Friday, April 16, 2010

On the Phanton Tuiton

On the PHANTOM TUITION

It’s almost noon and I have been lucky enough to speak with about 7 wonderful Women this morning, three of whom spent most of their time sharing with me about “THE PHANTOM TUITION” for children. The “EXTRA” expense in order to educate your child in New York City.

Scenario Number one: A seventh grader, who doesn’t have the best handwriting. He is being tutored for $180.00 an hour by an approved private school therapist so that when he takes the ICCEES test next year for high school placement his handwriting will be up to par with the other kids they are testing

Scenario Number two: A Kindergarten student who has to cancel their after school sports so that they can begin gross motor skills therapy for $240.00 an hour in a studio where they throw a ball to them while on a swing, or play gross motor skills game with a specialist who can work on this issue.

Scenario Number Three: A nursery schooler has to be tested for multiple hours this week to make sure they still can receive their services for their son or else it would cost them $800.00 a week for therapies for them to get ready for Kindergarten.

Raising Six Children in New York City I have had my share of tutors, speech, and handwriting, gross and fine motor skills specialists. Some of them are amazing and it is important for a school/family partnership to support the schools efforts at home. This I understand.

My advice is that today in this market, the same tutors who are assistant teachers at the finest schools, or who are interviewing for these jobs are available to help your kids at a fraction of the hourly rates that most of us CAN NOT AFFORD ANYWAY!
Place an ad on crags list:
(Sample ad for scenario number one :)
*My thirteen year old son would like to work with a college graduate who is seeking employment in the education field in order to prepare for High School placement. Bonus: if you have any experience in handwriting. $25.00 per hour 4 days a week during homework time in our house!

Good Luck and use ALL your resources! Remember when you get 100 responses to your ad that you are only looking for one qualified person….stop looking when you find them!

2 comments:

Robyn Lewis said...

Thank you for sharing this excellent blog! I actually work for an education publishing company and I'm trying to figure out what resources parents may need to help prepare their kids for college and careers -- whether they be free or pay-per-month resources. If you have a few minutes, would you mind taking my survey? If you know of any other moms who may like to have their voices heard, please feel free to share it with them, too. Thank you so much for your thoughts!

http://bit.ly/CollegeReady

- Robyn Lewis

Unknown said...

Also, the state picks up the tabs for learning and developmental problems if you catch them early enough and apply for Early Intervention before 3 years. The state knows the earlier you intervene the better the outcome. It is easier to qualify for early intervention than for later assistance. Once your child needs the support, they often will pay for help until the child catches up. EI is an amazing program.