Math tutors for Dougherty schools will be on the job in November

ALBANY — The U.S. Marines aren’t the only corps in Albany anymore, as 20 individuals took the pledge this week to serve as math tutors.

The Georgia Math Corps tutors were “sworn in” during a Friday ceremony at the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy, also known as the 4C Academy.

The group of about 20 tutors will serve this school year in the Dougherty County School System and at 4C.

Among those at the ceremony were state Sen. Freddie Powel Sims, D-Dawson, and state Reps. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, and CaMia Hopson, D-Albany.

“We appreciate the support and interest from learners in government like Sen. Sims and Rep. Greene,” said Jamye Cobb, senior program manager of the Georgia Math Corps. “This has been a particularly challenging year for many students, and the need for tutoring is more important than ever.”

Funding for the tutors involved in the local program was included in the state legislature’s educational outlays funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Georgia Math Corps is a research-based AmeriCorps program that helps Georgia students become proficient in math by the end of the eighth grade.

The two lawmakers also observed a virtual training session of math tutors who will begin serving on Oct. 26. After they complete training, the tutors will be placed in Albany schools to help students develop math skills.

Currently, only 28 percent of the state’s eighth-grade students test as proficient in math, Cobb said.

“This situation has been exacerbated by the challenges associated with remote learning,” she said. “Our Math Corps tutors, who are being placed in Dougherty County schools and 4C, will make a significant difference in helping kids succeed.”

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