Additional academic help can be a challenge for Lincoln students

When students need extra help with academics, whether for sports eligibility or to brush up on a difficult subject, there aren’t many opportunities in Lincoln.

One option for students is to work with their current teachers for more help. Lincoln School Superintendent Jennifer Packer said teachers are contractually obligated to stay at school until 4:45 p.m., and students can get help during that time. Additionally, for students who choose to receive help through what is sometimes called Zero-Zero or are assigned to it, teachers will stay until 5 p.m.

“If the kids would go to the teachers,” Packer said, “teachers are more than happy to help out.” These options do require that students are able to stay after school, and that they can get the help they need from their teacher.

Packer said that if a student and teacher aren’t connecting, the school will try to work with other teachers to support the student’s education. “It is a little difficult because we have one teacher per grade,” said Packer. There’s only one teacher per subject for older students, as well.

Connie McCafferty, who no longer tutors but who had a professional tutoring business in Helena, said most of the students she saw were athletes trying to maintain eligibility.

She said there’s a need for tutors locally.

“Tutoring is a specialized skill,” she said, adding that tutoring typically takes one hour of preparation and follow-up for each hour spent with a student. McCafferty said tutors try to understand why a student isn’t excelling, and they work to identify and solve the basic underlying problems a student may be facing .

“The question is why aren’t students succeeding? Are they not getting what they need in class? Sometimes it’s a self-confidence issue. Students could have been told they’re not good at a subject,” she said. McCafferty said she was a student who was told her family just wasn’t good at math, and she struggled with math all through school. It wasn’t until she was tutoring and helping students work first through algebra and then geometry that she learned to enjoy math. “I’m a tutor in math who understands why kids don’t get math.”

Laura Butler, who currently tutors students in the Lincoln area, also found academics difficult growing up.

“As a student, I struggled in school because of family trauma and being undiagnosed with ADD,” she said. “We moved a few times across the country which then led me to be behind academically.”

Butler has been tutoring for 12 years and tutors in biology, physical science, algebra, geometry, and English. “I would really love to help anyone with getting their GED,” she said, adding, “I’ll help any student who is willing to work.”

Brenda Stark, whose grandson was recently in need of some help with Common Core Algebra, said, “I was just really surprised at the lack of help in the school itself.” Stark said her grandson plays basketball and had struggled with math last year, too, and keeping his eligibility for the sport.

“He stayed after school. He worked with the teacher,” said Stark. “I felt he was trying to learn it, and it was discouraging.” She was especially concerned about him losing his eligibility for basketball, since it can be such a motivating factor for students to attend school and stay out of trouble.

McCafferty said summer can be one of the best times for students to get additional help. “Teachers and libraries try to keep them reading over the summer,” she said, “but they should keep other skills up, too.” She said that includes working on math and science.

Lincoln School doesn’t currently offer summer school for students who are falling behind or struggling, which was one of Stark’s concerns, as she knew her grandson would face the same difficulties next year, even though he managed to get his grades up this year.

Packer said students can do some credit recovery through online classes, and she’s looking into additional ways for students to do credit recovery in Lincoln. She also said the school is happy to help students find online resources to support their learning, such as Khan Academy, a nonprofit that offers free online lessons for K-12 and even early college students..

Another important aspect for students to learn and retain material, said McCafferty, is repetition. “Science tells us that if we don’t do something 20 separate and individual times, we don’t remember it in our long-term memories.”

Besides lack of access to services, like enough tutors, cost can be prohibitive for students to get additional help with academics. Butler doesn’t charge for her services and said she has no plans to change that.

Anyone interested in tutoring is encouraged to contact Danielle Barnett at Lincoln Schools.