Bob Schwartz is a plus in more than one way for certain students at Hazelwood Central High School. Schwartz volunteers in the Student Intervention Program at the school two days a week, assisting students with higher level math and science classes.
The Student Intervention Program (SIP) is an alternative to a long-term suspension. It is a counseling program as well as an academic program. SIP students are expected to make positive changes in their attitude, behavior and academics.
Schwartz’s path to tutoring took a somewhat circular route. He retired from The Boeing Co. in 1999, where he was an engineer. He taught as a substitute for a few years but soon reached a conclusion.
“It’s harder than it looks, and I don’t think I was very good at it,” Schwartz said of subbing. He then became a part of the English as a Second Language program at Hazelwood West, and it reminded him of tutoring.
A chance encounter at a food pantry with a Hazelwood Central student unwittingly put Schwartz back into the tutoring realm. After joking with a boy about why he was not in school, the student’s grandmother told Schwartz her grandson was suspended and that he was not doing well in math. Schwartz spent more than an hour tutoring the boy in algebra.
During the intake interview, the student’s mother informed Nancy Snow of the Student Intervention Program (SIP) at Hazelwood Central High School, of this helpful math tutor. Snow called Schwartz and asked him if he wanted to volunteer.
“Most of the teachers are not comfortable with math and science but as engineers, we ate math and science,” he said. “I have been to all three of the Hazelwood high schools and I don’t think I ever met a teacher that didn’t want these kids to succeed. They break their backs for these kids, if only the kids would try. The biggest challenge with the SIP students is to get them to believe they can succeed if they put in the required amount of effort.”
On a recent morning, Schwartz traveled from room to room in the SIP area, seeing who needed his help. At some desks he spent just a few minutes, others required more involved help. Either way, the student received nothing but positive reinforcement to help them through their tasks. For one boy, Schwartz used a baseball analogy to help him understand why six over 10 is 60 percent. At a girl’s desk, he first bent over then knelt next to her, as they worked with mixed numbers, fractions and variables.
“This is a good program. The biggest reason I do it is, when you get out there and you see all of those young faces you don’t feel so old,” he said with a smile.
In addition to Schwartz’s genuine kindness, he brings support and one-on-one assistance to the students in his efforts to compensate for possible deficits in math and science. The SIP staff is grateful for the time he generously provides their students.
