‘It’s all about the have and have nots.
The gap has widened between those who
can afford or have time to schedule tutors
and those who can’t.’
— LYN ET T E W I LLI A MS
lead to tension and neglect in the classroom, so more
and more students are falling through the cracks.
“I can tell that individual needs are not always being
met,” says Pash-Bell, who tutors mostly elementary
school students. “There are big holes in the information
being taught. I just want to help.”
Pash-Bell often contacts teachers directly to off er
her assistance. Recently, the teachers have become
less and less resistant to her help and are open to any
aid she can provide.
For now, though, Pash-Bell says it’s too early to tell
whether schools will lean heavily on tutors to balance
out the weakened budget.
Grade Deflation
Other tutoring programs have already seen a
defi nite change in business that contradicts Pash-Bell’s
thoughts on the issue, but still bodes well for the state
of K-12 education.
Josh Hirschstein, director of Lane Tutoring Service
(LTS), says that the recent budget cuts have had a
negative infl uence on his business.
“The pattern is opposite than you would expect:
When schools decline, tutoring declines,” Hirschstein
says. “People come to tutoring when grades are poor,
and they aren’t right now.”
He explains that since teachers’ expectations
have lowered, due to the inability to provide for a
packed classroom, the standard of education has
simultaneously dropped. Students don’t need extra
help when they are expected to perform at lower
standards.
Hirschstein, who’s been tutoring in Eugene for 25
years, sees this as a local problem, rather than a state
issue.
“We expect the government to support schools,
but they can’t. Our community has to step up and help
end this detrimental cycle of short-term thinking and
replace it with long-term investment in our education
system” Hirschstein says. “We have such potential in
this town. It frustrates me a great deal.”
Hirschstein, who also has children in high school,
says he worries that Eugene’s pride is on the line, as
SAT scores and school ratings may drop.
At LTS, Hirschstein’s customers, ranging from 6th
to 12th grades, are mostly those in the Talented and
Gifted Program, a sector of the public school system
that he says has been “put on the shelf.”
“These kids are screwed,” Hirschstein says. “I can
tell that the education that they are receiving is below
them, and we try our best to make up for it, but it’s
12 JANUARY 13, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
tough. The gap between what they’re learning and
what they need to know is growing too quickly.”
Hirschstein says that students who are served at
LTS are struggling the most with math and science, the
two subjects known for large class sizes.
While he is dedicated to helping supplement public
schools, Hirschstein says that tutoring will never
replace classroom education. Contrary to Williams,
he is certain that private schools will be the education
of the future if budget cuts continue to threaten the
quality of public schools.
“The bottom line is that when you cut back school
funding, you cut back the opportunity to learn,”
Hirschstein says. “We’re all watching public education
diminish and waiting for some kind of leadership, but
it’s just not there.”
What’s to Come
Despite the dreary outlook, SEHS Principal Randy
Bernstein says he feels the school is prepared for what
the future holds.
“We’re already doing what we can in a lot of ways
now,” Bernstein says. “We’ll need to do more next
year, once the larger cuts are made, but we’ve been
planning for this for a while.”
Aside from the volunteer student tutors, Bernstein
says that many parents have been off ering their time
this year and in the future. While this is a vital source of
help, Bernstein says that there are some tasks parents
legally wouldn’t be able to do, especially if their child
is in the class. He says they’d like to follow the path of
North Eugene High, which recruits retired teachers to
volunteer their time.
“With cuts, the one resource we’ll have to look at
more seriously is volunteering,” Bernstein says. “But for
now, it’s all preliminary discussion.”
Teacher Lynette Williams, who’s expecting scores of
teachers to be cut from the 4J District by next school
year, is looking for a more long-term response.
While Bernstein hopes for in-class involvement at
SEHS, Williams ultimately turns to the community for
support.
One such community eff ort is the discussion of
implementing a tax (See EW cover story Sept. 16, and
several stories since).
“The public has to put its money where its mouth is
when it comes to what they want out of the education
system, and has to be willing to pay the cost of it,”
Williams says. “While tutors will help, we need a bigger
change at a larger level. We’re leaving a generation
behind. Is that what our community wants?”
ew
JOSH H IR SCH STEIN
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