by Rob Varnon, stamfordadvocate.com, originally published 7/16/14
A plan to give students struggling in math a period of tutoring during the school day next year could open up a labor dispute with teachers. Last month, the Board of Education approved $412,000 from a grant to pilot the Match Tutor program despite objections from the Stamford Education Association. The Advocate obtained emails sent from SEA President Michael Arcano objecting to the use of non-union tutors in classrooms during the school day, expressing concerns about the program.
But the board voted 5-2 to approve the program, in which students who are identified as struggling in math are given the tutoring. The program is based on the Match Tutoring program created by a Boston charter school more than a decade ago. The program has recently been adopted in some Chicago schools.
The Stamford program would tutor students in first-year algebra, hiring 12 tutors who will help the students, while a certified teacher oversees them during class time. The students would get an elective credit for completing a year of tutoring, but not a math credit. They would have to pass their first-year algebra to get a math credit. Only Stamford High would get the program this year.
About 30 percent of Stamford freshman fail first-year algebra. Arcano said teachers are in favor of a program to help struggling students, but the union is against using non-union labor to teach during the school day.
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