Vicksburg Warren School District among schools receiving free tutoring from MDE

Published 3:27 pm Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Vicksburg Warren School District was named as one of more than 100 school districts in the state to receive online tutoring services at no cost from the Mississippi Department of Education.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the MDE said it planned to use $10.7 million of its American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School ESSER III funds to purchase tutoring services from Paper, a company that provides on-demand educational support.

VWSD is one of the 121 schools where the tutorial services will be available to aid students in grades 3 through 12, educators and families.

Dr. Phatasis O’Harroll, who is the director of curriculum for VWSD, said she is excited about the additional support from Paper.

“Recognizing the importance of a viable partnership in quality learning outcomes for our students, the VWSD is excited to add Paper as an instructional resource for parents, students and teachers,” O’Harroll said, adding “The platform will provide parental support, in addition to 24-hour access to licensed teachers and tutors in the content areas of math and English Language Arts.”

The tutoring services will be offered online with a live instructor, allowing teachers and administrators to have access to real-time data through a data dashboard to assign activities, monitor student progress and schedule one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions during the school day. Parents may also schedule tutorial services for their child(ren) after school hours and on the weekend. These services will also be available for English learners and students with special needs.

Paper, based in Santa Monica, Calif., was selected for its high-dosage tutorial services, which is a strategy to close achievement gaps, to mitigate any impact COVID-19 and school closures had on learning and instruction and as a way to accelerate student learning, the press release stated.

“Besides giving educators more tools to manage instruction and gauge students’ needs and progress, these tutoring services allow parents and students to get help with homework from a tutor any time of the day,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Whether it’s writing an essay or solving math problems, students can get immediate assistance to complete and better understand assignments.”

Tutoring services for the selected districts will begin in the coming weeks and continue until Sept. 30, 2024.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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