State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has announced a $40-million project to help minimize the impacts of learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money will be available to elementary school students for free tutoring in reading, writing and math beginning Oct. 2, 2023, Horne said on Tuesday.
Officials estimate the $40-million program will pay for 1.3 million hours of tutoring for anywhere from 54,000 to 162,000 students. Classes will be 4 days a week.
Tutoring sessions will be done by public school teachers who choose to participate. For teachers to do so, they can make $30 per hour and can earn a $200 stipend for each student that shows a half-year gain from the tutoring. The benefits would max out at $8,000.
Tutors can also reportedly have up to three students at one time.
Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates the pandemic put students anywhere from 15 to 24 weeks behind. Additionally, there is the belief that it would take decades for the U.S. education system to catch up.
Here in Arizona, there are approximately 800,000 grade-school/middle-school students in public and charter schools. According to Arizona officials, approximately 60% are suffering from learning loss due to COVID-19.
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