US seeks 250,000 mentors, tutors to address pandemic learning loss

Marisela Maddox, a parent of students Atlas and Hero Smookler, works as a substitute teacher at the Austin Jewish Academy as the spread of the Omicron variant leads to teacher shortages amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Austin, Texas, U.S., January 20, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday will launch a new effort to recruit 250,000 mentors and tutors to help students who have fallen back in their learning during the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said.

The program, which will be led by AmeriCorps and the Department of Education along with other service organizations, will seek to get adults to fill the roles over the next three years.

Students on average are two to four months behind in reading and math as a result of the pandemic, a White House official said. The program is intended to help address that deficit.

“Research shows that high quality tutors and mentors positively impact student achievement, well-being, and overall success,” the White House said in a statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden will also call on schools to use $122 billion in funds provided by the American Rescue Plan COVID-relief package to “provide high-quality tutoring, summer learning and enrichment, and after school programs,” the White House said.

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