Pros
The actual tutoring experience has been uniformly great. The kids I worked with and their families were enthusiastic and welcoming, and I did appreciate the teaching experience it gave me.
Cons
The tutoring was great. Everything else wasn't. 1) Poor support. There was very little support given in terms of instruction; tutors are given workbooks, binders, and essentially sent on their way. Some of the managers who interface with families are great and do provide some support. Others don't give any and you're essentially on your own. 2) VERY poor compensation. You are only paid for the actual instruction time with the child (usually $15), which is supposed to be 4 hours a week. I was not compensated for my travel expenses, travel time, or prep time. What looked like 4 hours a week was more like 8-10 when you factored travel and prep time in, and the $60 turned into more like $50 because I was paying for public transportation, and that was further chopped down because of taxes (which they did not withhold). Ultimately, I was being paid far less than minimum wage for my efforts. 3) If you have not been fingerprinted, you need to pay to be fingerprinted. They will reimburse you after you complete 30 hours with a child. That means that no matter how miserable you are, you either stick it out or forfeit your money. 4) Many of the children need far more than 30 hours of tutoring a year, and it's very frustrating to try to help them knowing that you can barely put a dent in the trouble they're having in school. All in all? The kids are really fantastic. The agency itself is one that you should avoid if at all possible.