Meet Dr. Z
Hi there! My name is Dr. Mary Zurn and I am the Vice President of Education for Primrose Schools. If you aren’t familiar with Primrose Schools, we’re a family of over 200 private preschools nationwide. I’ve been with Primrose Schools since 2004 and work at our headquarters just outside of Atlanta in Acworth, Ga.
I recently decided to start Dr. Z and Me as a way to share my love for children, education, books, and reading with others – mommies, daddies, aunts and uncles, grandparents and caregivers – just like you. In my 40 years in early childhood education, I’ve seen parents becoming more and more pressed for time as they juggle dinner, play dates, school and their children’s many other extracurricular activities. As a parent, I remember how caught up you can become trying to balance all the things you think you must do and still have quality time with your children. We’re all so busy! And we’re always looking for quick tips and ideas to help make our hectic lives just a little bit easier and hopefully richer.
That’s why I chose to start Dr. Z. and Me. I want to provide you with timely parenting ideas and tips. What are some of the topics I’ll cover? How about some wallet-friendly fun ways to keep your children active and engaged this summer or ways to prepare your child for kindergarten? Be sure to check back here each month as I offer you a new set of tips and ideas.
I look forward to getting to know you and hope you find my parenting tips and ideas helpful. Feel free to contact me at dr.z@primroseschools.com if you’d like. I welcome your thoughts and feedback! Thanks so much, and have a great day!
- Dr. Z
Biography
As Vice President of Education, Dr. Mary Zurn oversees the development of curriculum and training for Primrose Schools. Responsible for the continuous improvement of the Primrose Balanced Learning® curriculum, Dr. Z also provides up-to-date training tools and materials to ensure consistent delivery of the Primrose model throughout its more than 200 schools. In her role, Dr. Z also serves as a company spokesperson on education and child development related topics.
Dr. Z has worked actively in a variety of educational arenas, serving as an influential instructor, administrator, and designer of innovative interactive multimedia applications and teaching materials. Prior to joining Primrose, Dr. Z worked as an independent educational consultant, conducting workshops related to early reading, writing development, children’s literature, and the effective use of technology in learning.
Throughout her career, Dr. Z has been committed to early childhood education. In 1972, she co-founded the Gateway Preschool and Kindergarten in Atlanta, where she directed and taught for eight years. In addition to the program for young children, the school also offered tutorial assistance to K-12 students with learning disabilities. From 1981 to 1986, she lectured and supervised students doing field work in reading, language arts, and children’s literature at Georgia State University, where she earned her Ph.D. in early childhood education.
Dr. Z went on to work for IBM’s K-12 Education Division for 10 years, during which she designed multiple technology-based programs (e.g. Stories and More and Talking Walls). The teacher-support materials her teams created to accompany the programs won awards as guides for the successful integration of technology into the curriculum.
Dr. Z’s passion centers on a love of children, education, and reading, and she is convinced that a good children’s book is the best tool to introduce or teach virtually any topic. A firm believer in Primrose’s Balanced Learning® curriculum, Dr. Z puts special emphasis on literacy instruction, including reading comprehension and writing, appropriate hands-on learning activities to help children build a foundation for understanding of mathematics, and the integration of technology into classrooms and the curriculum.
Before earning her doctorate, Dr. Z received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Emory University, and her Master’s Degree in special education at Georgia State University.
Dr. Z currently resides in downtown Atlanta with her husband Warren. The couple has two grown sons, Allen and Lawton.
