By Jennifer Farnsworth
At the Saratoga Learning Center, owner Susan Kiley is working to help students meet their educational needs during the upheaval of normal schooling caused by coronavirus pandemic.
The virus temporarily closed schools for a time, then more recently the closing was made permanent for the 2020-21 academic year.
That leaves parents, students and educators in a place that is unfamiliar, trying to navigate through the process of distant learning. Kiley said the nature of her business is to provide that extra support to students, and she said her staff is ready to help.
Saratoga Learning Center is offering additional online tutoring and proctoring services to students due to the COVID-19 virus.
“We are closely following the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines and recommendations on steps we can take to help prevent the spread of the virus, including utilizing the practices of hand sanitizing, social distancing, and masks,” she said.
Kiley said these measures have been put in place to help those students who are now being faced with the obstacles that distance learning can present, especially when it is executed in an emergency fashion like schools around the state have had to implement.
“Distance learning is not for everyone. We are here for those who need us and we are ready to provide that additional support,” said Kiley.
Kiley said she comes into the office every day to check messages and try to match up parents who are searching for help through her contracted tutors. The one aspect of the learning center that she says sets them apart from most is that they have always, and are continuing, to offer an invaluable one on one tutoring session.
“We feel that there is great value in offering one-on-one tutoring and academic intervention … We are able to really tailor those lessons, all the way from grades K through 12,” said Kiley.
With so many parents facing the challenges of being able to help children with material they sometimes are not familiar with, while managing their own work from home responsibilities, tutoring services may become a growing asset. Kiley said the center is able to help alleviate that stress.
“We have received calls from parents whose children may just be learning to read, some who are in college level math courses in the high school. Specifically, I worry about students who are classified as special education, those students on the spectrum, this may be an especially difficult time for them,” said. Kiley.
Kiley said they service students from the entire region.
“We see kids from Clifton Park to Schuylerville, from the Capital District north,” said Kiley.
The center is also offering students daily AP online review, in addition to prep for the tentatively scheduled ACT and SAT exams.
The center is located at 120 West Ave, Suite 103, Saratoga Springs, or online on Facebook @saratogalearningcenter or satatogalearningcenter.com.