Laurie & Jesse Gerber – Founders
Laurie and Jesse Gerber, who are fraternal twins, were born and raised on the Upper East Side of New York City. They got the entrepreneurial bug from their father, who owned a woodworking school for children in the 70’s and 80’s. Both graduated from Stuyvesant High School. Laurie went on to Swarthmore College while Jesse attended Cornell University. Laurie earned her Bachelors in Education and Political Science and a certification to teach grades K-8. Jesse earned his Bachelors Degree as a part of the College Scholar program, designing his own major around issues of social justice and education.

Both of the Gerbers worked in a variety of education-related positions after college. Laurie honed her teaching ability at the Ethical Culture School, and at Rodeph Sholom’s and Central Synagogue’s religious schools. Jesse gained operational experience by managing small businesses in Ithaca for 3 years after graduation. Both tutored and worked with teen empowerment programs in their spare time. In early 1999, Laurie began tutoring full time and quickly had more customers than she could handle on her own. That same year, Jesse returned to New York City and the siblings began to lay the groundwork for Partners With Parents, Inc. By the fall of 1999, Jesse and Laurie had designed the business model for Partners With Parents, recruited their first tutors, and had begun to serve a growing customer base. A decade later, Partners With Parents, Inc. continues to improve the academic experiences of hundreds of New York area students each year.

Sharon McCann-Doyle, M.S. – Vice President
Sharon maintains and expands relationships with the New York educational community, organizes a variety of informational and educational workshops for both students and parents, assists in producing articles for local publications, and coordinates all homeschooling programs. Prior to joining Partners with Parents, Sharon was the Project Coordinator for the evaluation of Thriving Teens: Parenting for Positive Growth, a parent-training program to prevent substance use in adolescents, at the NYU Child Study Center. She has also worked at numerous non-profit and academic institutions in the areas of program evaluation and education research. In what seems like a previous life, Sharon was a professional ballet dancer with the Eglevsky Ballet. She enjoys being a proud mother of three. Sharon received her B.A. with honors in Sociology and her M.S. in Applied Social Research.

Will Craig, M.A. – Educational Director
Will’s diverse responsibilities at Partners With Parents include consulting with parents and educators about their student’s needs, tutor preparation, writing and editing articles, infrastructure development, and organizational cohesion.  Prior to joining Partners With Parents, Will was a classroom teacher and elementary program head for eight years. Before his own toddlers grew up, he established a preschool playgroup that remains alive and well.  Will holds a BA in Psychology and Education from Swarthmore College, an MA in Teaching from Trinity College of Washington, DC, a full Elementary Credential from the American Montessori Society, and permanent NYS Teaching Certification.  He has taught, tutored, and mentored students of varying ages for over fifteen years.