Paper, the Canadian based tutoring company, is in contract negotiations with Martin County Schools to bring their services to middle and high school students throughout the District.
The company’s goal? CEO Phillip Cutler said it’s all about narrowing the achievement gap, something he noticed during his time as a teacher.
“As a teacher the expectation was that I’d assess every student the same, but I knew they didn’t have the same opportunities and the same access to resources, so to me that wasn’t really equitable,” said Cutler.
A contract with the company is up for a vote during a regular Martin County School Board meeting, the superintendent has already recommended approving the contract.
For the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the District, Dr. Mary White, the round-the -lock assistance is a major selling point.
“They’re all staying up you know, they’re up to midnight and one o'clock, so I think the availability of this 24-7 assistance is really attractive because this is the way kids operate and this is the way kids really want to work,” said White.
The 12-month agreement comes with a $487,000 price tag. If approved, Martin County would use money from the “Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief Emergency Fund” and the American Rescue Plan.
Topics covered by Paper run a wide range, including varying levels of math and science, foreign languages, music theory, and essay writing. It’s already working in Hillsborough County.
“We have seen other counties Hillsborough in particular seen very high usage right away, so we’re hoping to start at the end of December and start right with the new year let’s get kids using this right away,” said White.
Palm Beach County Schools have also looked into contracting Paper tutoring services, and will discuss the issue tomorrow. For Cutler, knowing his company is helping more than 1.6 million students across the globe is already a big win.
“For me the mission behind the company has always been to close that achievement gap and level the playing field for every single student and we’re doing that every single day,” he said.
Closing gaps close to home.
