District 742 In Need of Tutors

(KNSI) – St. Cloud Area Schools are looking for 26 tutors to help teach preschool and elementary students. Twenty tutors are needed to help with reading, four in math, and two for the early learning program.

Senior Manager at Reading & Math Inc., Katelyn Dokken, says many kids are heading into the classroom unprepared to learn.

“There are so many kids out there who don’t have those basic building blocks and don’t have that ability to access that level of reading or math. And in Minnesota, right now, more than half of our students are not reading or doing math at grade level. So it is a big issue.”

She says getting young kids to read is the key to learning.

“If you’re not able to read like you should, by the third grade, how are you going to do history or even those math problems in algebra? How are you going to do speech class? You know everything is building on those building blocks and reading skills.”

Officials say students have fallen behind during the pandemic. Dokken says using tutors can help kids catch up.

“Most of our students that tutors work with make more than a year’s worth of progress during the school year. Working with their tutors is so impactful.”

Tutors are also needed in the Sartell-St. Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice School District.

Officials say no teaching experience is needed. All tutors receive a stipend every two weeks, plus up to $4,500 to pay for college tuition or student loans. Those 55 or older may gift their education award to their child, grandchild, stepchild or foster child. Many tutors also qualify for benefits like free individual health insurance and childcare assistance.

Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors are trained and serve 35, 25 or 18 hours a week at the school. Tutors are asked to commit to the program for a year between August 2022 and June 2023.

Reading Corps, Math Corps and Early Learning Corps are recruiting 1,700 tutors throughout Minnesota.

For an application, click here.

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