Retired educator pushes for better learning

A retired educator living in the mountains near Centennial wants to bring education to the hub of Wyoming communities.

The United States is ranked 17th in the world in literacy. The No Child Left Behind Act is producing too much paperwork for teachers, preventing them from focusing on teaching. The United States has one of the highest dropout rates in the world. These are problems Melanie O’Hara sees, and she wants to take a step to correct the problem.

“This is not good news,” she said.

The problems O’Hara notices in education inspired her to start a new program she describes as a “grass-roots movement”, and that is bringing tutoring services to the very core of local communities.

O’Hara, along with several interested in the Centennial Women’s Club, are now working to establish themselves as a tutoring group. O’Hara said they are looking for locations in communities, like libraries and community centers to hold tutoring sessions.

“We are trying to change community centers into tutoring centers,” she said.

O’Hara said the Platte Valley Community Center would be a perfect location for tutoring.

Melanie O’Hara has taught college-level courses at the University of Wyoming and Laramie County Community College since 1991, and also taught elementary school. O’Hara said she continues to offer tutoring skills to college students via email and phone calls, but her new vision is different than that, she said.

O’Hara said she wants to get other professionals to join in and offer regular tutoring services in Wyoming communities.

O’Hara said a big problem with education is teachers do not have time to teach because of burdens No Child Left Behind presents. Additionally, parents do not have time to help their children with homework. O’Hara said her tutoring services could help facilitate students’ needs.

“They can bridge the gap between the teachers who are overworked and underpaid and the parents that are not helping the kids at home,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara said she will charge $10 per half hour of tutoring, $15 per one hour of tutoring and $150 for a whole semester.

“I am trying to encourage parents to have me as their tutor for a whole semester,” she said.

O’Hara said she would work on her prices with families who could not afford her rate, and can even offer tutoring services to adult learners.

O’Hara said she is also available to work with students online or over the phone.

Saratoga Middle/High School principal Larry Uhling said the idea of bringing additional tutoring to Saratoga is a good thing, but the school also offers free tutoring services to students. Uhling said SMHS teachers also make themselves available to provide extra help for students after school.