University in New York.
Date: |
Filter
-
Even Apple cannot explain why we need AI in our lives
A souped-up Siri and personalised emojis are coming but the most important question remains unansweredFinancial Times - Business - Apple -
We’re in our 70s and don’t trust our family to handle our estate. What can we do?
There are options for people who don’t have family — or don’t want their family — to handle their affairsMarketWatch - Business -
This is how we do it: ‘We were both anxious when we met, but our sex life is a lot of fun now’
Harry wasn’t sure he’d love again after his wife died, and Meredith’s ex was ‘Victorian’ in bed, so finding each other has been a joy. • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously. My body just reacted. I suddenly felt, I’d ...The Guardian - World -
When our young son died, we decided to build him a boat
Wild Cat Island had always held a special place in the imagination of our son, so after his funeral we chose to try and send him on one last journey. Famously, Windermere is the setting of the children’s adventure story Swallows and Amazons by ...The Guardian - World -
Amy Poehler: ‘If we want young people to fix everything, why do we make fun of them?’
She’s the voice of Joy in Pixar’s Inside Out 2 – but Poehler has more complicated emotions on her mind. The SNL star talks teen angst and clueless grownups in a non-binary world. Britain is ruled by three emotions, says Amy Poehler: “Sadness, ...The Guardian - World -
Mester says Fed needs to see more low inflation readings before cutting interest rates
The president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve said the low inflation readings in May were great news, but the central bank needs to “see that continue a bit longer” before it can cut interest rates.MarketWatch - Business - Federal Reserve -
'The Indispensable Right' Review: Why We Need Free Speech
American democracy cannot function without the protections of the First Amendment. Our faith in free expression is a faith in our fellow citizens.The Wall Street Journal - World -
‘We Need to Unite’: Protests Against the Far Right Are Held Across France
A newly formed left-wing coalition called on demonstrators to stop Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party from taking power in upcoming elections.The New York Times - World -
Baltimore educator to be honored at Tony Awards
CJay Philip, an actor, dancer and educator from Baltimore, is the winner of the 2024 Excellence in Theatre Education Award, and will be honored Sunday at the 77th annual Tony Awards.CBS News - Entertainment -
‘I have a chronic illness’: My husband and I are in our 30s, earn $120,000 and pay $1,500 in rent. Will we ever own a home?
“We both have a 401(k), his totalling $20,000 and mine just over $56,000.”MarketWatch - Business
More from The Hill
-
Eyeing Trump presidency, conservatives want to delay funding fight
Bullish of former President Trump’s chances of winning back the White House in November, some conservatives are pitching a funding stopgap that would extend into next year rather than expire during a lame duck session when President Biden would ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Iran and Sweden to swap prisoners, including convicted war criminal
Iran agreed Saturday to release two Swedish nationals held in Tehran for over two years in exchange for a convicted Iranian war criminal tied to the 1988 mass killing of protestors critical of the Islamic Republic in the capital city. While ...The Hill - Politics - Iran -
Raskin hits Republicans for bowing to 'sugar daddy' Trump after Capitol visit
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) criticized his Republican colleagues in Congress Saturday after they met with former President Trump in closed-door meetings earlier this week, calling the positivity around the visit "a scandal and a disgrace." The ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Sunday shows preview: Trump sells GOP unity with Capitol visit
Former President Trump made an appearance on Capitol Hill this week, attempting to rally Republican lawmakers during his first time meeting with Congress since the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. Several of his most loyal supporters will make appearances on ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
America is full of the living dead — and Mississippi is ground zero.
lawmakers in Mississippi and across this nation must finally put people over politics and deliver much-needed policies like Medicaid expansion and increased access to health care to meet the urgency that this crisis demands.The Hill - Politics