Resources

THE most important resource in a "One-on-One Tutoring Center is the Teacher/Tutor. SERC is home for the best of the best Tutors in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice. All SERC Tutors are certified Teachers with College Degrees in Education and innumerable years of Classroom and One-on-One Tutoring experience. Below is a brief Biography of the Tutors currently Teaching at SERC:

- Miss. Ferne has a BS Ed Degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Miss Ferne founded SERC in 1980 to provide Sarasota with high quality one-on-one tutoring for children with learning problems. Her career, however, as a teacher began years before in the Pennsylvania Public School System (K-5) where she first recognized the need for additional/special/custom programs for students not succeeding in the traditional system. After a few years as a teacher she enrolled in the Penn State University Graduate School of Education where she learned how to teach children who had memory problems, reading challenges, and "staying on task". Miss Ferne has implemented countless custom programs that help children with Attention Deficit Hperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Dyslexia, as well as Auditory and Visual Processing Difficulties.

- Miss Sally is a Graduate of Syracuse University where she earned her B.S., M.A., and Ph.D from the Department of Reading and Language Arts. Her teaching career began in the Manlius, NY Elementary K-3 Grades as a Classroom Teacher. Subsequently, she worked in the Dewitt, NY and Minoa, NY elementary shools as a Reading Specialist who taught remedial reading, was a Consultant to teachers and Developed Title I reading programs. Upon returning to Syracuse University for further studies she was a Instructor in Literacy Development, and Supervised teams of Graduate students in planning, diagnosis, and remediation of disabled readers. After promotion to Visiting Professor she Directed the Syracuse University Reading Clinic. Her next career was at the State University of New Yory (SUNY) at Geneseo where she taught and developed undergraduate and graduate courses in Literacy Development. Concurrently she she was the Reading/Literacy consultant to the Special Education faculty and students at the BOCES #1 Satellite School, Monroe County, NY. Arriving in Sarasota  she was an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Florida where she taught Reading Com[prehension and Vocabulary courses. Miss Sally is now SERC's Reading and Dyslexia Specialist and Ph.D in residence who tutors young and old at SERC, perfoms diagnosisis, customizes programs, and consults with the other tutors on the most difficult remediations.

- Mr. Paul has his B.S. in Science and Mathematics from E. Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and his M.S. in Mathematics from Jersey City State, New Jersey. Before coming to SERC he taught Math and Science for twenty-five (25) years in New Jersey and Pennsylvania Secondary Schools, thirteen (13) years at OceanCounty Community College and ten (10) years at the Sarasota Achievement Center. As SERC's longest serving tutor, specializes in Algebra, Geometry, as well as FCAT/SAT/ACT preparation. Mr. Paul has been with SERC for the past fourteen (14) years and is SERC's longest serving tutor. Most of Mr. Paul's students are in Middle or High School here in Sarasota.

- Miss Elaine has her B.A. in Elementary Education from Glassboro State College and her M.A. from William Paterson College with a Reading Specialist Certification in K-12. Her teaching career began in Mt. Arlington, NJ School District as a Classroom Teacher in grades 1 and 3. The next position was Reading Specialist in the Andover, NJ  for Grades K-8. She was also the Title I Remedial Reading Teacher, Basic Skills Director. After receiving her Masters she was an Adjunct Professor, Early Childhood Studies, Children's Literatiure at Sussex County Community College, Newton, NJ. Miss Elaine is currently working in the Venice SERC Office with responsibility for Diagnosis of and reading remediation for individual students in need of one-on-one tutoring.

- Miss Nannette has her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Moore College of Art and Design. Her Teacher's Certification also includes the Reading Endorsement. She also conducts some Special Workshops in Creative Writing and Illustration. Nanette tutors students in both the Sarasota and Venice SERC Centers, where she works with students in all areas of education enrichment. Nanette is also a resident Teaching Artist with the Visual Student Artists of Florida, specializing in teaching art to disabled children. She has been with SERC for 10 years. 

- Miss Joanne has her BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish from Queens College of the City University of New York. She also holds an M.ED from the University of Utah and taught 3rd and 4th grades in Salt Lake City for 6 years. After moving to Indianapolis, she taught over 25 years in preschool through 1st grade. And she is a licensed Florida K-6 educator. While in Indy, along with her teaching, Miss Joanne trained in the Lindamood- Bell phonemic sensory program and coached students in reading.  She is an avid fan of this program which develops phonemic awareness as a conduit to strengthening reading and spelling skills. It involves a progressive sequencing of letter/sound association through a sensory-cognitive approach. Miss Joanne also earned an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education. Moving to Sarasota in 2002, she taught 1st grade at Goldie Feldman Academy (GFA) for 4 years. After her retirement, she continued to work at GFA for a few more years as the reading resource teacher for the primary grades. She then joined the happy SERC family where she continues to help students gain confidence and develop a solid foundation in reading, spelling and math skills.