Student-Centered Supports

Q: What is the session format & schedule?

A: Standard sessions are 45 minutes of direct instruction, plus administrative time: individualized planning, resource cultivation, detailed follow-up notes, home practice plan, assessment scoring, billing, and communications (approximately 30-60 minutes per week).

Sessions are typically offered once or twice per week, based on your student’s needs and availability. We’ll work together to set a consistent day and time. I encourage you to schedule a family coaching session every 6–8 weeks to support continuity and connection.

Q: How do you determine student goals & progress?

A: Student goals are a collaborative process between us and anyone else you want to include in that process, such as your student’s teacher(s) or other specialists. Academic support goals are documented in my tutoring notes, and our sessions are designed to meet those goals.

For literacy and math goals, progress monitoring is completed regularly to ensure that what we are doing is working and if we need to make any changes. You will always have access to your student's assessment data through a shared Google Drive. You may choose to share this data with others on your child’s support team, or you may ask me to add anyone to the shared Google Drive.

Q: What is the commitment to tutoring or family coaching once we start?

A: Typically, I ask families to commit to a minimum of 12 weeks of academic support sessions, with a check-in scheduled at the 6-week mark to discuss goals and progress.

Q: Do you require a minimum number of sessions per week/month?

A: It really depends on your student’s needs, goals, and current supports in place outside of our sessions.

EXAMPLE 1: A newly diagnosed early reader who learns through dyslexia/ADHD and is struggling significantly to make progress with decoding printed text would likely need “Tier 3” supports to make efficient and measurable growth. Research clearly demonstrates that in an ideal world (which we do not live in), this student needs:

• Time: 4-5 days per week for 40-60 minutes per day.

• Group Size: Less than 3 students in an instructional group.

• Instruction: High-quality instruction that is engaging, systematic, structured, and multisensory.

• Setting: Minimal sensory and social distractions.

• Teacher: Skilled instructor who connects well with the student and understands dyslexia from a neurodivergent-affirming perspective.

In this example, our goal is to get as close to this ideal as possible through a combination of school-based supports, outside supports, and home practice. At the same time, we are balancing this ideal with family financial resources and student stress levels.

EXAMPLE 2: A 2E/autistic high school student with strong academic performance, struggling with executive function, self-advocacy, and positive identity, may make measurable progress when meeting 1x per week at first, and then less often as they build confidence and strategies.

It is not an exact science; it is a collaborative conversation. My goal is to be fully transparent with you about the needs of your student and then work together to create a plan. We keep monitoring that plan and make adjustments, as needed.

Financial

Q: What if your reduced rates/sliding scale rates are still a barrier for our family to access support?

A: I believe that financial resources should never be a barrier to meaningful learning. If the reduced rate or sliding scale rates still present a hardship, families are invited to explore one or more of the following options:

• Option 1: Shane Thurston Scholarship – CLICK HERE to access the simple 15–20 minute Google Form application.

• Option 2: Small Group Tutoring – Up to 3 students with shared goals and a positive learning dynamic at no added cost. For example, 3 families can share the rate of $90 per session, 2x per week, and each family will pay $30 per session.

• Option 3: Pro Bono – 1–2 spaces are held for families who are unable to afford academic support. Please reach out directly for more information. I often have a waitlist for pro bono spaces, but I have learned from my experience as a parent to just add our name to the waitlist. It only takes a moment, and chances are we will still be looking for support when we come off the waitlist. If we don’t need the support anymore, then we can celebrate that milestone and move on.

Q: What if we need to cancel or reschedule?

A: I understand that life happens. I aim to be flexible while also maintaining consistency for students and protecting the well-being of our family. My income from this work is essential to meet the basic needs of our family. I ask families to keep this in mind when cancelling sessions, while also giving yourself grace that sometimes sessions need to be cancelled.

• If possible, please give at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule a session.

• Please provide as much advanced notice as possible for planned cancellations (family trips, appointments, field trips, class special events, etc). This gives me the opportunity to schedule another student during this session time.

• No-shows or same-day cancellations may be billed at the full session rate. Exceptions will be made for child illness or family emergencies.

• If I need to cancel (including due to health reasons), I will notify you as soon as possible.

• I am typically unable to reschedule cancelled appointments. My available session times are often filled to my physical capacity, and I work within the limitations of my body due to my chronic health condition.

Q: What about the costs of materials?

A: I will provide most materials and resources for our sessions.

For students accessing tutoring for math, I may ask that a Math U See student workbook be purchased ($40-$48, depending on the level). CLICK HERE for more information.

Occasionally, I may suggest books or tools that would be helpful at home. I will provide free or low-cost options whenever possible.

Communication & Student Safety

Q: How do you approach family communication?

A: With your permission, I’m happy to collaborate with school teams, therapists, or other specialists. I believe tutoring is most effective when it is part of a collaborative plan with your family, teachers, other specialists, and anyone else who is a part of your child’s team of support.

I do my best to provide tutoring notes 1x per week. Academic support notes include a brief session overview, insights, strategies, resources, and next steps.

I encourage families to schedule a family coaching meeting every 6-12 weeks (more often is sometimes ideal, especially in the beginning). Family coaching sessions are billed at the same rates as academic support sessions.

Q: How does confidentiality work with students?

A: When students are younger, I lean towards very open communication with families about my sessions with their student.

Student confidentiality evolves in developmentally appropriate ways as students get older. When students are in middle school - high school, I typically maintain tighter boundaries around student confidentiality, even with family communications. This is essential for creating a safe space for many students. I will always provide detailed notes of what we worked on and strategies, resources, and next steps. I include middle school-high school students in my notes so that they have access and agency. I will ask a student's permission before I share something with a family or teacher that may be more vulnerable for the student.

I will ALWAYS share within 24 hrs (typically much less if the concern is urgent) if I have a reasonable cause to believe that a student is a danger to themselves or someone else.

I am also a mandatory reporter in the state of Colorado. This means that I am required by law to make a report to social services or law enforcement if I have reasonable cause to believe that a student is experiencing abuse or neglect. CLICK HERE for more information.

Q: What if I have questions, concerns, or feedback?

A: I love family questions!!! Always feel free to reach out through email with your questions. You are also always welcome to schedule a family coaching session with me.

I welcome your concerns and feedback when shared in a way that is collaborative and productive. I take my responsibility to your student and your family very seriously. If something is not working, please reach out to me directly so we can talk about it. Most problems are solvable problems. On the rare occasion that we come across a problem that does not seem solvable, you always have the right to discontinue academic support with me. Remember, I am working for you.

Q: What steps do you take for student safety?

A: When students are working in a 1:1 setting with an adult, the interactions must be “observable” and “interruptible”. It is essential that students know that this is the expectation and that anything outside of that “norm” should be shared with a trusted adult. There are many amazing resources out there to teach students about personal safety in developmentally appropriate ways. As a certified teacher in the state of Colorado, I am required to have fingerprinting and a background check completed as a part of my licensure. CLICK HERE to look up my license (License #24452049).

CLICK HERE for a resource that provides 5 doable steps that families can take with their kids to reduce the potential for harm from unsafe adults.

Ending Student-Centered Academic Support

Q: How do I end academic support?

A: While a commitment to 12 weeks of tutoring sessions is strongly encouraged, families may end academic support at any time by communicating their intention in writing. Email is usually the best option for this. As long as you provide more than 24 hours ' notice, you will not be billed for future sessions. You will still be financially responsible for any previously completed sessions.

Q: When would you end academic support?

A: I do my best to maintain my commitment to a minimum of 12 weeks of tutoring whenever possible.

Due to the unpredictable nature of my chronic health issue, there may be times when this is not possible. If this occurs, I will do my best to give families as much advance notice as possible.

I also may end tutoring if:

• A student has missed 3 tutoring sessions without 24 hours’ notice and/or without communication (“no shows”).

• I am consistently ineffective in reaching the goals we set together, and I have reached a place of feeling genuinely stuck with how to move forward.

• A student is consistently unwilling or unable to engage in our sessions, and I have reached a place of feeling genuinely stuck with how to move forward.

• A family is unresponsive to student support recommendations, which I see as foundational for a student’s growth.

• A family consistently communicates with me in a way that causes harm. I get that big feelings happen, especially when it comes to our children. AND… everyone deserves to be spoken to with compassion, grace, and assuming positive intent.