Today Andrew and I were invited to speak with a group of educational psychologists in arguably one of the best school systems in the Greater Boston area. Our host asked us to explain our services and how they fit into their students’ larger educational picture. Speaking with them really underscored the value of tutoring and relationship based education, and I would like to share some of the highlights of the discussion here.

The psychologists we spoke to are in the trenches of public schools, addressing students at both the low-functioning and high-functioning ends of the spectrum, as well as those who have signs and diagnoses of learning difficulties. In our discussion, a point that Andrew and I have always known was strongly corroborated: the one-size-fits-all model that public schools follow causes severe educational casualties. Students can’t simply be fed content and expected to learn. Sure, our schools work. They get the job done for a lot of students. But there is a tremendous amount of unrealized potential.

The major shortfalls, they said, were successfully meeting students’ individual learning needs and the lack of relationship based education. Teachers can hardly connect with every student in the classroom and tailor the lesson to their needs. Nor can they reach out and form a meaningful relationship with every student. The result: unengaged students who place themselves in a downward spiral of apathy.

Within most school systems, there are few safeguards in place to prevent against this sort of apathy and underperformance. In the home, it’s not much better – teenage students are generally hardwired to ignore everything that their parents say. However, according to the psychologists, tutoring with an emphasis on a strong relationship can be enough to fully customize and engage a students’ education.

This, in turn, is supported by our experience at Veritas. Individualized education delivered by a caring, engaging instructor can literally change a student’s life.