Community Highlights: Meet Kim Wise of NCTutors and Educational Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Wise. 

Hi Kim, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been a teacher for nineteen years and a parent for fifteen, so I’ve seen how important it is to fill the education gaps from both perspectives. I started in Illinois, where I grew up, as a self-contained special education teacher. From there, I moved to Georgia, where I was a Reading Teacher, and then settled in North Carolina. Before owning my own company where I am a Literacy & Special Education Specialist, I was an Inclusion Educator in Wake County Public Schools. Teaching learning strategies to children, whether in small-group classes or one on one, has always been my life’s passion. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Because of the pandemic, there has been an especially high demand from families for more readily available online support. And while I had several edtech online education offerings, I wasn’t able to keep up with the demand with the staff I had at the time. To overcome that hurdle, I partnered with Ben Brogadir, the owner of The Teacher Marketplace. Having done charity work together in the past, I knew that we had a similar mission—to make education accessible. One of the successes I’m proudest of from our partnership is the support we’ve been able to provide to Fort Bragg military families with homeschoolers as well as assistance to several North Carolina districts that continue to be virtual this year.

As you know, we’re big fans of NCTutors and Educational Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
NC Tutors & Educational Services offers personalized instruction and assessments to Special Education and general curriculum children in grades K–12. We provide Personalized Strategies to Insure Academic and Social/ Emotional Success. We tailor each student’s educational plan to fit their interests, skill set, and learning style. We create a program to engage, educate and empower students. Programs are offered both in-person and online to work around families’ busy schedules.

My company is a NCSEAA provider for families who receive grant funding. We also offer several other resources to families in North Carolina.

Our primary areas of focus are literacy remediation, specifically: decoding/phonics, comprehension strategies, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and writing with correct spelling. Reading, in particular, is an important skill— North Carolina has the Read to Achieve Initiative, where children must be proficient readers by the third grade.

N.C. Tutors & Ed.Svcs. sets itself apart from the competition with our personalized approach to each child’s needs. My background and training allows me and my staff to provide not only instruction but also assessments to inform parents of valuable actionable steps so each student can reach their full potential. Additionally, our assessments are used in school meetings to guide their education. Students are able to move forward, gain self-confidence and learn better using the strengths that we identify.

What makes you happy?
As an educator, I enjoy watching my students progress and reach their goals, and that I was able to help them in their successes. My Apex office is a great place for one on one or group classes for students.

As a parent, I am happy spending time with my two boys. My son Matthew is in high school, and I love watching his hockey tournaments. My younger son Devin, who is in middle school, with his own academics and social-emotional struggles, is hilarious, and he makes me smile all the time.

Contact Info:

• Email: northcarolinatutors@gmail.com
• Website: www.northcarolinatutors.com
• Instagram: @nctutorsedsvcs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tutorsnorthcarolina
• Twitter: @NCTutorsEdsvcs

Image Credits
Jenny Midgley