Business of the Week: Kumon of Milton

History may remember President George W. Bush with mixed feelings but there is no doubt that he was committed to education. In January 2001, it was the first thing on his mind when he took office and the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act a year later was a signpost to a brighter future for the nation’s children.

Education is important and the development of children in every part of the country should be a priority. Boston has a reputation for high standards of college education but there are years of learning before you can reach those levels.

For parents in Milton, there is now an opportunity for their children to study beyond the confines of the classroom.

Kumon of Milton is “an after-school math and reading enrichment program” that opened their doors of learning on October 16 last year. Originally founded in 1958 in Osaka, Japan, the Kumon Method is now taught in 24,900 franchised centers worldwide with 1,775 in North America alone.

This week, Patch sat down with Tate Isgrieg, the Kumon franchise owner in Milton. Isgrieg is a former Vice-Principal with a Masters in Education from John Hopkins and has recently moved to the area after a career spent in Baltimore, Maryland; Gary, Indiana and Ecuador.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Ohio but my wife is from Hingham. We were looking to put down roots so we were looking for good towns to grow in and we liked Milton. We were waffling between the two (Hingham and Milton) as to where to open Kumon and where to live. So we opened here and we live there…for now.

Why did you decide that Milton was a good place to open a franchised education program? 

As I say, we liked Milton and we liked this part of town. We felt it was a good location that served a diverse population of people and the Kumon product is awesome. Put it around people who have kids and who care about education, it’s bound to do well.

It’s strange to hear education described as a product. Is that how you approach it?

It’s a curriculum, it’s an approach and ultimately it’s all sorts of things but there is a reason why we set up in a retail location. Kumon is a product. People are paying for the service, they’re paying for an outcome and we design or tailor that to meet whatever needs they have. Yes, it is a curriculum but it is an approach to understanding math and reading.

Is that the main focus of Kumon?

We’re looking to cultivate independent learners. We use two vehicles to accomplish that goal; one is math, one is reading comprehension. Those are the two vehicles that we use to achieve our goal of making kids independent learners.

Do you teach the kids on a one-on-one basis?

There are elements of that when it is necessary but everything is individualized so it’s not the same product for two people. It’s designed specifically for the needs of the student; they’re constantly working on what their needs are at the time. 

Is the program tailored to kids that are falling behind in their studies?

I don’t have two kids that are the same. That’s why I love it; the program can be catered to anybody. I’ve got three-year olds in here, 11^th graders with severe disabilities, 10^th graders that are home-schooled that are trying to push their math further, 7^th graders that can’t get enough of math and are trying to pump through.

I have got kids whose basic skills are lacking but ideally the math and reading is secondary to the idea that we want the kids to inventory their own skills. To be able to get from Point A to Point B and to understand what it takes to actually learn something.

If you think about math as a mountain with counting at the bottom and calculus at the top, we all exist somewhere on the mountain path and it is just the idea of finding where we are solid on the path and where we aren’t. It’s about finding that spot and pushing our way up the path. I want the kids to be independent in their growth and I want them to find their own way up…sometimes it is necessary for me to sit down and show them but, for the most part, I want them to them to discover it through their own study. 

So you are an educational Sherpa?

(Laughs) Maybe, or you can call me a coach. I look it more as though this is Math Karate, there are levels, we are going up a ladder and no matter where you start there is something to push you up to the next spot. It’s cool…

It seems that Kumon can be compared to any form of advancement, either up a mountain or through martial arts. How has the community reacted to the opportunity that the program presents?

I felt that the population here was largely diverse and multicultural; it was where I would want to bring my kids if I were to put them into a Kumon Center. This is a place where people are focused on learning and on becoming a better student. It’s a huge commitment, kids are coming in here seven days a week and they don’t miss a day. Every one of the kids here is working at least 20 or 30 minutes a day on math…it’s like working out or joining a gym. We want studying to become part of a routine, something that we do every day. There are no frills here, no toys. But come in here on a Thursday and you will see 35 kids busting out math problems.

But the kids are responsible for their own progress, you don’t actually “teach” math or reading comprehension?

There is no class. It’s an independent study program and we are trying to foster independent, self-motivated learners. If a kid encounters something that they can’t figure out on their own, then I will sit down with them but they go home and practice it. Sometimes I want the kids to fail with something, failure is part of it but it’s how you come back and attack it again.

Kumon has two aspects; not only do you have to get the assignment right but you have to complete it in a certain period of time. We don’t put something in front of them where it challenges them every day without the benefit of seeing that they can do it. It’s like learning to ride a bike…you fall off three times, the fourth time you get it right and that is a big deal. They have to work hard, growth is sometimes slow, they get discouraged or frustrated but they need to overcome that…that is where the coaching aspect of it comes in, getting them to Point B from Point A without giving up before they get there!

Kumon is a platform for teaching self-discipline, to apply yourself to something with no ceiling. The educational system in America can be spectacular but sometimes it falls down to a lack of motivation. How do we motivate kids AND keep them motivated? Give them proper support and be realistic with them.

So with your background in education, you believe that Kumon works?

I know it works and for two reasons. Firstly, we’re going to get the results in math and secondly, we’re going to get the personal results from maintaining something over time by learning what it means to be committed to something. The kids I’ve got here in now…they’ve only just got to the point where it feels like a routine. We’re still in the beginning stages.

What would be your tagline for Kumon?

Math, Reading, Success. I would have loved to have had access to Kumon as a kid, I didn’t have the option…I tried things and I gave up. The program shows kids the structure and discipline that comes from committing to something and following through with it…this is the opportunity that we offer.