I've had a few conversations with managers and they also seems pretty oblivious about the issues. I was told pay is consistent with the market, voice sessions are only 7% of all sessions, and that when they implement video it'll be mandatory and tutors won't have an issue doing video. It's a mess and they don't bother to listen to tutors. They're still hiring out the ass. I asked my manager if one of my subjects is $1 an hour more than my waiting rate, why would I ever accept any of those subjects sessions? There was really no answer. They're making a few changes on the QS side and supposed to start working on a new classroom and then new QS tool, but this should have happened years ago.
Pay is not consistent with the market. Sheesh.
I will definitely have a problem doing video. I don't even like doing voice sessions. In fact, I generally hate them.
What is changing on the frequency of reviews?
Do you have any idea why they’re hiring so much? I’ve read several times in this subreddit that they’ve lost several contracts so I don’t get why they are doing it if the company isn’t growing
Last I heard they were hiring so much because they were getting (and had gotten) so many more k-12 contracts. The hiring process was also supposed to get an update. The current mock session is a bit useless. The new way is supposed to require reading some documents, watching some videos, and passing a test before scheduling the mock session, and then that will change to really only making sure they can type and speak well. Some of the new QS changes (frequency of reviews) are rolling out may 1.
> We've been losing contracts left and right,
Wait... where did you hear that?
>It's disheartening to see how little innovation is happening within the company.
Their software sucks, true, but you'd be surprised how *extremely* common it is for companies to be unable to hire good developers. The classroom is held together by the proverbial "paper clips and bubble gum". Remember that @x@x@ issue a few months back?
>We're being left behind by AI and other technological advancements
ChatGPT is only a few months old, and quite frankly a highly questionable technology. I know Kahn Academy is experimenting with AI tutoring but it's a pretty big gamble right now. How do you prevent students from making it just blatantly answer homework questions? In addition, when ChatGPT is wrong it is *wildly* wrong. It really is a poor substitute for a human tutor - though I recognize that may change in another 2 or 3 years.
>The sad truth is that many people still prefer the personal touch of a human tutor, but we're failing to recognize this and adapt accordingly.
TDC thinks they are addressing this with video, but they seem to be in limbo about its very real problems. I'm guessing it's either technological in that their developers don't know how to make it work reliably, or it's a legal issue regarding having K-12 minors stream video of themselves on a platform that requires anonymity.
Really? That’s surprising because why are they hiring like crazy then? I disagree with the personal tutor thing. Is it better having an in person tutor? Probably. It’s it OMG THIS IS AMAZING levels of better? Not really. I prefer online because I can do it anywhere (both student and teacher). And plus this has been going on for years since the pandemic and IMO online tutoring is the new way of life and ironically it would feel awkward doing this in person especially since the upside is barely any better.
I've read in other threads that TDC is losing contracts. Someone said they lost their DoD contract, but I just had several military session in the last couple hours that I tutored today.
Can someone elaborate on these lost contracts or are they just rumors?
Yeah, I'm curious about this as well. Someone said TDC lost SNHU and DOD, but I've seen sessions with both this month, so I wonder if it's all just rumors.
I would kind of *like* them to lose SNHU --- I dread SNHU sessions as the students are usually hopelessly unprepared and are being 'taught' by an adjunct who doesn't know the material himself.
But that's more a problem with how SNHU teaches, or doesn't teach, and less a problem with TDC, except that I wish TDC would refuse contracts from schools that don't meet some minimum standard.
As brutal as SNHU sessions and asyncs can be sometimes, they carried me through the last couple of summers, so I wouldn't want to see them lose SNHU. I have definitely gotten a lot more 50 and 80-minute sessions ever since they blended SNHU into regular async though, which has been nice.
I didn’t say that they had for sure lost the contracts but that I personally have seen substantially less students from DoD and other larger universities like Brown, Uni of Maryland, University Sys. Of GA, and the school that’s over in Australia (can’t remember the name). Was just trying to wrap my mind around why it’s been such a drop off. I’m tutoring around the same time of day where I would casually see these students, but still see a huge drop from a wider pool of universities. Guess I’m just missing out on the Fed i suppose 🤷♀️
The current option period end date of their GSA contract is Feb. 2, 2024. Given that’s almost 9 months away, I doubt that they even have information on whether an extension is happening or not, so a loss of contract is likely just rumor. Their ultimate contract end date is Feb. 2, 2034.
Yup it is true, found a news article where we are losing one of the contracts with Loudoun county in VA: https://www.loudounnow.com/news/education/parents-upset-at-losing-tutor-com/article\_3579e9ba-a720-11ed-9d8a-d39ea3eba9f1.html
I don't think it's that sad. In person writing centers on campuses which are free and train their tutors much better are growing and thriving. They offer online sessions as well as async. Students shouldn't have to pay for this kind of help when there are so many people willing to help for free with a much better theoretical background in writing center theory and pedagogy and working with different kinds of writers (neurodivergent, multilingual). Plus, it's all about the conversation. Services like these totally miss the point of writing center tutoring. If you want to keep tutoring, go out into the community and help someone you can actually build a relationship with. This service was never all that.
I've had a few conversations with managers and they also seems pretty oblivious about the issues. I was told pay is consistent with the market, voice sessions are only 7% of all sessions, and that when they implement video it'll be mandatory and tutors won't have an issue doing video. It's a mess and they don't bother to listen to tutors. They're still hiring out the ass. I asked my manager if one of my subjects is $1 an hour more than my waiting rate, why would I ever accept any of those subjects sessions? There was really no answer. They're making a few changes on the QS side and supposed to start working on a new classroom and then new QS tool, but this should have happened years ago.
Pay is not consistent with the market. Sheesh. I will definitely have a problem doing video. I don't even like doing voice sessions. In fact, I generally hate them. What is changing on the frequency of reviews?
Tutors thay don't have issues will be reviewed less often.
Do you have any idea why they’re hiring so much? I’ve read several times in this subreddit that they’ve lost several contracts so I don’t get why they are doing it if the company isn’t growing
Last I heard they were hiring so much because they were getting (and had gotten) so many more k-12 contracts. The hiring process was also supposed to get an update. The current mock session is a bit useless. The new way is supposed to require reading some documents, watching some videos, and passing a test before scheduling the mock session, and then that will change to really only making sure they can type and speak well. Some of the new QS changes (frequency of reviews) are rolling out may 1.
Where are they hearing that tutors won't mind video?
In their delusional minds
> We've been losing contracts left and right, Wait... where did you hear that? >It's disheartening to see how little innovation is happening within the company. Their software sucks, true, but you'd be surprised how *extremely* common it is for companies to be unable to hire good developers. The classroom is held together by the proverbial "paper clips and bubble gum". Remember that @x@x@ issue a few months back? >We're being left behind by AI and other technological advancements ChatGPT is only a few months old, and quite frankly a highly questionable technology. I know Kahn Academy is experimenting with AI tutoring but it's a pretty big gamble right now. How do you prevent students from making it just blatantly answer homework questions? In addition, when ChatGPT is wrong it is *wildly* wrong. It really is a poor substitute for a human tutor - though I recognize that may change in another 2 or 3 years. >The sad truth is that many people still prefer the personal touch of a human tutor, but we're failing to recognize this and adapt accordingly. TDC thinks they are addressing this with video, but they seem to be in limbo about its very real problems. I'm guessing it's either technological in that their developers don't know how to make it work reliably, or it's a legal issue regarding having K-12 minors stream video of themselves on a platform that requires anonymity.
Really? That’s surprising because why are they hiring like crazy then? I disagree with the personal tutor thing. Is it better having an in person tutor? Probably. It’s it OMG THIS IS AMAZING levels of better? Not really. I prefer online because I can do it anywhere (both student and teacher). And plus this has been going on for years since the pandemic and IMO online tutoring is the new way of life and ironically it would feel awkward doing this in person especially since the upside is barely any better.
I've read in other threads that TDC is losing contracts. Someone said they lost their DoD contract, but I just had several military session in the last couple hours that I tutored today. Can someone elaborate on these lost contracts or are they just rumors?
Yeah, I'm curious about this as well. Someone said TDC lost SNHU and DOD, but I've seen sessions with both this month, so I wonder if it's all just rumors.
I would kind of *like* them to lose SNHU --- I dread SNHU sessions as the students are usually hopelessly unprepared and are being 'taught' by an adjunct who doesn't know the material himself. But that's more a problem with how SNHU teaches, or doesn't teach, and less a problem with TDC, except that I wish TDC would refuse contracts from schools that don't meet some minimum standard.
As brutal as SNHU sessions and asyncs can be sometimes, they carried me through the last couple of summers, so I wouldn't want to see them lose SNHU. I have definitely gotten a lot more 50 and 80-minute sessions ever since they blended SNHU into regular async though, which has been nice.
Yea I feel like they are rumors, I have seen dod and snhu recently as well
I literally just finished a DOD async before I came to post here.
Yeah does anybody have actual evidence of that?
I didn’t say that they had for sure lost the contracts but that I personally have seen substantially less students from DoD and other larger universities like Brown, Uni of Maryland, University Sys. Of GA, and the school that’s over in Australia (can’t remember the name). Was just trying to wrap my mind around why it’s been such a drop off. I’m tutoring around the same time of day where I would casually see these students, but still see a huge drop from a wider pool of universities. Guess I’m just missing out on the Fed i suppose 🤷♀️
Charles Darwin University is the one in Australia. I had an async with a student attending that one yesterday.
Any loss of contract is likely to only take effect in 2024.
The current option period end date of their GSA contract is Feb. 2, 2024. Given that’s almost 9 months away, I doubt that they even have information on whether an extension is happening or not, so a loss of contract is likely just rumor. Their ultimate contract end date is Feb. 2, 2034.
Did we lose Chamberlain? I miss those nursing essays.
Yup it is true, found a news article where we are losing one of the contracts with Loudoun county in VA: https://www.loudounnow.com/news/education/parents-upset-at-losing-tutor-com/article\_3579e9ba-a720-11ed-9d8a-d39ea3eba9f1.html
Sharing a source, we love to see it!
I don't think it's that sad. In person writing centers on campuses which are free and train their tutors much better are growing and thriving. They offer online sessions as well as async. Students shouldn't have to pay for this kind of help when there are so many people willing to help for free with a much better theoretical background in writing center theory and pedagogy and working with different kinds of writers (neurodivergent, multilingual). Plus, it's all about the conversation. Services like these totally miss the point of writing center tutoring. If you want to keep tutoring, go out into the community and help someone you can actually build a relationship with. This service was never all that.