Explore Your Options
‘Uncertainty’ will be a ubiquitous term when we describe the start of the 2020-2021 school year. After witnessing the end of the 2019-2020 school year, we all know that this year will be different. Most parents have a low expectation that this year’s in person school will be safe, that a hybrid model will work, and all this uncertainty is occurring while fearing the possibility that schools will move to online only amid a COVID scare. Parents are faced with huge decisions about their children’s’ education. To assist these parents, Tutoring Excellence has included a spread sheet that lays out the benefits and detriments to various schooling options:
| Schooling Option and Type | Why Consider this option. | Advantages of this type of schooling | Disadvantages of this type of schooling |
| Online Only | Managing an online schedule, various assignments deadlines, and making sure internet access is available. | School is not tied to a classroom and exposure to viruses is minimal. | Online is not for every student. Assistance with problems is not as easy as face-to- face instruction. Another issue is the lack of social interaction with fellow students. |
| Hybrid | Hybrid models are designed to be a mixture of online and in-person learning. | Students benefit from the peer-to-peer aspect of school and from in-person instruction while having less exposure to viruses than a traditional schedule. | There is an anxiety factor for parents trying to figure out if classes are online or in-person in each week. Students also have found the rotation of online to in-person is a difficult on and off process. |
| Homeschool | Typically, when parents think of homeschooling, this is the model they envision. Here the parents are the primary educator, curriculum developer, teacher, and disciplinarian. | Family time becomes available, vacations can be taken in off-times, parents control the curriculum and the learning environment. | |
| “PODS” | This is the newest school creation that has come out of COVID. Here students learn in small groups (4-6) of children. They all meet at the same location. Depending on the POD program, this can be following a school curriculum program or a homeschool curriculum. | The POD system allows student to have the social interaction they need, but limits the learning environment to a smaller group. This model also helps relieve the pressure on a single parent to have to facilitate their child’s learning. | Finding a teacher, tutor, or parent to assist with the teaching can be a challenge and the cost can make this option impractical for many. In addition, finding a suitable and consistent location can be challenging. |
| In-Person | Transportation, multiple children at multiple schools, accommodations, and multiple start times. | Children have a structured schedule, connection with friends, in-person instruction, and a traditional learning environment. | Maintaining Social distancing is an issue, outbreaks of COVID are possible, and students are less productive. |
Whatever 2020-2021 throws at you, Tutoring Excellence will be here to assist your child on their academic journey. We are here with a variety of K-12 tutoring options: including math, reading, and writing programs, homework help or support, and high school honors and advanced placement. Our expert tutors are here to help your child succeed! All our programs are available in our centers or online, you will love having Tutoring Excellence as your partner along their educational path.
