Frustration grows as the Minneapolis teacher's strike completes it second week. But at the Northside Community Center, something different is brewing. Volunteers staff the room assisting children, whose classes remain canceled, on the eleventh day of the teacher's strike.
"Our children were already behind," said tutor Don Esther Morris, "now they're finally back in school, some of the danger with COVID is lessening, and we're on strike."
Morris is also the Program Director, of A Mother's Love, a nonprofit who has stepped up offering free tutoring for k-12 students for the duration of the strike.
The organization began its tutorhouse, during the pandemic, when schools switched to distance learning. Morris says the organization planned to tutor kids over spring break, but the Minneapolis Teacher's Strike, sped up those plans.
"Parents are scrambling for daycare, and looking for ways to keep their children from falling even further behind," she said.
Monique Flowers is also tutoring. The Cub Foods Northside Community Manager says the strike could not have come at a worse time.
"Teachers went on strike literally a month before NWEA testing," she said, "those kids have nowhere else to go."
While the school district has provided independent study packets and online learning resources, Flowers says some parents are unable to help their children with schoolwork.
"If you have a household where their parent hasn't finished high school, it's hard to help my kid, with the independent study packet."
To keep the kids engaged, Morris says they have been tutoring through hands-on learning.
"Some of the kids hated math," she said, "To help them learn fractions, they made smoothies."
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"We brought in a smoothie machine. They had to learn how to measure, add it together, etc. It helped them get a hands on view of how to use fractions, how to add them, how to break them apart. Did I add too much of this? Did I have too much of that?"
While, A Mother's Love, offers group tutoring, Morris says she has seen the most improvement from kids doing the one on one sessions.
"They're able to focus more. You slowly begin to see their grades rise, and you see less behavioral issues."
HELP WELCOME
Morris and Flowers say they hope the strike ends soon.
"The strike has shown us we need more equipment," said Morris.
"We need more chromebooks for the kids, computer stations, so people in the community can fill out job applications."
Morris says A Mother's Love is also in the market for a house to help with more programming. It is also accepting volunteers.
Although demand has risen every day of the strike, A Mother's Love says there is still room for more students. Tutors are available from 10a.m.-2p.m. Monday through Friday and can help with any subject. Call 612 529 9072 to sign up.