More Parents Take Advantage of Free Tutor Service

Jeffrey Solochek:

When Heather Schaeffer heard she could get free tutoring for her children, she didn't think twice.

"I said, 'Thank you, God.' Because I didn't read until junior high. My father had to get a second job so I could go to Sylvan," Schaeffer said Wednesday night, as she attended a tutoring provider fair at Northwest Elementary. "I just raced right over."

Last year, Schaeffer had no problems getting her son, Sylvester, and daughter, Gretchen, into the federally funded program, a component of the No Child Left Behind Act. In Pasco County, as nationally, just a small percentage of the children eligible for services actually took advantage.

This year, the number of eligible students has grown along with the generally favorable word of mouth. Schaeffer worries that her kids won't get access to the services that the federal government promises to low-income children who attend schools that don't make adequate yearly academic progress for three or more years.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 18, 2007 12:00 AM
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