Can you please tell us a bit about yourself personally?
I grew up in Greenwich and was thrilled to move back with my husband, who has come to love it here as much as I do. We now have three children ( 7, 5, and almost 2) who keep us busy and very happy!
What do you love about Greenwich and your neighborhood?
We have lived in Cos Cob for 7 years. I loved growing up here, and wanted the same experience for my children. Living in Cos Cob has been a delightful change from where I grew up – being within walking distance to parks and all of the local shops has created a nice sense of community for our family.
What is your professional background and how did you get involved with Forum Education?
My background includes masters in general education, special education, and clinical social work. I taught in private schools in Greenwich and NYC for 10 years before deciding to tutor full-time. My path to Forum Education began when I was looking for tutors to support my students as they advanced beyond 8th grade; and the Forum team was the perfect fit. The transition was seamless, and Forum was very well-prepared to take my students through later stages of middle school, high school, and some through college. In particular, I was impressed by Forum’s founders. Their emphasis was on putting students first, finding the right fit and ensuring that all tutors were exceptionally well-qualified. I am honored to represent Forum in Greenwich, and I am excited about the opportunity to help connect families here to the best tutors and resources available.
Please tell us about Forum Education. What makes their approach unique?
Forum Education grew from a vision that two highly experienced and successful NYC tutors had about what tutoring could – and should – be. They saw how the tutoring industry lacked consistency in quality and incentive for dedicated educators, with most companies taking more than 50% of the session fees, which means that families were not always getting what they paid for. The founders created a model that values educational talent and skill above all. Tutors at Forum receive over 80% of the tutoring fees, enabling the company to attract and retain the best tutors who are deeply committed to their craft. This approach has allowed us to be incredibly selective – we accept less than 2% of the tutors who apply to work with Forum (that is a lower acceptance than Harvard’s freshman admissions!). Each family is paired with an educational advisor and learning specialist (that’s my role!), who takes the time to understand not only the students’ academic needs, but who the student is as a learner and a person, subsequently matching the student with the best tutor for their specific profile.
Our tutors are not only teaching content, but building relationships with students that encourage them to take academic risks and develop confidence. A writing tutor helps students find their voice while developing organizational strategies. A math specialist will teach the topic on the test, but then show a student how to tackle a challenging or unfamiliar topic with confidence and curiosity rather than anxiety. Parents often say that after a session a student is happy, confident, and feels supported. This is the transformation that matters most, and that is the ‘Forum difference’ in my view.
How do you know if your child needs tutoring?
This is a great question, and my best advice is: if you are concerned about your child’s academic progress or performance, trust that instinct! Forum offers complimentary calls with their in-house learning specialists (me!) who can help clarify what might be happening. Parents often consider tutoring when they notice specific indicators – they read over their child’s essay and worry that their writing isn’t as clear as it should be, or math test scores don’t reflect the effort being invested in the preparation. Rather than waiting for a recommendation to consider tutoring, I encourage parents to be proactive about academic concerns. Early, targeted support can often prevent smaller challenges from being larger issues later on.
Testing, academics, and college applications have changed a lot. What are a couple of key takeaways about what parents should be focusing on?
The educational landscape has certainly become more competitive. For college applications, I recommend beginning to consider your child’s authentic interests and passions around 7th or 8th grade—not with pressure, but with thoughtful exposure and opportunities for deeper exploration. For standardized test preparation, winter or spring of sophomore year typically provides the right balance—enough time to build skills and confidence without creating burnout before test day. Most importantly, pay attention to how your child responds to the process. If something in the process doesn’t feel right or something isn’t working, it is always acceptable to pivot and adjust the approach.
What do you find the most challenging and most rewarding about helping students find the best tutoring fit?
The process of matching students with the right tutors brings far more rewards than challenges. Along with my colleague Jane, Forum’s educational advisor in NYC, I specialize in getting to know students, families and our tutors, which makes creating successful partnerships intuitive. A student’s success is often immediate when we have made the right match, not only in the academic output, but the student is often noticeably happier and more confident, and we see that confidence leads to more engaged learning. Importantly, if we do not have the perfect fit for a student within Forum, Jane and I both maintain relationships with other excellent tutors that we can recommend. Our goal is always to ensure that a student receives the specific support that they need to succeed.
You do so much for the public school system in Greenwich! Can you tell us a little bit about your role as an advocate for families?
My commitment to advocacy comes from personal experience. My son had novel health issues when he was young, and I had no idea how to navigate the school system, the hospital system or anything else for that matter. All I knew was that I wanted to ensure he had the best help I could find for him. I promised myself that I would never allow another parent to feel as helpless as I did, and I am committed to help parents navigate any challenges with their children. This has expanded into broader community involvement. I currently serve as secretary on the Board of Selectmen’s ADA Advisory and Advocacy Committee, I am the Special Education Support co-chair for the Greenwich Public Schools, I am on the Alumni Advisory Committee at GCDS, I am on the Special Education Advisory Committee to the Board of Education, I am on the Julian Curtiss School Building Committee, and I will be the ADA representative on the Riverside School building project. My background and experience in education, coupled with my personal experiences, has helped me to bridge the relationships between families and institutions, always with the focus on ensuring children have access to all of the support available.
How do you find balance with your personal life and career?
I thought a lot about this question, and I think my answer is that I don’t entirely see the two as distinct. Balance doesn’t mean separation between work and family, but rather a thoughtful integration. Technology allows me to work flexibly as I can make it to pick up and after school commitments, while still being responsive to families who need guidance. I believe that I am modeling for my children what it means to be passionate about work and helping others, while continuing to prioritize my family. Some days are more challenging than others, but overall, we have found a good rhythm.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I believe trust is the foundation of all the work I do with families. Parents often share deeply personal information about their children’s learning journeys and family dynamics, and I hold these conversations with the utmost confidentiality and respect. Creating a safe space where families feel comfortable expressing concerns without judgment is essential to finding the right educational support for each child. When families know their privacy is protected, it allows for the kind of honest, transparent partnership that leads to truly transformative educational experiences.
We love to support local businesses. Since you have a lot of resources you are willing to share with families, we asked you for your fave places, outside of Forum, to refer families who need extra support for their children:
Psychologist and educational testing: Milestones Psychology, Dr. Amy Schwartz (Westport), Dr. Tara Levinson (Westport)
Mental Health support for kids (and families): Milestones Psychology, Anxiety Institute of Greenwich
Occupational Therapist: SMART Pediatrics, Just Play Gyms (Larchmont and NYC), Gilsenan and Costa
Pediatric Physical Therapist: Olga Kollenberg at Upstanding PT, Elizabeth Tynan at Upwards PT
Craniosacral Therapy: Deborah Faulkner Crowell at Faulkner Crowell PT
Speech & Language Pathologist: Elizabeth Johnson at Essential Pediatrics, Cailtin Ihgraham at Small Talk 4 Kids, Gilsenan and Costa
Character and Communication Skills Mentoring: Oppidan Education
College Coaching: Kate Stone College Consulting
Special Education Advocates: Caroline Lerum, Jill Chuckas, Virginia Blum, Stacey Tie, Diane Willcutts
Mindset and Performance Coach for Teen Athletes: Lindsay Potter
Grab Coffee: Coffee for Good
