Stephanie Simon

My liberal arts college instilled in me the concept of being a “lifelong learner,” and I took it seriously! I’ve been in schools, both public and private, my entire life. As a teacher and tutor, I’ve worked with students from a vast array of school settings at all levels, from kindergarten through college. Growing up in Southern California, I attended a large, public high school. By contrast, my college experience was at a small private liberal arts school in Washington State, the University of Puget Sound. From there, I came south to Stanford and got my Masters Degree in Education and taught English here in the Bay Area at Menlo-Atherton High, American High in Fremont, and Aragon High in San Mateo.

My desire to balance both motherhood and my passion for education put me on a path to tutoring, which I continue to this day. Working one-on-one with students and their families, I have seen the power of tutoring to enrich a student’s academic experience. In addition to tutoring English, all K-8 subjects, and SAT/ACT, I’ve enjoyed supporting other tutors by creating diverse teams.

In 2009, after severe public school budget cuts, I founded a community-based tutoring center in Sonoma County to support students with academic and test preparation tutoring, filling gaps left by reduced school programs. In addition, I worked at Sonoma State University as a student teacher placement coordinator and literacy program evaluator, where I had the opportunity to visit dozens of K-12 schools and work closely with teachers, administrators, and parents.

I love to solve problems and to make things work better–for students, their families, and the community at large. As the Director of AJ’s Los Altos San Antonio office, I enjoy connecting students to tutors and working with families to create programs that best meet their student’s needs. Tutoring truly is the bridge between school and home, helping students manage their academics, deepen their understanding of the subject, and inspire them to be “lifelong learners.” 

Outside of tutoring, I am an avid reader, moviegoer, gardener, soccer fan, foodie, and traveler. I also love puzzles and board games and am a huge fan of the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.