‘Tutoring corps’: A lifeline for students

The latest report from the Brookings Institution highlights a national concern that’s been quietly building for more than a decade: America’s children have fallen behind in school, and contrary to public perception, the trend began before COVID-19 shut the classroom doors.

As we have discussed in prior issues, the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show that only 30% of eighth graders are proficient in reading and just 28% in math. While the pandemic amplified those losses, the decline began as early as 2013, particularly among students in the bottom half of the achievement scale.

That’s not just a statistic. Research shows that academic achievement correlates strongly with later earnings, social mobility, and even life expectancy. A nation that fails to educate its children well won’t merely face lower test scores—it risks an erosion of its middle class and the perpetuation of poverty.

The left complains of deepening wealth gaps and stalled economic mobility. Sadly, those allegations have merit. Since 2013, the income of college-educated Americans has risen steadily, while those with less education have seen stagnation or decline. Median wealth among high school-educated households has dropped sharply, and the odds of rising out of poverty have diminished for children born into it.

It is no coincidence that the academic losses have been most severe among children in low-income communities--those students who are limited to the public schools that have been failing since 2013. They face greater obstacles at home and fewer opportunities outside the classroom. Meanwhile, higher-income families increasingly turn to private instruction, specialized learning centers, and online platforms to supplement or even replace traditional schooling.

Nebraska is not immune. In areas where poverty is more entrenched, school systems often struggle to recruit staff, which makes it difficult to maintain programs. Those are exactly the communities where targeted interventions—like tutoring—can make a measurable difference.

Brookings proposes a national Tutoring Corps based on the proven model of “high-dose tutoring”—frequent, small-group sessions with the same tutor over time. Unlike short-term volunteer programs, the approach works. Rigorous studies show that hight dose tutoring consistently raises reading and math scores, boosts graduation rates, and reduces failure rates, especially for the students most in need.

A key element of the proposal is the use of public service fellows—similar to AmeriCorps volunteers—as full-time tutors. Many states, including Maryland, Utah, and California, have already launched similar programs. There is no reason Nebraska couldn’t do the same—drawing from its own talent pool of college students and early-career educators eager to make a difference. Not only would this reduce costs, it would help build bridges between communities and provide meaningful pathways to service.

No one is claiming that a tutoring corps will solve every problem facing public education, but it may offer a critical stopgap while broader reforms stall and families with means seek private alternatives. If implemented wisely, it could buy time—and opportunity—for the students most at risk of being left behind.

Whether we have the will to act is a different question. If efforts to quell school choice are any indication, the teachers’ unions will fight this too. Until voters recognize the numbers that irrefutably demonstrate academic decline, nothing will change.