Jill Lerner
Founder / Director
Having moved to North Carolina in 1995, Jill is originally from Southern California where she earned an Advanced Bachelors degree in Psychology from Occidental College.
She went on to earn a Masters of Arts degree and North Carolina Teaching Certification in Special Education - Learning and Educable Mental Disabilities - Kindergarten through 12th Grade, in 1998 from NC State University and a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential from Wake Tech Community College in 2007. Jill taught self-contained special education classes Kindergarten through 3rd grade for Wake County for about 5 years and then was a resource teacher and compliance specialist in a Montessori setting for 2 years.
Jill founded Learn with the Best, LLC, an educational tutoring and consulting company in 2001, followed by Learn with the Best Transitional Kindergarten. The goal of this class was to educate 4 and 5 year olds who needed extra time for academic, social and emotional growth prior to starting their formal kindergarten year. Jill loves teaching young children, both with and without disabilities, and helping them grow into strong, independent leaders and learners.
Learn with the Best School was opened on September 1, 2010 upon parent request as a one-room schoolhouse for a student who came in for 3 hours of weekly math tutoring services while attending a Raleigh private school for students with disabilities. As word has spread over the years about this unique setting, enrollment and program offerings, Learn with the Best School, Inc. now averages between 30 and 40 students per year and is the only private school in the area that serves all students despite their level of disability. It is this school’s philosophy to construct appropriate classes for all students in attendance while providing individualized academic and social instruction to one and all. In order to support our students behaviorally, our school families and outside families have access to Learn with the Best, LLC’s ABA Clinic which can support students before, after and in the natural school environment.
Currently, Jill serves as the director of our K-12 Learn with the Best School, tutors students in the afternoon, manages her fabulous staff, and advocates for families to help them navigate the North Carolina special education system. Jill is married, and she and her husband have 2 magnificent children (Simon and Eli)! For more information on Learn with the Best, LLC’s ABA Clinic, please see Jill’s ABA Clinic profile.
I feel privileged to work with students and families in an educational capacity every day of my life. I live for the light bulb moments which are seen very frequently in our one on one tutoring program.