Prince William, Manassas City Schools Partner with 24/7 Tutoring Service

Prince William County Schools (PWCS) and Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) are partnering with Varsity Tutors, an online 24/7 tutoring service. Within the last month, both PWCS and MCPS have announced their partnership with the company. Administrators in the school districts have expressed excitement over the new service they're able to offer students at all levels. "We are pleased to add these services to the many supports we are providing in MCPS to meet the learning needs of students and ensure their success in school and life," Ed Stephenson, Ph.D., MCPS' director of instruction, said. Varsity Tutors is in 500 schools nationwide, and will now provide students in two local districts. The service has 24/7 online tutoring services from a human in multiple languages and in multiple subjects, including reading, writing, math, biology, computer science and many more. Varsity Tutors employs tutors that can teach at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Stephanie Soliven, Ed.D., associate superintendent for teaching and learning at PWCS, said in the Dec. 4 School Board meeting that it'll be a helpful tool for students and parents alike.

"Through our approaches at making more tools available for students, further connection with parents and continuing the professional learning journey of our teachers and our staff, we are targeting every available option to support our student learning needs," she said. Soliven said students can also take additional courses through Varsity Tutors, either to advance in a subject or to discover new courses that may not be offered in PWCS. "You may have that fifth grader that is super excited about advanced math in sixth grade, but a little nervous about some of the skills and content — but they know they want to be on that advanced trajectory — they can do some additional coursework," she said. "[There's] a huge range of really cool high interest classes. I think this is so important because it fills some of that need at home for some of our students that maybe are missing out on some key skills, want to do some additional enrichment opportunities and can't do it in the school day." Soliven also emphasized that this service pairs students with human tutors. Students will be able to log into the platform, discuss the problem and then get paired with a person who can help them tackle it. "The live tutor is sharing a whiteboard with the student and literally mapping out the questions and the problems with them. It is not [artificial intelligence]," she said. "It is a human being on the other end guiding the students through the steps." Varsity Tutors also offers on-demand essay review, live group classes, self-study, college and career readiness and celebrity-led classes. PWCS School Board At-Large Chair Dr. Babur Lateef echoed the positives about the new service. "I can be a personal advocate on the fact that Varsity Tutors does a terrific job," Lateef said during the meeting on Dec. 4. "My kids have used them for many years. They are incredible and really work well." MCPS School Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg said she's excited for Varsity Tutors to make an impact in the district. "We are excited to partner with Varsity Tutors. This opportunity enables us to provide extra services for students so they can reach higher academic goals," Seaberg said in an email.