About us

Marianne (a Georgia native) and Julie (a Florida native) are the brains and hearts of Pine and Palm Tutoring. Both Julie and Marianne started their careers in education as classroom teachers, took some time off to be moms and then met while employed at Lindamood-Bell. They are thrilled to have their own business in which they can combine and utilize learning methodology from Orton Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell, The Sensory SLP, Winnie Dunn (sensory expert) and Tera Sumpter (founder of Seeds of Learning).  Julie says, "We are so excited to be able to have our own practice in which we can collaborate with families and other professionals to help our students excel and learn more confidently." 

At Pine and Palm, one of our teaching philosophies is, "Seek first to understand." We aim to know, teach, and appreciate the "whole" child; their strengths, areas for growth, and what feels calming or stress-inducing in their world. Every child is unique, so goals and lessons are designed to support their individual needs. 

Marianne graduated from Georgia State with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a special education endorsement. She taught inclusion classes in grades k-2 in a public school before leaving to start a family. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham methodology and Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes. While teaching at Lindamood-Bell, Marianne discovered her passion for the Visualizing and Verbalizing (V&V) program. “I love how V&V teaches individuals to use imagery to improve comprehension and retention of spoken and written language." She is a self-proclaimed nerd who reads about cognitive neuroscience (for fun) and is passionate about sharing her love for learning with others. When she’s not researching, you would find her outside with her husband, son, and dog, Mr. Banjo. Her future goal is to provide ADHD coaching for parents. 

Julie graduated from the University of Florida with a M.A. in Special Education    and a B.A. in Communication Disorders. She taught for many years in both public and private schools, specializing in varying exceptionalities including Dyslexia, ADHD and ASD. Julie is certified in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood-Bell

Learning Processes. Julie loves spending time with her husband and three girls and never misses an opportunity to cheer for the Gators! Her future goal is to provide consulting services for families seeking the best educational environment for their child. “I want families and caregivers to have options when selecting an appropriate education for their child. The process should be less daunting and more empowering."