September 22, 2009

Huntsville Public Library Turns Away Paid Private Tutors

MADISON COUNTY, AL – Tutor trouble is brewing at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. The argument concerns whether or not paid private tutors should be allowed to help students there, if parents choose the library as the meeting location.

WHNT NEWS 19 attended the library’s board meeting on Wednesday afternoon. However, our video camera was not welcome. "This is Channel 19, right? You are allowed in our meeting, but not for purposes of filming," said Board Chairman Lady Shivers Tucker. Tucker called the meeting to order and immediately introduced a motion to ask us to turn our camera off. All the board members, except one, voted in favor. Cutter Hughes abstained from the vote.

WHNT NEWS 19 complied with the board’s request in this case, but we did stay for the meeting, however. Next on the agenda, Glenn Clayton with Appleton Learning, a referral service that matches up private tutors with students who need help in various subjects. Clayton wants the tutors he matches with student clients to be allowed to use the library to meet. He says his tutors are happy to meet with students anywhere, but families often request the library because of the quiet environment, and because resources are plentiful.

In April, the library board passed a policy banning people from meeting with paid tutors at the public library. Clayton says this happened after another larger tutoring service complained. "Appleton is the largest tutoring referral service in the area, and we’ve gotten involved because we feel like we are the only folks who can really lend a voice to all the families impacted by this, 400 families who are impacted by this immediately," said Clayton. Clayton says families also choose the library to meet, because they may not have computers at home. He said his tutoring referral service is also more affordable, at $25 an hour, than some of the other companies who charge $70 or more per hour.

One Madison mother says she’s affected by the library’s change. Her son has met with a tutor at the public library for years, but now she feels like the library is turning its back on her son. The mother told WHNT NEWS 19 she was actually turned away after another tutoring company complained. Pam Genter, a single mother, worked with a tutor during her time in school. Now, she sees that her two children get the same kind of help with their studies. "Some children out there need a tutor to be able to know how to study," said Genter. "For some, studying doesn’t come naturally."

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Filed under: Small Private Practices

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