Anna M. Macedonia, Ph.D., is an educational consultant and advocate specializing in family collaboration, special education policy, and inclusive practices. Drawing on her extensive experience across classrooms, higher education, yechnical assistance centers, and national special education programs, she helps families and organizations navigate the complexities of IDEA and Section 504

Julie Ingoglia is an experienced professional with 10 years of experience working in elementary and middle schools. She came to education as a second career (from a public health focus on writing and curriculum development), working in two DMV private schools. Julie has supported students in grades K-6 in reading, writing and math, using a variety of different methods.

Sam is an ELL Support Teacher at Green Acres School in North Bethesda and the founder of Sam’s English, an afterschool tutoring program in Kumamoto, Japan. He has also taught at a private preparatory middle and high school, where he implemented a program that improved students’ English proficiency test scores for five consecutive years. Sam believes that deep learning and creative engagement are key to mastering reading and writing.

Allie is an editor at an advertising agency by day but has also worked as a verbal/English tutor for the last 12 years. Allie grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Wootton High School. She then earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Maryland and a M.S. in publishing from Pace University.

April grew up in Westchester, New York right outside of the city. April has enjoyed teaching for the past 5 years in a non-public school in Maryland, Alaska and now in Montgomery County Public Schools

Brian Sims has been a classroom teacher for ten years and is currently a High School Social Studies teacher with MCPS. Brian has a unique teaching background, being the first several years of his teaching career he served as a Special Education teacher, teaching both self-contained and co-taught History classes. Brian’s first five years were spent teaching in Virginia and then he moved to Maryland and began teaching with MCPS. In Brian’s teaching career so far, he has taught Ancient World History, Modern World History, and United States History at the High School level. At the Middle School level, Brian has taught both 6th and 7th grade World Studies.

David is currently a Spanish teacher in MCPS. He grew up as a heritage speaker learning Spanish at home through his family then continued his growth by taking coursework at Wootton HS and the University of Maryland

Elissa Vinnik is a graduate of Macalester College (American Studies) and Bard College’s Masters in the Arts of Teaching program. She spent the better part of a decade working in New York City public schools, where she taught 10th and 11th grade English for seven years. As a certified 7-12 grade English educator, Elissa taught classrooms of high school students who brought a wide variety of interests and learning needs, including IEPs, ADHD, anxiety, and those with organizational challenges.

Eve Kavalov's passion for teaching came from her conviction that anybody can be good at math: all they need is the right teaching approach. She loves helping students develop a deep understanding of higher-level mathematics, particularly in IB or AP Calculus courses, with an emphasis on understanding why math procedures work.

Harriet has 35 years of teaching experience with the Montgomery County Public School System.

Jackson is currently a special education teacher and case manager in the Learning and Academic Disabilities (LAD) program at a middle school in MCPS, where he also coteaches Math 7 and Math 7+. Jackson has his Bachelor’s in Family Science from the University of Maryland, and his certificate in Special Education for grades 1-8 in the state of Maryland. He has been tutoring and coaching students with a wide range of needs in mathematics and reading development since 2018.

Jenna Gallo holds an M.Ed in both Teaching, Learning and Advocacy (College of Charleston) and in Leadership Administration (Charleston Southern University.) She is a certified K-12 Special Educator and Reading Coach. Ms. Gallo holds her Orton Gillingham certification and is currently a Special Education Coordinator in Arlington County.

Justin is currently a 6th grade math teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. Before switching to middle school, Justin spent his first couple years teaching in Elementary school in MCPS as well. Justin is very familiar with Montgomery County as he was a graduate from Wootton High School.

Lisa helps students find the best fit using tools to identify a list of schools, review high school transcripts/advise on course selections, support students as they write their college essay/supplemental essays/scholarship essays/honors program essays, navigate the Common App

Paige is an experienced educator with a passion for teaching students of all ages. Paige graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Deaf Studies. She loves teaching middle school math, especially Algebra.

Ryan is currently in his third year as a high school Spanish teacher in MCPS. A native of Montgomery County, Ryan completed the Spanish Immersion program in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster; he continued with the language at Muhlenberg College, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and in Education

Susan Paton graduated from Trinity University in Washington D.C with a degree in Early Childhood Education.

Blake has been a tutor since 2015. An honors student and National Merit Scholar, he started working with his peers to improve their SAT scores.

With a passion for developing confident learners, Peggy Khoury brings two decades of MCPS experience to her tutoring sessions. She earned her Master's Degree in Math Education from the University of Maryland and has a career marked by instructional leadership. As a former Math Content Specialist in middle school and Math Content Coach in elementary school, Peggy Khoury excels at understanding how students learn, focusing on building deep comprehension and foundation of the standard rather than just memorization.

James Knuuttila’s career has been profoundly shaped by his passion for connecting people to high level mathematics. Over the course of the last 15 years, he has had the privilege of working as a mathematics teacher from grade 5 to AP Calculus, while also tutoring college level mathematics.

Alyssa grew up in Olney, MD. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Towson University. Alyssa has been supporting students in grades K-3 with reading, ELA, and math for 8 years in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Ashley is entering her tenth year teaching! After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master’s Degree in Secondary Education, she taught a variety of English classes at Montgomery College. Having graduated from MCPS, she was eager to teach in the county where she was raised.

Catherine Murray received her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education at York College of PA. She recently earned her master's degree in Reading Education from Towson University. Catherine has been a classroom teacher in MCPS for the past five years. She is currently teaching 1st grade Special Education and she has previously taught middle school Special Education for 6th and 8th grade, co-teaching math.

Delaney is in her fourth year of teaching middle school Spanish in MCPS. Her experience is primarily with 7th and 8th grade students at the Spanish 1 and 2 level, but she has tutored privately for students in Spanish through level 5. Additionally, Delaney worked as a student intern in a two-way immersion program at the elementary level. In this role, she specialized in teaching literacy, math, and science in Spanish with a focus on supporting and building academic foundations in both languages. In addition to Spanish, Delaney has also tutored students in English and History through the 10th grade level.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Elliott has traveled widely to pursue his career in higher education. He moved first to St. Paul, Minnesota to attend Macalester College, with brief stints abroad at the Goethe Institute in Berlin, as well as King’s College in London.

Gilma is a high school Spanish teacher with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Originally from El Salvador, she has lived in Maryland since 2000. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language, Literatures, and Cultures, along with a Certificate in Latin American Studies, from the University of Maryland. During her time at UMD, she served as a language tutor for the College of Arts and Humanities. After graduating, Gilma was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and worked as an English Teaching Assistant at the University of San Juan in Argentina.

Heather was an elementary special education teacher and phonics specialist at a charter school in Boston for 7 years until the pandemic hit. Now she’s at home with her two little boys. She has degrees from Smith College and Lesley University and is a certified Orton Gillingham instructor. Heather loves helping students find books they love and watching their excitement as they discover the joy of reading.

Jackie Lewis is a graduate of Loyola University Maryland with a BA in Elementary and Special Education. While she is currently a 3rd and 4th grade Special Education teacher for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, she has experience working with students K-6 with various learning needs and strengths.

Jessica is a native of the DC area. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in social work. Jessica has worked with students in MCPS, The Lab School, and Georgetown Day School.

Kayla Cooper holds dual degrees in English Literature and Communication from Mount St. Mary’s
University. During her undergraduate years, she spent three years as a writing tutor at the campus Writing
Center, working with students one-on-one and in small groups.

Lyndie grew up in Montgomery County and is currently in her second year with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). She brings hands-on experience working with students from Pre-K through 3rd grade and has a strong background in early literacy and math instruction. Lyndie is well-versed in Eureka Math, CKLA, and strategies for building decoding and comprehension skills.

Rebecca Poyatt holds a BA in history education from The Catholic University of America and both a Masters in children’s literature and language arts and an Education Specialist degree in educational theory and practice from the University of Georgia

Sasha Kazakov earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She has six years of experience tutoring students ages 3–13 in math, reading, & writing. Sasha has supported learners at a wide range of academic levels, including students recovering from post-COVID learning gaps, those performing below grade level, students with learning disabilities, and recent immigrants developing English proficiency.

Tori is in her second year at an MCPS middle school. After working at the elementary and middle school levels, Tori found her new passion in supporting and mentoring students as a member of the media center team. She is able to provide academic, emotional, and organizational support to students across grades, and enjoys building positive relationships with individuals outside of the traditional classroom environment. She also works in the Special Education department in an administrative role, supporting case managers and IEP students throughout the day.

Glenna Abend has worked in education and learning & development for nineteen years, with experience in both the high school classroom and corporate world. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Film Studies and a Master of Science in Adolescence Social Studies Education.

Driven by a deep commitment to helping students access meaningful, individualized learning experiences, Rachel Freeman is a dedicated Special Education English teacher and Learning Specialist serving students in Fairfax County Public Schools. She earned her degree from the University of Maryland and is Orton-Gillingham certified, bringing extensive experience supporting diverse learners in grades K–12 in both inclusion and self-contained settings.


As a Special Education English teacher and case manager, Rachel provides explicit, evidence-based instruction in reading comprehension, written expression, vocabulary development, and executive functioning. She specializes in structured, multisensory literacy instruction that supports students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, while also breaking down complex texts and writing tasks into manageable, scaffolded steps.

Alex is currently a teacher and athletics coach at Edmund Burke School in Washington, D.C. He grew up in the DMV and overseas, and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Alex has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Dickinson College and a Master of Public Policy from American University where he was a research assistant and mentor.

Driven by an authentic passion for supporting K–12 students in reaching their full potential, Anna-Marie earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed. in Reading Education from Towson University. For the past 25 years, she has been a dedicated Learning Specialist and Reading Specialist with Orton-Gillingham certification, with experience in both public and independent schools.

Beth Crowley has worked in education, journalism and communications for over 25 years. When she’s not tutoring, she teaches English and runs a journalism and writing program for high school students.

Daniela Gonzalez-Roman has worked in research and humanities scholarship, with experience in interdisciplinary university study and law school training. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from NYU, where she designed her own concentration and is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Washington, D.C.

Daniela supports students across IB (MYP & Diploma Programme), AP coursework, and college-preparatory humanities tracks. Her focus areas include analytical and creative writing, IB Extended Essays, AP History and English, literary analysis, research development, argument structure, and executive functioning skills.

Diane Wolbert is an experienced classroom teacher with 18 years of experience. She studied Elementary Education at Frostburg State University and later got her Masters in Elementary Education with a focus in differentiated instruction from Towson University. She currently teaches 5th grade in Germantown. Diane has worked with elementary students of all ages, building their confidence along with skills to help them be successful. She is passionate about supporting and educating children so they can reach their potential.

Evan Smith holds a BS in engineering from the University of Vermont and is certified in Multisensory Mathematics.

Grant Brown is a veteran educator with 14 years of experience at St. Albans School, where he currently teaches 6th grade history, serves as a homeroom teacher, and is the Form Leader for the 6th grade.

  Hope Neyer graduated magna cum laude from American University with a degree in Public Health. Hope worked as a teaching assistant and tutor at American and after graduating, was hired as an adjunct biology lab instructor. She is currently working as a medical assistant at a local pediatrics practice while applying to medical school.

Jamie grew up in New Rochelle, New York right outside of the city. Jamie has enjoyed teaching for 5 years now in Montgomery County. She graduated from American University with a degree in Secondary Education and Mathematics.

Julie Nguyen began tutoring younger students during her freshman year of college and has continued since, helping learners build confidence and mastery in math, reading, writing, and science. She also worked as a tutor at the Kumon Math and Reading Center, where she supported students K-12 in developing foundational skills.

Lauren loves helping students through the writing process and working alongside them as they improve their skills and confidence! She begins each session by collaborating with the student on the goal or take-away, and ends with an assignment and accountability plan.

Molly is an experienced educator with a BS in Elementary and Special Education from Mount St. Mary’s University. She has taught 2nd and 3rd grade and worked as a Reading Specialist, supporting students with diverse learning needs.

Reilly has been teaching middle school science in MCPS for 6 years. She graduated from the University of Florida with an undergraduate degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and UFTeach (education). In addition, she holds a master's degree from UF in Secondary Science Education that focused on internships and long term substitute positions in higher level sciences. She is certified to teach 6-12 science and math in MCPS.

Siobhan Alexander has worked in education for over 25 years. She holds a BS in Elementary Education and Math & Science Studies from Vanderbilt University, as well as a Masters of Education from John Hopkins University.