Beware of schools pitching lots of after-school help

Our local public school touts the teachers’ availability for after-school help sessions as a wonderful benefit.  But I’ve grown cynical.

If a school’s pitch to parents is: We have tons of Extra Help, that is a very bad sign.

It sounds like the school is saying: Your child will have lots of personal attention with his teacher, one on one.

But what is really being said is: your child will have trouble learning what the teacher is teaching.

I’m not saying that a young student seeking out personalized extra help from his teacher isn’t wonderful.  I just think that blithely telling a struggling youngster to go for after-school help is often not the most helpful advice.  It makes me think something is missing in the classroom, and it’s not being addressed.

I’d like to see the top five canned comments that are used in our school district’s report cards.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this one showed up on that list.

Should attend extra help sessions more often