MIKE WALLACH

SUSANA KRAGLIEVICH

More than fifteen years ago, together with my wife Susana, I founded Central Park Tutors, which has grown to be one of New York City’s most well-known and well-respected tutoring agencies. In 2021, we left New York for the bright skies of Austin, Texas, and we sure have appreciated the welcome!

I am a graduate with honors in Philosophy from Cornell University and hold a Masters degree from Columbia University.

I became the Director of the Cornell Education Department Tutoring Program, for which I won the “Innovation In Public Service Award.” I later won the National CINDY Silver Prize for “Best New Educational Material” for my curriculum “Teaching Peace,” and was lucky enough to co-author the book “The Enemy Has A Face” for the United Institute of Peace and to become a contributing writer for The American Prospect Magazine.

I then became a Presidential Management Fellow with the US State Department, where my analysis was delivered directly to the Secretary of State, the White House and the National Security Council, but I left politics to become a writer and teacher.  

In addition to teaching and freelance writing, I had the great fun and opportunity to write the screenplay for the Hollywood movie “The Bay” directed by Oscar Winner Barry Levinson and I have had the great fortune to sell other screenplays to a number of producers in Hollywood.

I love writing and teaching, and every year I am re-inspired by the creative approaches and joyous approach of our tutors and students. Based on the work of our teachers and youngest students last year, I wrote the book “Puzzles For Young Children” which was called “one of the ten best books on intelligence” by Expertise.com

I am an Orton-Gillingham trained reading specialist. I work specifically with students who have struggled in their earlier attempts to learn to read, many of whom have been given the dyslexic diagnosis.

I began my teaching career in 2000 as part of the first cohort of the New York City Teaching Fellows program and taught ninth and tenth grade humanities for four years. Then I became the Academic Director at a small private school for the nation’s premier young tennis players. I was also the founding librarian at P.S. 126, where I had the opportunity to steep myself in children’s literature and learn about the books and curricula that students really love.

For seven years I also worked as a full-time tutor and was fortunate enough to work with the same seven students at they progressed from middle school to high school. My students were amazing. One student went from a third grade reading level to an eighth grade reading level in one year! Another student overcame learning difficulties to gain admittance to a top tier university. I loved tutoring. I loved the relationships and I loved how clearly it was possible to make a profound difference in a student’s life.

I graduated with a B.A. in European History and French from the University of Vermont, a Master’s degree in Secondary School Social Studies Education from City College as part of the NY Teaching Fellows program and hold a Diploma in Advanced Studies of French Language and Culture from the Sorbonne.

I am also the mother of our son, Lucas Wallach. When Lucas turned nine years old, our family moved here to the Hill Country. We couldn’t be more excited to share everything we have learned in this fantastic community.