Harnett County school partners with online tutoring service to fill learning gaps due to pandemic

SANFORD, NC (WNCN) – Harnett County Schools has partnered with Paper, an online tutoring company that offers students 24/7 access to a live tutor.

Highland Middle School students will be the first in North Carolina to use the services.

Students have access to the tool whenever they need help with a subject, with writing assignments, and even with homework. It allows teachers to track progress, identify learning gaps and personalize their teaching.

Harnett County Schools is using Pandemic Relief funds to make this platform free for students.

“What we’re trying to do is really close the opportunity and performance gap for students impacted by COVID-19,” said Jermaine White, Assistant Superintendent, Harnett County Schools.

Paper’s multilingual tutors add an extra layer of support across content areas and grade levels, inside and outside the classroom, so students have access to expert help exactly when, where and how they need it.

The CEO, Philip Cutler, is a former teacher. He founded this company after realizing that some of his students could not afford tutoring.

“We wanted to offer something that raises the bar for everyone, that actually supports all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status,” said Cutler.

Paper supports some of the nation’s largest school districts, such as Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, Atlanta Public Schools in Georgia, and Columbus City Schools in Ohio.

Some students at Highland Middle School in Harnett County are already using the platform. They test it before it’s fully implemented. The school plans to roll it out to the entire student body in April. Harnett County Schools plan to expand it to other schools in the future based on their success rate.