Sue Harding

Center Director

As the Center Director, Sue handles the day to day operations of the learning center such as meeting with new families and reaching out to the education community in the Tri-Valley. She has a wealth of experience in education as a classroom English teacher and as home teaching District Liaison for Livermore Valley JUSD for many years. Prior to joining Sylvan Learning Sue ran her own SAT Prep and College Advising business. She is a wonderful resource for our families as they look for supplemental education. Sue really enjoys working with the kids and you may occassionally see her teaching at a table.

Marilyn Wheelwright

Director of Education

Marilyn is Sylvan Learning of Pleasanton's Director of Education. In that capacity she oversees all aspects of our students' educational programs including their initial diagnostic assessments, tailoring and maintaining the program prescriptions and gathering feedback from our teachers to share during her parent conferences. Marilyn has years of experience in supplemental education fulfilling the DE's position as well as instruction and testing roles at another learning center. She enjoys supporting our Sylvan teachers in providing the best educational experience for the students and their families.

Tamara Saulters

Administrator

Tamara graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a BA in 4th-8th grade education. She has her teaching credential in English Language Arts and Reading and has spent time teaching both 5th and 7th grade English classrooms. She recently relocated with her husband from their homtown of Dallas, TX to the Bay Area and has been taking advantage of the amazing weather and abundance of activities that are close at hand. This includes skiing, hiking and of course trips to the beach.

Jennifer Stimson

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Study Skills, Math

Purna Venkataraman

Teacher - Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry

Purna is a graduate of U.C. Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Developmental Biology. She is currently working on a Masters program to obtain her teaching credential for math and the sciences, specifically Biology.

Andrew Murray

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Study Skills, Math

Dru obtained his Teaching Strategies and Liberal Studies B.A. from the Subject Matter Prep program at Saint Mary's College. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Education from Santa Clara University. A modern day Renaissance Man, Dru is a published poet, amateur film critic, avid sportsman (A die-hard Gaels Basketball fan) and a ranked video game player.

Madeleine Mitchell

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Math, Study Skills, SAT Prep (Verbal)

Madeleine Mitchell earned a BA in English Literature and an MA in Comparative Literature at San Francisco State University. She taught literature and composition courses in two Texas community colleges before coming back home to the Bay Area a little over two years ago. In addition to being a Sylvan instructor, Madeleine is a full time writer and editor with stories and book reviews published in literary journals and small press publications. She is currently working on a short story collection and a children's picture book. In her spare time, Madeleine reads whatever she can get her hands on, runs and loves to bake - a hobby that pairs nicely with the running.

Ron Correll

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Math, Study Skills

Gerardo Fernandez

Teacher - Spanish

Gerardo was born and raised in Mexico City. He moved to Seattle in the year 2000. There he obtained a BA in Communications and in Social Sciences from the University of Washington. Since then he has been a tutor, teacher, musician, radio producer and has collaborated in short films and documentaries. In 2008, his music appeared in the short film winner at the Venice Film Festival. He moved to the Bay Area in 2007 and began collaborating with newspapers in San Francisco and San Jose. He is currently the writer/editor for Alianza News in San Jose and translates articles for other publications in San Francisco. He has extensive translating experience between English and Spanish. He continues to produce radio in Berkeley. ¡Se habla español!

Deborah Bellemore

Teacher

Deborah Bellemore earned a BA in History with a minor in Mathematics as well as her Master's of Arts in Teaching from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. She has 19 years of public school teaching at the secondary level in Oregon where she taught a variety of courses, including Advanced Placement U.S. History, Algebra, and Yearbook. She has also worked as a volunteer with elementary age students in her daughter’s classroom and helped lead a Girl Scout Troop for three years. Her family recently relocated to Pleasanton from Salem, Oregon. She loves working with young people and helping them to achieve their fullest potential.

Raymond Tjen-a-looi

Teacher - Math, Sciences

Amy Marie Decker

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Study Skills, Math

Ann Morrissey

Teacher - Writing, Reading, Math, Study Skills

Ann has been a Sylvan Instructor since 2001, teaching many students in our Academic Reading, Beginning Reading, Math Essentials, Study Skills and Academic Writing programs. She is a
University of San Francisco graduate and holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior. In her spare time, Ann enjoys photography, travel, and gardening.

Barbara Bacon

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Math, Study Skills

Sheela Shabde

Teacher - Math

Maria Natale

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Study Skills, SAT Prep (Verbal)

Katie Gregory

Teacher - Reading, Writing, Math

Katie holds a Bachelors Degree in Health Science Education from Cal State Long Beach and a multiple subject and supplementary health teaching credential from Cal State East Bay. She is currently teaching elementary school in grades 5th and 6th. She has also taught 1st grade. Her interests include snowboarding, travel and spending time with family and friends.