An Educator’s View: How my Newark charter school uses the power of tutoring – and relationships – to achieve academic recovery for all

Jared Taillefer, executive director of Great Oaks Legacy Charter School in Newark, writes in The 74 Million that the school’s strategy for addressing learning challenges prior to the pandemic provide a strong model for other schools working to help learners through the COVID school closures.  Great Oaks’ has long made use of one-on-one or small group learning that is often referred to as high-dosage tutoring.  However, as Taillefer notes, it’s not simply more time spent on learning to read and write that makes the biggest difference for students–it’s the relationships with their school staff that sets their work apart. 

“One of our core guiding principles is building genuine relationships within our school community and ensuring that students feel known, valued and loved,” writes Taillefer. “Building trust in this way is imperative and helps to generate the type of academic gains we are striving toward.”