Questions schools and families ask.
Can’t find your answer? Write to inquiries@nyfreeschool.com. We reply within two school days.
Eligibility & cost
Which students are eligible?
Students enrolled in a New York City public school that has partnered with us. The school chooses which students take part, usually students who are just below grade level and can reach proficiency with consistent extra practice (Tier II in NYCPS’s MTSS framework).
Which grades and subjects do you tutor?
Literacy and math for grades 6–9 at launch, including Algebra I, plus Mental Arts, our instruction in how learning works, inside every cycle. If your school needs other grades, ask us. We will tell you plainly whether we can serve them well.
Can families sign up directly?
Not at this time. We work through schools so that tutoring is tied to each student’s classroom and to their school’s data. Families who are interested should ask their school’s principal, parent coordinator, or HIT coordinator.
Is there any cost to families?
No. Our tutoring is contracted and paid for by schools, and families are never charged.
Do you serve multilingual learners and students with IEPs?
Yes, when the school identifies tutoring as the right support. Tutors follow the accommodations and language supports the school shares with us.
Tutoring is supplemental. It never replaces IEP-mandated services, special education instruction, or intensive intervention from certified teachers.
Are you a school? Do students enroll with you?
No. We are a tutoring provider. Students stay fully enrolled in their own public school, and our sessions add to their school day without replacing any part of it.
Scheduling
How often, and for how long?
At least three sessions a week, each 30–45 minutes, for a total of at least 90 minutes per student per week. Cycles run 10–12 weeks, with the same tutor and group throughout.
When do sessions happen?
Whenever your school chooses: during the school day (pull-out or push-in), before school, or after school. In-school sessions usually produce the best attendance and dosage, so we recommend them where the schedule allows.
What happens when a student misses a session?
The tutor records the absence live and your HIT coordinator is notified the same day. We schedule make-up time within the week where possible, and raise repeated absences with your team early so they can be addressed together.
What about holidays, testing, and school events?
Cycles follow the NYCPS calendar. We plan around state testing windows and school events at the start of each cycle, so the weekly minimum is still met.
Virtual & hybrid delivery
How does virtual tutoring work?
Live and synchronous. Each group meets its tutor on video with a shared whiteboard and workspace, and the tutor sees each student’s work in real time. Cameras on is the norm, with accommodations the school approves. Nothing is self-paced or pre-recorded.
What does the school need to provide?
For in-school virtual sessions: a space, a device and headphones for each student, a reliable connection, and a staff member nearby. We provide the tutors, platform, materials, and tech support for sessions.
Are sessions recorded?
No. Sessions are not recorded. Students join through authenticated links only, and tutors and students do not message privately outside the platform.
Can tutoring be in person?
Yes, as a hybrid model: some sessions in person at your school and the rest online, with the same tutor. It is available where tutor availability and space allow, and we will tell you up front what is possible for your school.
Data privacy
What student data do you collect?
Only what tutoring requires: the roster (names, grade, class schedule), relevant assessment results, and the attendance and skill data our tutors record. We do not collect data we do not use.
How is student data protected?
We comply with FERPA and New York Education Law §2-d, including the Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security, and we sign NYCPS’s data privacy and security terms before we receive any student information.
Data is encrypted, available only to the staff who need it, and never sold or used for advertising. It is deleted or returned when the agreement ends.
Who sees progress reports?
Your school’s HIT team and the staff it designates. Families receive progress information through the school, in the way the school prefers.
Are tutors background-checked?
Yes. Every tutor and staff member who works with students is cleared through NYCPS before meeting any student. That means nomination in PETS, a fingerprint-based criminal history check, and confirmed eligibility.
Procurement & status
How can our school work with you?
There are three paths: through the NYC Public Schools HIT initiative, where schools choose from the ExpandED Tutor Provider Directory; through a school-level purchase using your own budget under NYCPS purchasing rules; or through NYCPS contracts for tutoring services as they are issued.
Are you on the ExpandED Tutor Provider Directory?
We are applying to join it. For our current status, write to inquiries@nyfreeschool.com.
What does it cost?
We price per student, per cycle, and state it plainly in every proposal. Our model is designed to fit the per-student budgets typical of NYC high-impact tutoring programs.
How quickly can we start?
We reply to every inquiry within two school days. After a call with your team, we send a written proposal. Start dates depend on tutor clearance and on your data agreement being in place. We will give you a realistic date up front rather than an optimistic one.
What kind of organization are you?
The Free School of New York is in formation as a New York nonprofit corporation. We are a new provider, and we explain our status openly on our About page.