The Faces Behind the Magic!
At The Learning Collective, we believe that every child is capable of success when given the right support and encouragement. Our classes and tutoring programs are designed to strengthen academic skills while building confidence, independence, and a genuine love of learning. Through personalized instruction and a nurturing approach, we help students grow not only in what they know, but in how they feel about themselves as learners.
The Learning Collective was Born Out of Both Friendship and a Shared Passion for Helping Children Succeed.
After years of navigating life’s ups and downs together, Jen and Sarah built a strong foundation of trust that naturally carried into a professional partnership. When Jen first recognized a growing gap in how reading was being taught—specifically the lack of instruction grounded in the science of reading—she saw an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Across the education landscape, students were struggling with foundational skills like phonics, fluency, spelling, and comprehension, and too many were falling behind without the support they truly needed.
With a vision in mind, Jen approached Sarah, and over coffee and big dreams, The Learning Collective (formerly Ready Set Read) began.
What started as a focused reading tutoring program quickly grew into something much more. As we worked with students, we saw firsthand the transformation that happens when children feel supported, capable, and confident. Our services expanded to include dyslexia intervention and executive functioning coaching, allowing us to support the whole child—not just academically, but emotionally and developmentally as well.
As our community grew, so did our team.
We welcomed additional educators, expanded to both in-person and virtual learning, and reached more students and families than we ever imagined.
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​Around the same time, we were given the opportunity to teach a preschool class. What began as a simple “why not?” quickly became a passion. We fell in love (again) with early childhood education and recognized the importance of building strong foundations from the very beginning. Today, we are proud to offer programs that nurture young learners through engaging, play-based experiences that foster both skill development and a love of learning.
At The Learning Collective, we’ve had the privilege of watching students grow in both ability and confidence. We celebrate their victories, support them through challenges, and walk alongside them every step of the way.
What began as a simple idea has grown into a community rooted in connection, trust, and a shared belief: every child deserves the opportunity to thrive.
Why The Learning Collective?
Research proven curriculum aligned with the science of reading
Multi-sensory, engaging lessons
Specialized dyslexia intervention
Executive functioning skill development
Experienced, highly trained educators
Small group and one-on-one options
In-person and virtual flexibility
Strong family communication and partnership
Nurturing, relationship-based environment
Early childhood foundation building
Focus on long-term growth, not quick fixes
Meet The Learning Collective Team
Jen Pettey
CO-FOUNDER
Jen is the founder of The Learning Collective and a passionate advocate for students with language-based learning differences, including dyslexia. With 17 years of experience in general education, special education, and reading intervention, she has dedicated her career to helping students build confidence and achieve academic success.
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Jen’s experience spans classrooms and leadership roles, including working at The Siena School, a school specializing in dyslexia, and serving as a college professor, where she prepared pre-service teachers to meet the demands of teaching reading in today’s classrooms. She now provides individualized dyslexia therapy, bringing her expertise directly to students.​
​​She holds a BA in Elementary Education, a Master’s in Instructional Leadership, and is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). Driven by a deep interest in the science of reading, Jen combines research-based strategies with a multisensory, structured approach to literacy. Her mission is to help every student not only become a stronger reader but also a more confident and independent learner.
Sarah McQueen
CO-FOUNDER
Sarah is the Co-Founder of The Learning Collective and a dedicated educator with over 20 years of experience supporting students across a wide range of ages and abilities. After beginning her career as an elementary school teacher, she continued her work in education as an Educational Consultant, Executive Functioning Coach, and Tutor with Baltimore Family Therapy.
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Sarah has developed a strong passion for executive functioning, helping students build the foundational skills needed for success, including organization, time management, and self-confidence. She works closely with students, parents, teachers, and psychologists to create personalized strategies that empower the student to become more independent and capable learners.
Sarah holds a Master of Education degree and is a certified teacher in the state of Maryland. She is currently working on an Executive Functioning certification. Sarah is committed to helping each student reach their full potential while fostering a positive and confident mindset toward learning.
Erin Hlasney
SPEECH PATHOLOGIST
Erin Hlasney (pronounced l-a-z-n-e-e) is a certified speech-language pathologist who works with children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. She specializes in supporting language, literacy, fluency, and speech sound development through engaging, individualized sessions tailored to each child’s needs.
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In addition to her work with The Learning Collective, Erin serves students at the elementary level within a local school system. She earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Memphis, holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and is licensed to practice in the state of Maryland.
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Jillian Tourscher
READING SPECIALIST
Jillian is a dedicated educator with 25 years of experience working with students in HCPS. She spent 18 years as a classroom teacher, supporting learners across all subject areas, and in recent years her work has focused on literacy as a reading specialist.
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While Jillian provides support in all elementary subjects, her true passion is helping students become confident, successful readers. She has OG+ training and uses structured, research-based strategies to support students with a wide range of reading needs.
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Jillian strives to create a positive, encouraging environment where each child feels supported and capable. She believes every child can succeed with the right support—and she’s here to help them grow.
Janice Murray
READING TUTOR + MATH SUPPORT
Janice Murray provides individualized tutoring in reading and writing for students in grades 6–12, as well as math support from 6th grade through high school geometry. Since beginning her teaching career in 2017, she has worked with students across middle school, high school, and university settings, giving her a well-rounded perspective on student learning and academic expectations.
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Janice is a certified teacher with a strong academic background. She holds a B.S. in English Education, Writing, and Honors Humanities from Indiana Wesleyan University, and an M.A. in English with a concentration in Teaching Literature and Writing from the University of Virginia.
Amanda
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