Private Tutors @ BS: Do you or know those who use them? Why? Which schools?

In another thread one person mentioned the use of private tutors at BS.

Do you use a private tutor(s) at BS? If so, why?

At which schools is the use of private tutors more prevalent?

Do the students need the help? Is it driven by the parents trying to get an edge for their student? Is it an indication of the lack of resources (academic and/or tutoring) at the schools?

Our high-performing LPS has this problem with parents providing tutors to kids in order to be “enriched” (get an edge). It is an arms race. In at least one case, it is so bad that a kid’s tutoring is impacting a team’s (and his) grade in a class because he is choosing his math enrichment tutoring session over working on a team project.

Most boarding schools we know of do offer peer tutoring and faculty tutoring. At Revisits, parents did ask about this and the faculty addressed this issue. You should ask @ this at Revisit and also read the school handbook about this policy.

We know (from faculty and counselors) of students at some schools using FaceTime to get private tutoring from back home. This may be a conflict with policy- depends on school .There may have been something @ this a couple of years ago on CC.

At one Revisit, we heard that some foreign students were up late at night FaceTiming tutors overseas. We don’t know how prevalent this is, however.

There was also discussion @ Revisit about using private tutors for SAT/ACT prep. How common is this?

@TheSwami none of our kids have used private tutors at BS and they have never commmeted on their classmates doing so either. When they have needed support, they have used the academic support center (where they have gone to get help from peers), gotten help from a friend in the dorm or met one on one with their teachers. Our daughter has actually been a tutor for the last 4 years for a family in the community with 2 kids through a service club at PEA.

Yes, private tutoring is fairly common, and silent. My son used the resources on campus, which frankly were not that great. I didn’t find out that many of my son’s peers used private tutors throughout the 4 years of HS until after he graduated. Many parents do this so that their kids have a ‘leg up’, and do so secretly without telling the school. As long as the tutor is not doing anything that would be an honor code violation, I see no problem with it.

Coming from a public school, I can see where a writing tutor might help. The writing skills expected at boarding schools are definitely at a higher level than most public schools. Classes like history/humanities/english are heavy on analysis and writing. For math/science related subjects, it might be better to rely on the academic support services within each school.

The percentage of students who use private SAT/ACT tutors is very high, probably at least 75%. At Lawrenceville, for the disadvantaged students who couldn’t afford private tutoring, they offered a SAT prep company that had a close relationship with the counseling office.

At Thacher, there are peer tutors available in the dorm common room during study hall time. Teachers are often there as well.

The handbook clearly states that you should turn first to your teacher for extra help. Other teachers in the department, advisors, and the study skills coordinator are alternate choices. You are NOT supposed to consult anyone outside the Thacher Community (parents, siblings, tutors) without first discussing their involvement with a teacher. Students are expected to note on their work if they received help from someone and whom.

In contrast, friends at a day school here report not only lots of tutoring going on, but that parents are encouraged to edit their kid’s papers, as long as they track changes or do it via comments do the teacher can see the parent’s contribution.

The SPS Honor Code makes it very difficult to use private tutors for subjects that you are currently taking. Math might be an exception in that you could be tutored in an area without actually receiving help on an assignment. All assignments require students to sign a statement saying that they did not receive outside help. People are expelled for violating the honor code. The school offers faculty and student tutors, as necessary.

At Hotchkiss, however, many people used outside tutors. Although they have an honor code, it isn’t as explicit. Hotchkiss also offers faculty and student tutors, as necessary.

@sgopal2 At which school was outside tutoring fairly common?

@Golfgr8 …thank you…you say “We know (from faculty and counselors) of students at some schools using FaceTime to get private tutoring from back home.”…what are the schools in question?

@TheSwami - you can PM me but we know this is done and school policies differ. We know private tutors who Face Time for SAT prep also.

I think it sends a horrible message to kids if parents pay for Skype/FaceTime help at a boarding school with a policy against outside tutoring.

What are they trying to teach their kids? That the rules don’t apply to those who are wealthy?

I think there is an opportunity for a broader discussion @ this topic! This may best be explored during your Revisit days. Also, you should have a candid conversation with advisors about this, or ask about it at Revisit or drop off.

Sometimes kids need extra help and don’t know how to get it, or (more common) are embarrassed to seek it out at BS. This may be particularly difficult if the student is from another culture (where “help” is viewed as a weakness) or if there is a language barrier.

Without focusing on the particulars of which schools allow it, forbid it, or turn a blind-eye, let’s encourage new BS parents to ask questions during Revisit about learning supports and being proactive in getting your child support at school. This is also a great time (before school starts) to have an honest discussion with your student about recognizing when they feel overwhelmed, don’t understand something in class, and what they can do if they feel they are not keeping up. Know in advance what supports are available to students at your school. Sometimes something small and manageable will snowball into a larger issue because there was a delay in getting support and/or extra help.

As I have posted before on CC, most teachers at BS encourage students to attend office hours - in fact, some teachers give you a “bump” in grading if they know you have been showing up for office hours. Encourage your student to seek help and discuss the different ways to get support at school. Sometimes, kids don’t even know how to reach out to their advisors about this. Your school may have weekly lunches or meet ups as an advisory “group”, but (maybe) your student will be shy to bring up needed help in a group setting. Ask at Revisit how often your kid’s advisor meets with them one-on-one. In conclusion, prepare your student by discussing these scenarios before you head off to school in September.

FWIW - I know a swing coach who does Face Time tutorials (LOL)!!

Swing coach? Hoping you meant Lindy Hop but suspect you mean golf, @Golfgr8

Tutoring policies really vary.

St Andrew’s in Delaware does not permit outside tutoring, except on school breaks

https://www.standrews-de.org/academics/resources

Deerfield only permits tutoring from an approved list of tutors, who provide the administration with a list of Deerfield students receiving help. If a student is struggling, Deerfield might actually recommend tutoring from one of their approved tutors.

If as student needed help beyond consultation (and learning center and peer resources), our school would arrange a tutor, typically another teacher in the department, with the hope that hearing a “fresh” explanation would crack an impasse.

I know that parents with kids at other BS made use of outside tutors as the norm.

You should definitely check the school’s policy on this. There is a big difference between a tutor to address a learning challenge and as culture in which outside assistance is the norm.

Call me cheap, but I operated on the premise that we were paying a lot of tuition for correct placement in courses and adequate support so that a need for tutoring, while possible (and yes, it was needed in one “reach” class at times), should be occasional and exceptional.

Given the cost of tuition, I feel like schools should be responsible for helping kids who are struggling, no?

By going to the teacher first, the teacher can realize if there is a specific concept he/she needs to explain better or whether the child should be in a different course instead. By turning to school-based resources, the school can also track if some teachers just aren’t getting through.

It is crazy to think that at some schools, paying for expensive tutors might be an additional expense. It is also an equity issue: Pity the poor FA student who can’t afford a private tutor.

Doing it in secret at schools with clear policies seems wrong, too, because of the message it sends about rules not applying to the wealthy. (Remember the college scandal, anyone?)

Will junior have private tutors in college, too? Will daddy pay for an executive coach to help him do better at his first job? Where does it end?

@gardenstategal , just wanted to clarify that my most recent comment was general and not at all directed at you.

Thanks, @CaliMex . We are in agreement and our comments align. Our school was happy to arrange tutoring when a student had exhausted the resources available to them without success, and there was no expectation that outside support would be required on a regular basis to supplement excellent teaching or inappropriate course choices.

@calimex: My son went to Lawrenceville School.

Lville does allow outside tutoring, and even encourages it for SAT/ACT prep. Aside from a lengthy section on plagiarism, the Lville honor code doesn’t really mention anything about using outside tutors.

If outside tutoring is commonplace at a particular boarding school, families for whom tuition is already a stretch should be wary…

At our school, tutoring is only available through the Learning Center, with school-approved and provided tutors. ACT/SAT test prep is standard for all students, starting in 10th grade, with an outside company. The cost is included in the tuition - there is no “extra” incursion. It is a big investment for the school, and - my opinion only - has been great. Our son saw his ACT score improve significantly (+6 points).