AKRON, Ohio — To help combat students falling behind in school, caused in large part to the shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, a school district is offering an extended-hours hotline to help the students who need it.

Christine Greene is a third grade teacher at Ritzman Community Learning Center and said she loves her job.

“To teach children and when they finally get it, because they come not knowing stuff, and when they know it and the excitement that they get because they know it, that is just so rewarding,” she said. 

In her 34-year career, she said she has not experienced anything like the emergence of COVID-19 and the shift from in-person learning to online. 

“I tell people virtual learning for these kids who were in 2nd grade was not kind to them. They came to third grade two years below grade level, a lot of them,” she said. 

The Ohio Department of Education reported in the 2020-21 school year, the decrease in the rate of fall third grade proficiency generally was more marked among students learning in districts using a fully-remote education delivery model. 

Akron Public School decided to launch the APS Plus tutoring hotline during that school year.   

“We continued the work over the summer, two nights a week,” she said. “Students could call in because there were some summer programs where some students at like the high school level needed credit recovery so they could graduate. They would call in and get help so they could graduate.” 

While it’s a lot of work to teach during the day and tutor after school, Greene said it’s worth it. 

“Even though we are tired from the day, we come here, we support each other in here,” she said. “This is a great team to work with. We help each other, we lift each other up, we provide support to each and other and then it spoils over into the help we provide the kids.”

Students may call in to the hotline at 330-761-7943 or join with Google Meet. 

The program operates Monday through Thursday from 4-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, click here. 

Correction 2/22/2022: Christina Greene's last name previously was listed as Green. This story has been edited to reflect the correct spelling.