By Ashley Perham in Main Street Nashville

What do teachers, college students, a state legislator, a New York City resident and a retired Belmont professor have in common?

They’re all tutoring students from Metro Nashville Public Schools through the Accelerating Scholars program.

The program was created last fall to help overcome learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. Although state testing scores increased from last year, still only 27% of MNPS third graders are on or above their grade reading level.

Last fall, 1,200 tutors spent time working with students on reading and math skills. In the spring, the number of tutors increased to 1,800. This year, the district is looking for tutors for 7,000 students, up from 3,000 students last year.

By Joylyn Bukovac – WSMV News

Nashville public schools are working to prepare students for their return to the classroom this month.

Some students fell behind when classes went virtual and are trying to catch up.

People all over the country can volunteer to help those students through the Accelerating Scholars program.

Metro Nashville Public Schools is working to recruit 2,000 community volunteer tutors for more than 7,000 students that need a little extra help.

MNPS needs tutors who can help elementary students with reading or help middle school and high school students with math.

The volunteer tutors are required to virtually help students for 30 minutes, three times per week.

With the sessions being virtual, it does not matter where the tutor is located.

One volunteer tutor, Genna Margolis, lives in New York and works as an attorney. She says it was fulfilling to help her student fall in love with reading and learning.

“I sent him some books and puzzles to do during the summer because I didn’t want him to lag behind and forget everything,” Margolis said. “…he made this beautiful card for me. It was just so touching, what he wrote.”

Volunteer tutors do not need an education background or any prior experience. Training is provided for all volunteers before they are paired with a student.

Staff Report in Main Street Nashville

Main Street Nashville – To help Nashville students accelerate learning and close learning gaps in reading and math, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is working with PENCIL, Vanderbilt’s Tutor Nashville and other organizations across the community to expand the district’s successful high-impact tutoring program this fall.

The Accelerating Scholars program is actively recruiting community volunteers to tutor up to 7,000 MNPS students who need a little extra one-on-one help and personalized support, especially in elementary reading or middle school and high school math.

“The goal of our Every Student Known initiative is to meet the needs of each individual student, and volunteer tutors through our Accelerating Scholars program are making a huge difference for students who need a little extra time and attention, especially in reading and math,” MNPS Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle said in a news release. “We hope volunteers all across the community will answer the call and help us accelerate learning for Nashville’s next generation of students this fall.”

Volunteer mentors will be matched with students based on the volunteer’s availability to provide support in three 30-minute long virtual tutoring sessions every week for 10 weeks during the fall semester. Session times will take place during the regular school day or during structured before or after-school programming beginning in September 2022. 

Tutors will receive training and support from MNPS, PENCIL and Tutor Nashville on content, the virtual platform tutors and students will use and how to structure a virtual learning session. 

Sign up today at AcceleratingScholars.org. A few hours each week could make a lifetime of difference in the lives of Nashville’s students. 

Additional information about the Accelerating Scholars Program can be found at https://mnps.org/learn/supporting_our_students/accelerating_scholars.

By Cindy Murphy – WZTV

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has announced their intention to accelerate students learning and close learning gaps in reading and math by partnering with working with PENCIL, Vanderbilt’s Tutor Nashville, and other organizations across the community to expand the district’s successful high-impact tutoring program this fall.

MNPS believes that a few hours each week could make a lifetime of difference in the lives of Nashville’s students.

The Accelerating Scholars program is actively recruiting community volunteers to tutor more than 7,000 MNPS students who need a little extra help and personalized support, especially in elementary reading or middle school and high school math.

Dr. Adrienne Battle, MNPS Director of Schools commented, “The goal of our Every Student Known initiative is to meet the needs of each individual student, and volunteer tutors through our Accelerating Scholars program are making a huge difference for students who need a little extra time and attention, especially in reading and math. We hope volunteers all across the community will answer the call and help us accelerate learning for Nashville’s next generation of students this fall.”

MNPS says that volunteer tutors will be matched with students, based on the volunteer’s availability, to provide support in three, 30-minute long virtual or in-person tutoring sessions every week during the fall semester beginning September 19. Session times will take place during the regular school day or during structured before or after-school programming.

Tutors will receive training and support on all tutoring session plans and materials and how to structure a virtual learning session on the platform.

Potential tutors can sign up here.

By Kelly Broderick – NewsChannel 5

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Public Schools is looking for more volunteer tutors to support students this year!

The district is working with PENCIL, Vanderbilt’s Tutor Nashville in addition to other organizations around the community to expand the tutoring program.

The tutors will be matched with students and will provide support in three 30-minute long virtual or in-person sessions every week during the semester starting on September 19.

Session times will take place during the regular school day or during structured before or after-school programming.

Those interested in volunteering can sign up on the Accelerating Scholars Program website.

By Meghan Mangrum – The Tennessean

Third-grader Romelo Bonds leaned over his laptop and began reading a passage of text circled in red on his computer screen.

As Bonds read quietly, the three students sitting around him — gathered together in the cafeteria of Jones Paideia Elementary Magnet School in Nashville for their almost-daily tutoring session — began mouthing the words as well.

Third-grader Romelo Bonds leaned over his laptop and began reading a passage of text circled in red on his computer screen.

As Bonds read quietly, the three students sitting around him — gathered together in the cafeteria of Jones Paideia Elementary Magnet School in Nashville for their almost-daily tutoring session — began mouthing the words as well.

More than a hundred miles away in rural Rhea County — but just on the other side of Bonds’ computer screen — retired teacher Charlene Schwenk, 67, animatedly praised the students. 

She asked them questions and began the next paragraph before asking another one of the foursome to pick up where Bonds left off.

Schwenk is one of hundreds of tutors, including volunteers and district staff, working one-on-one or with small groups of students across 80 Nashville schools this spring, hoping to help students recover academically after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted nearly two years of learning.

Metro Nashville Public Schools’ tutoring program, Accelerating Scholars, is just one of dozens launched across Tennessee this school year, part of unprecedented tutoring efforts nationwide fueled mostly by federal relief dollars.

READ MORE IN THE TENNESSEAN

Vanderbilt community members looking for a way to share the gift of learning with children in Metro Nashville Public Schools are invited to join the more than 150 Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff who are already part of the “Accelerating Scholars” online tutoring program. Sign-ups to volunteer are open now through Jan. 17.

Volunteers are needed to help tutor up to 7,000 MNPS students with extra one-on-one help in elementary reading or middle school and high school math.

Mentors will be matched with students, based on the volunteer’s availability, to provide support in three, 30-minute-long virtual tutoring sessions each week for 10 weeks during the spring semester. Session times will take place during the regular school day or during structured before- or after-school programming.

“My favorite part of tutoring MNPS students has been realizing I could have such a large impact relative to the amount of time spent with my student,” said Luke Cobrin, a cognitive studies major from Jacksonville, Florida. “After meeting for just under two hours a week, I felt immediately motivated by getting to know my student, confronting challenges, and working toward achievable goals over the course of the semester.”

APPLY HERE TO BE AN ACCELERATING SCHOLARS TUTOR. Please include your Vanderbilt affiliation in the application.

READ MORE AT MYVU NEWS

The pandemic impacted students and their ability to learn in numerous ways.

Metro Schools is offering help to combat that, but they need help. School officials are looking for volunteer tutors for up to 7,000 kids.

The program launched this fall with about 1,000 students.