Cassandra Bruington - Supplemental Education LLC

We match students with qualified tutors who specialize in building strong relationships with families. One-on-one tutoring sessions are targeted and engaging, and our students experience accelerated academic, social, and emotional growth.

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Cassandra Bruington

Cassandra Bruington of Kansas City, MO, is an educator, speaker, and relationship-builder. She uses her gift of encouragement to help parents of K-12 students to use their voices to ensure accelerated learning.

Cassandra’s love for empowering others to grow has opened many doors of opportunity for her. Along with holding her Master’s degree in Education, Cassandra has 14 years of experience in education and has started multiple businesses. One of those businesses is Supplemental Education LLC, a virtual tutoring service catering to Kindergarten through 12th-grade children. Supplemental Education creates customized learning roadmaps focusing on a child’s strengths to address their unique learning needs and reach their learning goals.

Cassandra says, “We match students with qualified tutors who specialize in building strong relationships with families. One-on-one tutoring sessions are targeted and engaging, and our students experience accelerated academic, social, and emotional growth. Even more, our services are virtual, which means we can reach students from any location!”

As an added bonus, Supplemental Education gives parents and tutors personalized ongoing coaching, training, and support through monthly workshops and video tutorials. Cassandra also offers a learning resource library with topics ranging from how to plan an engaging read-aloud to how to make learning from home real and fun! Parents can even find free learning resources on Supplemental Education’s YouTube page.

Cassandra shares she loves empowering parents with the mindsets, skills, and knowledge that unlocks extraordinary learning which starts from home. She thrives in building relationships through humor, humility, and connection while empowering adults to support children to reach their fullest potential. “I launched Supplemental Education LLC in 2020 to ensure that children grow and thrive in the world. In two years, my business has supported more than ten families in six cities nationwide. My students’ results range from earning 100% on math assessments to scoring in the 82nd percentile on a national reading assessment,” she says.

The ideal client for Supplement Education is a K-13 parent who recognizes their involvement in their child’s education experience is not just significant; it’s critical. They may be lacking information on how the school system works, but they believe their voice can and will ensure learning success for their child. “We call them Parent Plus. A Parent Plus is ready and willing to engage with the school system to center their child’s academic, social, and emotional success. They know their child best, and so they know what’s best for their child. A Parent Plus doesn’t need a teaching degree to advocate for their child’s education. They have a superpower called love that allows them to think, say, and do what’s best for their child, especially empowered with information about the best ways to engage with their child, the school, and community resources. We supplement what they already have because love conquers all.”

The Parent Plus workshops Cassandra hosts help parents develop a plan for success by getting clear of a specific goal, setting tangible steps toward it, and scheduling success and celebration. During this process, parents are positioned as their child’s first teachers and have the option to enroll them in virtual tutoring, such as one-on-one parent coaching or live monthly group coaching and accountability.

Cassandra’s passion for teaching took her to the island of Costa Rica. She taught and led literacy for our Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School there. Her classroom and curriculum support extended to the high school setting as well. When Cassandra returned to the States, she wanted to partner with parents and help them accelerate their children’s success, but she needed clarity on how to proceed. She asked her parents and colleagues, and Cassandra’s answer came from writing a book, ‘ABCs: How to Help Your Child Succeed in School’. That was a precursor for her work during the COVID-19 virtual school crisis. While on bed rest during the onset of the pandemic, Cassandra began supporting a rising 5th grader in developing foundational reading and literacy skills. At the same time, she started coaching a Black American teacher who was working with English Language Learners in Mexico. Cassandra welcomed the challenge.

Cassandra was able to accomplish all of this while she was pregnant with her son. Not to mention, her son had recently received a diagnosis of spina bifida and was recovering from prenatal surgery. She pushed through and assisted others as much as possible while on bed rest. “After I had my son, I launched Supplemental Education. I knew more parents needed the type of support I was able to offer during the pandemic. After launching, I recruited and onboarded 15 teachers, enrolled in business coaching, and grew my client base. The rest is history!

The impact Cassandra’s company has made has not gone unnoticed. She says, “I am changing education one family at a time. I love that parents own their power, and we partner with them as they lead their child’s learning success. It’s beautiful to hear about students whose growth means they no longer require tutoring. I find comfort in knowing that when students reach a new hurdle in learning, Supplemental Education is the first place they think of for support and accelerated results.”

Cassandra’s parents, she admits, have mostly impacted her life. She says, “My dad grew up between NYC and South Carolina, and my mom was born and raised in St. Matthews. They met as kids and grew up knowing one another’s families. Their love story is beautiful, and they have always been committed to building a strong family of relatives and friends centered around Jesus Christ,” she says.

Raised as a child of parents who served in the military, Cassandra traveled often. Her parents supported her when she wanted to travel to Paris, Italy, and Prague in middle school. When Cassandra studied abroad in South Korea and South Africa, they also helped fund her extracurricular aspirations. “I am doing what I love because of their example.”

One of Cassandra’s biggest challenges was her unborn son being diagnosed with Spina Bifida – Myelomeningocele in 2020. After hearing all my options, she agreed to undergo surgery while pregnant so surgeons could stitch his back closed, giving him a chance to live and one day walk. Three and half weeks later, Cassandra lay on the operating table, fully aware of the risks but hopeful of the outcome. Then the world shut down due to the spread of the Coronavirus. She spent three months on bed rest, away from loved ones, with limited visitors. During this period, she attended weekly ultrasound appointments until she delivered her son, Josiah, by C-section, as scheduled. Today he’s walking and thriving as a smart, clever, musical, and talkative three-year-old.

Cassandra advises others who may experience a life or business journey like hers to stay the course. “It doesn’t mean things won’t shift and evolve, but if you’re willing to grow, you’ll get clearer and clearer with each step you take. Entrepreneurship is worth personal development alone. As you change, so will the world,” she shares. “Also, invest in yourself first. Look good, feel good, be good, and do good every day,” she says.

As the future looks bright for Cassandra and Supplemental Education LLC, she is excited to partner with schools and school districts. “The answer to every issue in education lies in our ability to awaken, empower, and re-position parents as their child’s first and best teacher, indefinitely. As school leadership partners with Supplemental Education, I’m convinced we can change education, one family at a time.”

To learn more about Supplemental Education, please visit their website.

www.supp-ed.com