Tutors International, global provider of full-time private tutoring, announced that so called super-tutors are worth their extraordinarily high salaries because the contracts are so demanding.
Tutors International, who place full-time private tutors with high-earning families around the world on short- and long-term contracts, were asked by an American family to find a home tutor for their teenage son. The salary was $400,000 per year, plus 4 annual flights home, accommodation, and use of a car. These kinds of elite tutors have been dubbed super-tutors.
Adam Caller, who founded Tutors International in 1999, was recently quoted in Kathryn Knight’s Daily Mail article on private tutors, as saying:
“It’s a lot of money but it was a full-on job, working every weekday evening, often till midnight, and a lot of weekends… It’s quite isolating too and there are only certain people who can cope with that.”
Tutors International, unlike other tuition agencies, don’t have tutors ‘on their books’, but recruit each new post individually, often approaching highly-qualified teachers that fit the exacting criteria to offer an interview. Tutors are regularly paid upwards of £72,000 per year, mainly, says Mr Caller, because of their extremely high qualifications, but also because of the unique and demanding requirements of the role.
Success in private tutoring depends a great deal on the relationship between the tutor, the student, and the family, so it’s very important that everyone can live and work together comfortably. Tutors are not recruited on their academic abilities alone, but on personality, hobbies and interests, ethics and culture – to ensure a perfect fit with the family.
In this example from a current Tutors International job advert, the candidate must:
“Support A-level preparation in Geography, Media Studies, Art/Textiles, and Photography, in addition to a wide range of other subjects” and also “resourceful, intelligent and knowledgeable educators who are sensitive to the unusual circumstances of the position, relaxed and easy-going with a sunny disposition on the one hand while firm, encouraging and directed on the other.” They need to use the local environment to “illuminate the standard curriculum and enhance the learning experience” and “will need to have the personal credibility to establish a good working relationship with the teachers at home.”
Such scarcity in suitable applicants – and often just two candidates are presented to the family at the final stage of the length interview process – comes at a cost. Super-tutors are expensive.
“Parents are more than happy to pay a premium for the sake of their child’s education,” says Caller, “Getting that perfect, the one that inspires learning, turns grades around, encourages deeper thought and greater insight, who travels with the family, plays tennis, helps them all learn a new language and culture if they are relocating – finding that person is worth every penny.”
About Tutors International
Tutors International is a worldwide organization providing experienced full-time private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities, in a wide variety of situations, including international relocation, after-school support, full-time home tuition, support for AD/HD and dyslexia, home schooling for frequent travellers, and college prep and coaching.
Tutors International was founded by Adam Caller who has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and AD/HD and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. He has now turned this expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors with HNW and UHNW families around the world. Adam is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).
