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East Chicago board rejects Paper virtual tutoring pilot after public pushback
Summary
Following public comment urging in‑person instruction, the School City of East Chicago Board voted unanimously against contracting with Paper for a summer tutoring pilot, citing concerns that virtual screen‑time would not match local teachers’ in‑building support.
The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted on May 13 to reject a proposed contract with Paper, a virtual tutoring vendor, for a high‑dosage summer tutoring pilot.
Helen Steinbach, a district resident and public commenter, urged trustees not to hire Paper, saying local teachers already working in buildings provide effective tutoring and summer instruction. Steinbach noted examples of second‑grade students who passed literacy benchmarks after teacher‑led tutoring and questioned the value of offsite, screen‑based instruction.
Board members voiced similar concerns during discussion. Multiple trustees said students would benefit more from in‑building teachers than from remote tutors sitting “in front of a screen.” Following discussion, Secretary Smith moved to approve the pilot and Trustee Rodriguez seconded, but the roll call recorded a unanimous 'No' from Trustees Gibson King, Gomez, Rodriguez, Smith and the board president, ending the proposal.
The transcript records the public comment and a roll call vote; no additional immediate action on summer tutoring procurement was recorded. Trustees asked staff to continue prioritizing teacher‑led summer programs and to ensure any contracted supplemental services complement rather than replace in‑person instruction.
