RISE OF THE ZUTOR

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EDUCATION

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had her aha! moment: What if she could find the perfect tutor to step in and handle virtual learning for her children?

Katz invested a good deal of time in that search. Along the way, she realized that she could help other families do the same. So she founded The Zutor Concierge, which matches pupils with educators for in-person tutoring. The service is now helping families across the country and abroad and has grown to include 500 Zutors — Zoom tutors — with thousands of client applications by the end of 2020 .

For now, all Zutors work with students in their homes, but virtual tutoring is a service Katz plans to offer soon.

“My boys share a Zutor and he is truly our angel,” Katz says. “He has become such an integral part of the boys’ school year.” Her daughter is in a pod of 3- and 4-year-olds led by a preschool teacher.

Katz conducts multiple phone interviews with applicant families. “My conversation includes getting to know more about the child’s needs, struggles and where they shine,” she says. “Some parents do provide a list for me to help me along my matchmaking journey, but I find that I can usually get a very good sense of what is needed after we have spoken a few times.”

Katz similarly interviews each Zutor in person or via Zoom. “They need the opportunity to ask me questions and get to know who I am because, like the family, they are trusting me to make the right match,” she says. “Whether this is a one-hour-per-week job or a 35-hours-a-week job, I want each educator to feel enthusiastic and prepared.”

Zutors and families then meet virtually prior to the first session “so that everyone can make sure it’s a good fit,” Katz says.

Christopher Levenberg , a Los Angeles-based Zutor who worked as a preschool teacher for six years, teaches in small groups, which he says creates teamwork and helps ensure each child is thriving and getting what they need despite school being so different this year.

“We’re not just going through the motions, but bringing literature to life by reading and talking with them about books they’re really interested in,” Levenberg says. “We’ll practice math by talking about money and the cost of their favorite toys and how long they’d need to work at a certain salary to save up for their toys.”

They also squeeze in as much time for art as they can. “One of my students loves modeling clay, so we’ll take breaks from math and reading to mold figures from Mario Kart and other creatures from his imagination,” Levenberg says. “Art is a fantastic way to take a mental break from one subject but still apply critical and spatial/visual thinking skills in whatever project we’re currently working on.”

As for her family, “It’s been very eye-opening to watch both our Zutor and preschool teacher work with the kids,” Katz says. “Educators are extraordinary humans.”

Elyssa Katz

LARISSA BLOCK/BEAUTIES & BABIES PHOTOGRAPHY; GETTY IMAGES

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