Oak Creek Teacher To Help Families Navigate The 'Virtual Gap'

OAK CREEK, WI — The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District will be starting the fall school year in a fully-virtual format, leaving many parents to find ways to facilitate their children's virtual learning while also holding down steady employment.

Susan Prater, a longtime educator licensed in Elementary Education, is one of the people hoping to fill in the gaps for parents.

Prater said she is leveraging her teaching experience to offer in-home services to assist students with their virtual learning. She first learned of Oak Creek parents' plight starting in March when Gov. Tony Evers ordered schools closed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prater had been an off-site supervisor for an educational program run by the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District for many years before transitioning to substitute teaching.

Prater told Patch that he loves to educate children, and began marketing herself as an in-home educator in advance of the fall semester.

"I've had about 20 families contact me about requests," Prater told Oak Creek Patch. "I thought this would be a good option for working parents."

Prater said her service would differ depending on the student's needs and the needs of the parents. For a younger student, it may mean guiding them through the online learning platform and helping them stay on track. For an older student, it may mean more tutoring.

For parents, Prater's service would vary depending on how willing employers are willing to work with local parents.

"If you're in the business world and have meetings all day long, I think it's going to be very difficult for some parents," she said. "It all depends on the flexibility of the company."