Why do so many high school students have tutors nowadays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

No, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. My kids’ classes are full of kids operating way above their abilities solely resting on the support of a team of tutors and other learning specialists, getting extra time for exams, etc. You’re not doing your kids any favors.

I hired a tutor in college when I needed to and that was twenty years ago. And I was perfectly successful down the road, in the work force.

No reason the support team can't continue if needed.

You obviously don’t have any experience with kids taking a schedule full of AP courses and a team of tutors and extended test taking time and other accommodations, including for standardized tests (SAT). This is fairly typical in my kids’ circles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

No, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. My kids’ classes are full of kids operating way above their abilities solely resting on the support of a team of tutors and other learning specialists, getting extra time for exams, etc. You’re not doing your kids any favors.

I hired a tutor in college when I needed to and that was twenty years ago. And I was perfectly successful down the road, in the work force.

No reason the support team can't continue if needed.

You obviously don’t have any experience with kids taking a schedule full of AP courses and a team of tutors and extended test taking time and other accommodations, including for standardized tests (SAT). This is fairly typical in my kids’ circles.

Unlevel playing field. Hire tutors all you want. We have yet to have need for one, but I suspect maybe in the future when my oldest hits HS next year.

BUT--I draw the line at the fact test taking accommodations for standardized testing. That is abused in a brutal way. If somebody gets an hour longer or so, it just is not fair. There are only a very, very small percentage of kids that should qualify for this. Wealthy parents abuse the system. They are just like Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin to a degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

DP. Reading through this thread shows that a big part of the problem is a lot of kids are in the wrong class, harder classes than they should be. Which is the parents' fault

That may be true to a certain extent, but there are many factors at play:

As a parent, I've never pushed for any particular class. My kids were placed in the classes recommended by the school.

Our experience has been that the middle ground doesn't exist. There is either advanced level or "honors" classes that are easy and not challenging. I would rather my kids be challenged in a more advanced class than do nothing and get As in honors.

Outside enrichment, to some extent, is a vicious cycle. The more kids who do it, the harder it is for the kids who don't. At our large public schools, there are literally kids who enter advanced math having learned the subject matter over the summer, which makes it hard for the kids just learning it to keep up.

There is limited time to get extra support at school and classes are large. Get help at lunch? Lunch is 20 minutes. The kids get one study hall per week, which might not coincide with the time you need help in relation to when the material will be tested. After school help might be available some days. However, staying after school requires a ride home by 3:00 p.m. which is not always possible for working parents. Tutoring can be easier to fit in the family schedule.

I also agree with the PPs who said the classes move faster than in the past, covering more ground but going into less detail. For example, I have found that my son in advance math often does poorly on a test because he doesn't have a good grasp of the material they learned the day before the test. There are no "review days" or chances to ask questions on that material. Material is taught and tested the next day. Studying is difficult under those circumstances. That's where tutors can be a big help. I can't help with AP Calculus, and even if I could, my schedule does not always allow me to devote a particular night to helping my child study for a test the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

No, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. My kids’ classes are full of kids operating way above their abilities solely resting on the support of a team of tutors and other learning specialists, getting extra time for exams, etc. You’re not doing your kids any favors.

Agreed. And the parents compare and gossip about which kids are in the higher courses or taking Geometry in 8th grade. They are all pathetic. Then, their kids are in my car telling me how difficult a time they are having and they wish they weren't pushed ahead (seriously). What I am seeing are kids that are starting to not like math and get a distaste for learning/school because they are swimming into the deep end. Part of it is that our MS math instruction was plain awful. Teachers just teaching via video. But, parents continue to push the kids ahead (and the teacher/school insists they are ready for the next level) even when it is clear to everyone that the foundation has not been developed. My friends that are in STEM professions are more likely to see this and take a stand because they know moving ahead on a shaky foundation means disaster down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

No, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. My kids’ classes are full of kids operating way above their abilities solely resting on the support of a team of tutors and other learning specialists, getting extra time for exams, etc. You’re not doing your kids any favors.

I hired a tutor in college when I needed to and that was twenty years ago. And I was perfectly successful down the road, in the work force.

No reason the support team can't continue if needed.

You obviously don’t have any experience with kids taking a schedule full of AP courses and a team of tutors and extended test taking time and other accommodations, including for standardized tests (SAT). This is fairly typical in my kids’ circles.

The accommodations and tutoring are two separate issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because so many of you have convinced yourselves that your kids are special learners who need special attention, accommodations, extra time, tutors and trainers and specialists, etc. and can’t face up to the fact that your kid is just...average. You are setting them up for colossal failure when they have been overachieving their entire lives with the help of a whole team of specialists and one day they have to be grown ups all by their little selves.

Oh dear, did you wander in from the wrong forum embittered spinster?
You really should have another go at learning to read. I don't think anyone here said their kid was special. But a lot of people have said they are unable to do the normal daily homework help with their kids.
You are a horrible person. But you know that don't you.

No, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. My kids’ classes are full of kids operating way above their abilities solely resting on the support of a team of tutors and other learning specialists, getting extra time for exams, etc. You’re not doing your kids any favors.

Agreed. And the parents compare and gossip about which kids are in the higher courses or taking Geometry in 8th grade. They are all pathetic. Then, their kids are in my car telling me how difficult a time they are having and they wish they weren't pushed ahead (seriously). What I am seeing are kids that are starting to not like math and get a distaste for learning/school because they are swimming into the deep end. Part of it is that our MS math instruction was plain awful. Teachers just teaching via video. But, parents continue to push the kids ahead (and the teacher/school insists they are ready for the next level) even when it is clear to everyone that the foundation has not been developed. My friends that are in STEM professions are more likely to see this and take a stand because they know moving ahead on a shaky foundation means disaster down the road.

Parents that have the means are not just going to accept awful math instruction - they are going to hire tutors to give their kids the math foundation they need. Don't lash out at the people hire tutors - lash out at the school board that allows such pathetic classroom instruction.

[Anonymous]

Please stop the teacher bashing. If you've hired more than one tutor in the last four years, it's not the teacher.

[Anonymous]

The bar is much higher from early ed through high school. My kids public HS in NY has amazing teachers. All offer help and generously. DS junior knew what he needed AP's he needed to take for his major/minor. He's very passionate and smart in his areas of interest. He doesn't want to chase 12+ APs. He's super focused on the ones that are applicable. So, 5 APs, 2-3 dual enrollment subjects and it's perfect for him. He needed a tutor for Alg 2 because he took it along with Geometry. Double math is hard. He did it because he knew he needed to reach AP calc by senior year, not because he plans to major in math, but because colleges (not all) expect it. His list of colleges are not top 20 either. The reality is a kid is not competitive at 30-50+ schools without this rigor.

He also just started with a private SAT/ACT tutor. It's necessary. They test more than knowledge. They're tests of stamina and strategy. Time is of the essence. My kid and many don't have a ton of time to go back. If a kid is on the low normal end of processing speed, its challenging. Tutors give the tips needed to spot the tricks on these tests. And the tricks will getcha, especially if a kid second guesses themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got a math tutor (high school) because the math teacher doesn't teach. She just hands out packets and expects the kids to teach themselves in small groups. And, as a PP noted, there is no textbook.

This is the norm nowadays.
The teacher explains for about 5 minutes and hands out packages.
Students either learn by online YouTube teachers or get a tutor.

That’s so terrible. -OP

PP from above. Are you a teacher? I doubt it or you’re in a crappy school district. This is not what happens in math classrooms. In fact, what you’ve said is what all parents of kids who screw around in class during instruction say.

[Anonymous]

Same teacher that posted above. I also think too many kids are pushed ahead and are not developmentally prepared for that particular level of math instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please stop the teacher bashing. If you've hired more than one tutor in the last four years, it's not the teacher.

It was the non tutor parent who referred to poor math instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please stop the teacher bashing. If you've hired more than one tutor in the last four years, it's not the teacher.

Overly simplistic response. You absolutely can have bad teacher after bad teacher if you are in a non-succeeding school district, and many tutors are hired for enrichment not to keep up or for a remedial student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop the teacher bashing. If you've hired more than one tutor in the last four years, it's not the teacher.

Overly simplistic response. You absolutely can have bad teacher after bad teacher if you are in a non-succeeding school district, and many tutors are hired for enrichment not to keep up or for a remedial student.

I thought everyone on DCUM sent their kids to the best schools ever! There’s a lot of schizophrenia on this board.

[Anonymous]

In addition to what is mentioned above, early tracking puts students on a course that continues through high school, particularly for math. Most kids on a GT track take Algebra in 7th and Geometry in 8th. My older son did, and got straight As in those courses without any help. However, now that he is a junior (and a young one at that), AP Calculus is difficult and he gets tutoring once a week to help. Should he be in a lower math class? Maybe. But he was put on this path years ago. It made sense back then, but has become increasingly difficult each year.

Conversely, I removed another kid from 7th grade algebra because I was worried that he wasn't ready to get it. That put him on a different path. Now, as a 9th Grader taking Geometry, he finds it boring and gets straight As studying very little. You just don't know how it will pay out.

But you can't compare it to what happened decades ago. When I went to high school, AP Calculus was the highest math available and the best students took it senior year. Now there are sophomores taking it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a middle schooler so I’m not there yet, but I’ve heard “everyone” has a tutor. Is this because the material isn’t being effectively taught in the classroom? Is it so students perform well on standardized tests? Is it to get ahead in a subject matter? It doesn’t seem limited to struggling students... Everyone & their mother has a tutor and it’s not cheap!

Parents' insecurities projected onto their children. Since you asked, OP.