MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Education does not start and end in the classroom - nor should access to it.
“I'm a former educator. There were days when I thought to myself gosh, if only I could have met with every single student one on one. But some days that's just impossible,” said Ateia Aldridge, Homework Hotline Executive Director.
However, the Tennessee Homework Hotline said it can be.
“Homework hotline is an education nonprofit. We were founded in 1990,” said Aldridge. Not everyone knows about it."
Homework Hotline offers free weekly tutoring to Tennessee students with Shelby County being one of those service areas. Students receive one-on-one help from state certified teachers in any subject and in five different languages; English, Arabic, Farsi, French, Spanish and Hindi. “We've seen this across the country that the pandemic and the learning loss associated with it is very real,” said Aldridge.
Private tutoring has had a success rate.
“Research shows students who have access to it and who use it tend to do better than students who do not academically,” said Aldridge.
That access is critical especially here in Memphis.
“There are financial barriers to accessing academic support. There are also transportation barriers to accessing high quality, academic support and language barriers. Hotline is free to families, they can call us if you're in the car ride or laying on your way to cheerleading practice,” said Aldridge. “Our Shelby County callers, those students are calling most in the area of math…I'm also a parent, I, you know, just thinking there are lots of parents out there who are struggling themselves right to do that work.”
With the new retention law requiring any third-grade student who does not pass the state reading test to either repeat the grade, attend summer school or join a tutoring program, Homework Hotline helps fill that learning gap. “We know that we've got reading specialists on staff, we have ELA teachers. And so, when we do get those, you know, second, third, fourth grade babies that are reading below grade level that we are able to match them with a tutor that can help. We do see advances. We do pre and post-tests with our sessions. We also collect grades,” said Aldridge.
The Homework Hotline is available Monday-Thursday from 3pm to 8pm CST. Call 615-298-6636 or 901-416-1234.