Karisa Tavassoli, better known to her students as Ms. T, is a special education teacher and reading specialist. She created Holistic Education Services after witnessing the return to in-person learning in schools post-COVID.
“Students were struggling academically and struggling to process how they were feeling. Parents lacked the tools to feel empowered about making educational decisions.” Drawing on her years of teaching experience, Ms. T decided she could make an impact in the community, one child at a time.
At Holistic Education, tutoring is one-on-one and customized. “We understand the learning style and interests of the student, then incorporate those into sessions while ensuring they're on top of their schoolwork,” explains Ms. T. This means that no two students, even in the same grade and subject, will have the same tutoring program.
Khaza Hawkins began tutoring in first grade when her reading skills were found to be below grade level. Now a year later, Khaza is reading chapter books. Her mother, Shatara, credits the time and understanding Ms. T dedicated, letting Khaza learn at her own pace. “Her teachers came to me and said, ‘I don’t know what you did, but Khaza is above and beyond. She is reading like crazy!’” Shatara says. Khaza and her brother Chance attend Westside Charter School. “My kids have shown me a different side of them. They’re more interested and focused when it’s time to learn.” Shatara continues, “Ms. T understands it’s holistic; that’s the difference in learning.”
Indeed, it is the holistic approach that distinguishes Holistic Education. In every hour-long class, tutors reserve 5–10 minutes for social-emotional development. “Students deserve to be treated as a whole person, in the context of their environment and all that comes with being a human being,” says Ms. T.Tiffany Broxton agrees: “The difference for me is the focus on the whole child.” Tiffany’s son is in sixth grade. “Jaxon is an anxious student who struggles with math, reading, and writing. He’s a late bloomer, so he started reading a little bit later.”
Tiffany wanted a tutor who would take the time to bond with her son and support him emotionally and mentally. One lesson with Ms. T involved acting out a scenario to help Jaxon advocate for himself “I played a teacher and Jaxon had to raise his hand and ask when an assignment was due, then write it down.” The goal was for Jaxon to get comfortable with raising his hand, knowing what to say, and remembering the information. “It can feel scary at first, but practicing these skills in tutoring is very important for students to build that muscle for the classroom,” Ms. T shares.
Tiffany says Jaxon has matured in his time with Ms. T. Initially, he was not excited for tutoring after a long day of school; now he looks forward to it. “He would probably go to Ms. T for help rather than us parents now,” Tiffany laughs. “It warms my heart that he can rely on her.”
Behind Ms. T is a full team of tutors with professional expertise across a variety of subjects. By showing up with presence, Holistic Education’s tutors fortify students to overcome challenges with resilience both in school and beyond. *April 2026
