Beyond Basics looking to hire local candidates for open tutoring positions
A Michigan nonprofit offering intensive literacy tutoring in all grades needing extra reading support will be setting up classrooms in four Char-Em ISD school districts this fall.
Alanson, Pellston and Harbor Springs public schools in Emmet County, and East Jordan Public Schools in Charlevoix County, are all partnering with Beyond Basics, a Southfield-based organization that delivers one-to-one tutoring to students who are not reading proficiently, at no cost to school districts. Results from their program show reading improvement in an average of six weeks.
“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring in the Beyond Basics team to work with our students,” said Stephen Seelye, superintendent of Pellston Public Schools. “Their mission to work directly with students on reading support during the school day will greatly help our kids who are struggling to become successful readers. Reading success is proven to impact a child’s education across all subjects – it is the core skill for future educational success.”
While Beyond Basics has typically brought its tutors into downstate area schools, a recent pilot initiative, the State of Michigan – Blue Ribbon Literacy Pilot, opened opportunities for the organization’s executives to seek partner districts around the state. Through personal and professional connections, the Char-Em ISD area schools were contacted, said Pamela Good, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Basics.
“We’ve done intensive literacy work in Wayne and Oakland counties for 20 years – we’ve been around a long time,” said Good. “By teaching children to read with our proven program, Beyond Basics breaks the generational cycle of illiteracy. We are shining a light on kids who have been left behind for decades, really.”
In May 2023, Beyond Basics released results of a longitudinal study, during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island. It showed that approximately 85 percent of the 3,553 participating students experienced improvements in their grade level reading.
The organization hopes to bring that momentum to Northern Michigan schools starting this fall.
In the local districts, beginning in September and lasting the entire school year, tutors will meet with students designated by the districts as potentially benefiting from reading support. Participating students will first receive an individualized diagnostic assessment that measures key reading areas. Students will then meet with a tutor one hour a day, five days a week, for the duration of their literacy prescription.
“Our goal in our first year is to tutor between 300 and 400 students among the four districts,” said Good. “We are hoping to work with the districts for two or three years for this pilot project.”
Students in grades K-12 will be eligible to receive tutoring services, including those who may be nearly to grade level and those who are quite far behind. Good said they expect to place 8 to 10 tutors locally who will be vetted just like traditional school staff and they must meet all the same requirements to be hired. “They will become part of the school communities,” she added.
Throughout the year, the tutors will lead projects like book publishing and art enrichment opportunities as well. At the conclusion of each cohort cycle, completion ceremonies will celebrate the students’ achievements, with family invited to attend and students’ work highlighted.
“We love to do things that lift their pride and self-esteem as well,” said Good.
Parents who think their students might benefit from the additional reading support may reach out to their child’s principal for more information.
Rachelle Cook, superintendent of Alanson Public Schools, said she is looking forward to seeing the results of Beyond Basics’ work. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to continue the reading growth in our students,” said Cook.
Apply to be a tutor with Beyond Basics
Anyone interested in applying to work as a tutor in local districts for Beyond Basics is encouraged to go online to www.luminatestaffing.com/emmetcounty. The positions are full-time, though some part-time positions may be possible (minimum of 3 hours per day). Learn more about Beyond Basics online: www.beyondbasics.org
Factbox
Michelle Arnwine Frias, executive assistant with Beyond Basics, said Michigan is not alone in having many children behind standards in reading. She noted as an example that 69 percent of Michigan 8th graders are non-proficient in reading, according to 2019 data. “Most other states are around that mark as well. Forty-seven states show proficiency between 60 and 77 percent,” she added
Caption: Pictured at the Char-Em ISD kick-off meeting are (back row, from left) Keith Pretty – President Emeritus at Northwood University, Chris Schlappi, Pellston Middle/High School principal, Stephen Seelye, Pellston principal, Matt Stevenson, East Jordan superintendent, Brad Plackemeier, Harbor Springs superintendent; (front row, from left) Katie Nienstedt, Beyond Basics senior director of development, Rachelle Cook, Alanson superintendent, Lindsay Rogers, East Jordan Elementary School Title I director, and Pamela Good, Beyond Basics co-founder and CEO.