GAH!??!!!!!????

Linda Christas is ... all over the map. First it's supposed to be a college fund, then it's really a Tutoring service and THIRD -- it's an AAA school (??!!!???) that is run with VOLUNTEERS (????!!!!???)

OOooooookayyyyy.....

After some prowling around, I found a post by someone who was approached as a tutor and got far enough into it to find the details:
http://www.degreeinfo.com/static/forum_archive/1/13200/thread_13200_page_1.html

Here's how it works, according to that poster:
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I was emailed again and told there would be an "online interview". I didn't answer, and the next day was told the online interview would be waived. I guess if you're a pedophile, an ex-con, a toothless drunk, or just some high school dropout claiming to have a degree, this is the place to ask for a job, because they don't check anybody out and hire sight unseen. I wouldn't want to hire them for my kid!

I then got an email from a "volunteer" for Linda Christas named "Lin Healey", although her email addy was the same as Peggy George, which makes me think they are the same person. At any rate, an "Acaemic Advisor" supposedly gets a commission for each family that signs up for tutoring services (which they claim range about $2500 to $3500). So I guess the way it works is you pay them $400, they make you an "academic advisor", and then it's up to you to round up some students. When you can't, it's your fault not there's, and they have your $400. Sort of like those "assemble products at home" scams, and then after you buy the manual, you find out you have to sell the products you assembled yourself.
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The one posting under that reports that after his girlfriend paid the money, she "wasn't hired." A post from one of their "happy tutors" stated rather indirectly that they may use spam to find cients.

An analysis of their ads and web pages shows that:

1) they're targeting parents with the "school doesn't have enough time for YOUR kids" (well, if the government would raise salaries and fund schools better and hire more teachers...)

2) Parents with ADD/ADHD kids are particularly targeted (they spend a lot of money to treat their kids and are desperate for solutions.)

3) they make you think that educators don't know about crafting programs to a learner's style... but I can assure you that when I was doing my student teaching back in 1975, we were doing this very thing where possible. In fact, there was a federally funded program to teach with this style. A friend from Jamaica who taught there said that this is just like the programs they use in Jamaican public schools and that it was originally started in the US in the 1950's or so.

4) They make it appear as though counselors are being swamped by workloads (which is apparently not completely true.

5) make it appear that educators aren't aware that kids mature at different rates and times (silliest statement yet... just ask ANY teacher!)

6) they have a number of illogical connections, as though this was started by a very religious parent who didn't believe in Ritalin and had kids with problems and acted as apologist and advocate for her kids and for other moms that she/he felt had a common background and who "evolved" to add other areas to the ir services as their kids needed those services.

Like the rest of the folks, I got a very odd feeling about the web page and it didn't improve after doing searches. I think that tutoring is an excellent way to make money (if you can get in), and working with companies whose names we are familiar with (Sylvan learning center) or offering services at a local public school are good. Working through an agency can be a good way to get jobs with little hassle.

Here's the Google services category for tutoring services:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Education/Products_and_Services/Services_for_Hire/Tutoring/

Craigslist (http://craigslist.org) is also another good place to spot calls for tutors.