Contact Information
| New Students: | (415) 450-9534 |
| Current Families: | (415) 491-4678 |
| Fax: | (415) 491-4395 |
| Monday: | 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| Tuesday: | 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| Wednesday: | 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| Thursday: | 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM |
| Friday: | By Appointment |
| Saturday: | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Sunday: | By Appointment |
Meet the Tutors
Our Sylvan trained and certified tutors are dedicated to your child’s success. Working together with you, we will:
- Pinpoint your child’s learning needs using the Sylvan Skills Assessment®
- Develop a personalized learning plan based on your child’s goals
- Offer unique insights about what will work for your child
- Teach each lesson the way your child learns best
- Build a relationship with your child to provide learning that’s fun, engaging and rewarding
Lawrence Hargarten
Center Director
Larry, a San Francisco native, joined the Sylvan San Rafael team in August of 2011. He quickly transitioned from part-time instructor to Director of Education and most recently, to his role as Center Director. He received his B.A. in Education and History from Marquette University in Wisconsin and has taught students of all ages from the Bay Area to Japan for more than 12 years. Larry is passionate about education and empowering lifelong learners. His favorite hobbies include drumming, music and of course, the SF Giants!
Lauren Hucke
Director of Education
Lauren has been with Sylvan Learning Center since 2010. She began her career with Sylvan as a part-time instructor and has transitioned to her role as, Director of Education. She graduated from Sonoma State University with her teaching credential in Social Studies and English. Her positive energy creates a warm and friendly environment for our students. She loves working with students from K-12.
Yolanda Ferguson
Associate Director
Yolanda has been working at Sylvan since 2011. She began with SES, an offsite program, at San Pedro School. Currently she works in-center where she teaches students 1-on-1 and in small groups. She also administers initial and progress assessments and provides support with day to day operational duties. She graduated from C.S.U. Chico and holds a California Teaching Credential. She has over 20 years of teaching experience including 16 years as a classroom teacher. When not at Sylvan, she can be found hiking, doing photography, or planning trips abroad.
Zack Alexander
Dedicated Instructor
Zack Alexander has taught reading, math, and science at Sylvan San Rafael since 2010. He likes to get people as excited about math and science as he is. When he has free time, he loves to sit down and look at a biology textbook. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his kids and eating his favorite food—Zachary’s Pizza in Berkeley.
Jake Lang
Dedicated Instructor
Jake joined our Sylvan team in 2012. He graduated from Dominican University with his Single Subject Credential in Science. He teaches high level math and science, as well as reading, writing, and study skills. His love for teaching really shows as he makes learning fun for our students and has a great sense of humor that the kids really enjoy. Jake is also in a band and plays the bass guitar.
Kristin Moser
Dedicated Instructor and Diagnostician
Kristy has been working at Sylvan since 2011. She began with SES, an offsite program, at San Pedro Elementary School. Currently Kristy is our lead tester on Saturdays. She is one of the first teachers our students meet. She creates a warm and caring environment that makes our students feel right at home. Kristy is also a resource specialist at Bacich Elementary School in Kentfield.
Teri Randall
Dedicated Teacher
Teri has a California teaching credential in Math and Science (K-12), her BS from UC Berkeley, and has recently earned her Master's in teaching Math for grades 5-9. She has been a member of the Sylvan team since 2010 and loves working with children of all ages!
Madeline Armstrong
Dedicated Teacher
Madeline, a Sylvan team member since 2010, is a retired New York teacher. She is certified to teach N-6 Common Branches and 7-12 English. The last part of her career saw Madeline as a Math Facilitator, training teachers to teach Math. Madeline's Master's degree in teaching is from New York University. She has also taught knitting and cooking and is a member of the Redwood Country Cloggers.
Jim Fish
Dedicated Teacher
Jim has been teaching at Sylvan Learning Centers since 2003, and he currently holds a Master of Science in Education Degree from Dominican University of San Rafael, with California Teaching Single Subject Certifications in Mathematics and Science. In addition Jim holds a Montessori Primary Certification from the AMI. Jim tutors in all areas, from Beginning Reading through AP classes. An accomplished artist, Jim has exhibited his portraiture work in local galleries.
Kate Behr
Dedicated Teacher
Kate Behr came to Sylvan over 3 years ago because she loves teaching children to read. She brings a sense of fun and play to learning while ensuring that her students perform to their fullest potential. Kate's theater background, enables her to add a sense of silliness to her teaching. She can often be heard singing and reading with a variety of voices and accents! In her free time, Kate enjoys hiking, photography, and spending time with her rescue kitties – Oliver, Livliv, and Brown Baby. She is also working on her 1st children’s book.
John Serena
Dedicated Teacher
John graduated from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) with a degree in philosophy. He has been a part of the Sylvan team since 2010 and has tutored in the Bay Area for the past six years. John strives to impart a spirit of curiosity and discovery in his students. In his spare time, John enjoys running, reading, and sailing on the San Francisco Bay.
Livia Santos
Administrative Director
Livia Santos started with Sylvan in May of 2008. She comes to us with a background in college planning, and is currently working towards her BA.
Currently, Livia is responsible for overall communications at the San Rafael Center. She is fielding phone calls from parents and students regarding schedule changes, and oversees the student and teacher schedules. This is likely one of the most complicated pieces at the Center- dealing with changing needs of parents, students and staff. Livia is also responsible for communicating and confirming conferences and tests, taking initial inquiry calls. In addition, Livia handles general accounting, monthly billing and working with the team on community outreach and annual planning. Livia supports the administrative and educational staff in organizing the many facets involved in running and planning for a Sylvan Learning Center!
Livia loves working in an environment where she can help make a difference in children's education and how they feel about learning.
Contact Livia by email at:
livia@sylvansanrafael.com
Annette Mixon
Executive Director
Annette Mixon is the Director in charge of Administration and Center Operations. She has her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential along with a Masters Degree in Adult Education and Program Planning from SFSU. She worked for the SFSU Urban Community Family Service Project before joining Sylvan 14 years ago. During her tenure with Sylvan she has served as Center Director and Franchise Business Consultant working with franchisees and staff in the Pacific Northwest.
Kelly Page
Executive Director
Kelly Page has her K-9 Teaching Credential earned at University of Illinois-Chicago. She taught for 3 years in Chicago before moving to the Bay Area. In her nearly 15 years with Sylvan, she has served in just about every capacity, from Director of Education to District Manager overseeing operations and educational programs in multiple centers in the Bay Area.
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