Need help with homework? What about the SAT or ACT? Here’s how to get free tutoring
Online learning hasn’t been easy in Miami-Dade County.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools began the new school year plagued with tech issues and cyber attacks. It got so bad, the School Board cut ties with K12, a company that powered the district’s online learning platform My School Online. That allowed teachers to go back to how they taught in the spring, primarily with Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Learning at the kitchen table also isn’t the same as being in the classroom. It’s just students and their laptops. Teachers and friends are confined to squares on the screen during live virtual classes.
And sometimes kids need extra help with their book report or algebra assignment. Before the pandemic, parents could leave younger students in after-school care to get help with their homework. Middle and high school students might have chosen to stay at school later for a study group session.
Those options are scarce now. Paid tutors are also likely not an option for families struggling financially.
Parents looking for help can turn to their public library.
Free K-12 tutoring at Miami-Dade Public Libraries
Set to start Saturday, the Miami-Dade Public Library System will be offering free 30 minute one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions for children in grades K-12 who need help with elementary, middle and high school-level reading and math. This includes pre-algebra, algebra, calculus, geometry and trigonometry, according to the program’s sign up page.
The tutoring program first began in August 2018 as part of the library system’s mission to promote literacy and learning, said Miami-Dade Public Library System Director Ray Baker. The sessions were done in person with small groups of students at 27 of the county’s public libraries.
Then Florida was hit by COVID-19 in March and all 50 of the county’s public libraries were ordered to close and move to online services as part of Miami-Dade’s efforts to slow the coronavirus spread. A month later, the library system’s tutoring program went online.
The library system says it completed about 8,700 online tutoring sessions in the last 19 weeks and is now ready to begin its fall semester. Unlike when it was in-person, the online tutoring sessions will be one-on-one.
“In addition to free academic support, the Homework Help and Tutoring Program offers a one-on-one approach where instruction can be individualized for the student — more important now than ever — especially during this time of online learning,” Baker said. “Our tutors have established a positive role in the students’ lives particularly with those students who have attended the online sessions every week. As a result, this program has contributed not only to the students’ academic growth, but to their social and emotional health as well.”
The tutors are certified teachers who can also help students prepare for the math and reading sections of the ACT and SAT, according to the program’s sign-up page. Most colleges and universities require prospective students to take at least one of these tests.
Any K-12 student who lives in Miami-Dade County, regardless if they attend public, private or charter school, is eligible for the free tutoring sessions, based on availability. While the program does not require parents to show proof that their child lives in a Miami-Dade County residence, officials encourage parents or their children to sign up for a MDPLS library card, if they don’t have one already.
The free virtual Zoom sessions are by appointment only and will be held every Saturday through Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m, according to Miami-Dade Public Library System. Sessions will not be held Nov. 28 through Thanksgiving weekend.
How to register for free online tutoring at Miami-Dade County public libraries
To request a session, parents or the child’s legal guardian will first need to fill out an online form giving permission for the child’s tutoring sessions to be recorded. The form is available in English, Spanish and Creole.
The form also asks for the child’s first and last name, age, grade level and whether the student understands English or only Spanish or only Creole to help match with a tutor. Parents can then select what subject the child needs help with, three potential time slots and a preferred tutor. The program will then try to accommodate requests. As of Friday, the program has 105 tutors.
Students must also have access to a desktop or laptop equipped with Internet access, a working camera and a microphone to participate in the program, which is funded in part by The Children’s Trust.
“In some ways, the online sessions have allowed us to reach more students, especially those who were unable to attend in-person sessions due to lack of transportation or their parents or caregivers having to work and not having the time to bring them,” said Leila Khalil, a library system spokeswoman.
To learn more about the program and additional resources for homework help and online learning, visit https://www.mdpls.org/tutor/tutoring.asp.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to clarify that the School Board cut ties with K12.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 7:10 AM.
