EPISD looking for tutors, instructors to help students dealing with learning loss

EL PASO, Texas -- Since the start of the school year, students across the Borderland who've been dealing with learning loss attributed to the pandemic are trying to catch up.

EPISD's "high impact" tutors and instructors have been working on getting them back on track before the school year ends.

The program started at the beginning of the school year. It was kick-started by House Bill 45 which requires students who did not do well on the STAAR test last school year to complete a certain number of tutoring hours. However, the tutoring resource is available for all students who need assistance.

At Colin Powell Elementary School, there at four high-impact tutors and two high-impact instructors who meet with students throughout the entire school week during and after school.

EPISD hopes to attract more people to join their team, paying top dollar to attract them. Thanks to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, tutors can make $50, and instructors can make up to $180 dollars a day.

The difference is that high impact instructors must be certified teachers or retired teachers.

The principal at Powell, Andrew Veilleux, told ABC-7 the tutors and instructors are helping between 150 to 200 students a week.

He said biggest challenge was figuring out how to individualize learning for students who needed extra help in the classroom, this program helps them achieve that.

"Before this program, we didn't always have the resources available to hire the extra people," Veilleux said. "So this has been amazing to us to get those small groups. Anytime that you're looking at recapping learning loss, you want that small group instruction, so this has been able to help us to do that.

Veilleux said he's also seen a major improvement in students confidence levels throughout the year.

"Aside from the instruction that they're getting, they come to school, and they know that there's that extra person who is going to be able to provide that extra layer of support for them," Veilleux said. "So what we have seen is just an increase in the confidence of the students, as well as a raise in their abilities to learn the subjects that they're being taught."

To apply to become a high impact tutor, click here. To apply to become a high impact instructor, click here.