About Us

Our Philosophy

At Paul the Tutor's Education Center, we are committed to helping students develop core cognitive skills such as problem solving and critical reasoning. Our approach is based on Paul's Logical Learning System™, a method that uses academics as a launching pad to teach students how to read, write, and reason better. We believe that better thinking leads to better grades and better test scores, and that the skills we teach will help students succeed in academics and beyond.

Paul the Tutor

Paul the Tutor (aka Paul D. Osborne Ed.M.) suffered from dyslexia and visual memory issues until he discovered that his brain had strengths: logical problem solving, event memory and emotional awareness. By using these strengths to overcome his weaknesses, Paul ended up graduating from UC Santa Barbara and then the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Curriculam Vitae

• Tutor - 1991 to present
• M.Ed. Harvard - 2005
• Author - LD SAT Study Guide
• Speaker
• Published Epidemiology Researcher

Vivek Narayan

I graduated with a B.A. Integrative Biology and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology at UC Berkeley. I have over 10 years of tutoring experience at both the high school and college levels, and I love sharing my enthusiasm for science with my students. I believe in the importance of understanding each student's individual needs and learning styles, and working with students on study habits and test-taking strategies that will help each student reach their full potential.

Subjects: Chemistry (HS and College) Organic Chemistry, all Math through Calculus, Biology, English, Physics, Stats, ACT & SAT Prep.

Eileen Stahl

Eileen has been with Paul the Tutor's since 2016 in both teaching and administrative roles. As the Test Prep Coordinator, she oversees all test prep students and ensures their lessons cover the material they need with the proper accommodations for their learning styles. Eileen is also our Senior Curriculum Writer, having done more work than anyone else on staff writing and maintaining our test prep curriculum to keep it up to date. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has done significant work in writing, editing, and education. One of her favorite parts of teaching is getting to know students and coming up with personalized tutoring plans for their needs.

Subjects: ACT, SAT, high school entrance tests, English, history, reading, writing, math through 8th grade, social sciences, and general coursework management

Thomas Centineo

I have been tutoring full-time for over the past 14 years through an exciting and enjoyable journey, and seeing my students excel has made it most memorable. I have currently tutored over 700 students of all skill levels for various subjects and exams. My background in mechanical engineering has trained me to focus on approaching things in a simple and logical manner. Having the student understand the “why” and the “how”, rather than memorizing the “what”, establishes a strong foundation from which they can build their knowledge and accelerates their path to success. I earned perfect scores in the math sections of the SAT and ACT. I am currently in the final editing stages of my very own SAT math prep book, which I plan to self-publish soon. My main hobbies include archery, chess, and carpentry, and I thoroughly take pleasure in discovering the logic and mathematical details in each.

Subjects: Algebra (Pre,1, 2), Geometry, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus (1, 2, AP, IB), Physics (AP), Statistics. Math/Quantitative Sections: ACT, HSPT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, and SSAT.

Elinor Fukuda

I have been a private tutor working now for 18 years and I am a native Spanish and Japanese speaker. I work with children with learning disabilities (A.D.D, A.D.H.D, Down Syndrome, and children with anxiety), animal lover, world traveler (28 countries and counting) and absolutely love reading.

Subjects: Spanish (All Levels) History (All Grades) English Lit and Writing Math (Algebra I) Science (K-8)

Andrew Goddard

I'm a UC Santa Cruz graduate holding a bachelor's degree in biological sciences with a passion for tutoring. As a tutor, I've offered private lessons for clients in the immediate Bay Area and beyond for close to 5 years. And I continue to do so today! From day one, my students notice an improvement in their abilities and overall comprehension. Every student learns differently, so I find out how they learn best and adapt accordingly.

Subjects: Algebra (pre/I/II), Geometry, Statistics, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics, English (essay writing help), overall organizational tips (planners, task management, prioritization, etc.)

Leslie Holtzclaw

Leslie has worked for Paul the Tutor's since 2017 as Paul's Assistant and the scheduling coordinator. Leslie attended the University of Oklahoma for several years and graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a degree in Organizational Leadership. A favorite part of Leslie's job is making Paul the Tutor's parents and students lives easier by providing excellent customer service. When she's not working, Leslie loves spending time with her family, especially her granddaughter, and working in her organic garden.

Evan Chen

Software engineer currently studying at Stanford. As the tech intern, he keeps the website up and running (most of the time).