Professional Biography
Marilyn Tinari was the Head of the Middle School for Girls, encompassing grades five through eight, at Springside School (now Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) from 1992 through 2014. Prior to her work at Springside, Dr. Tinari was a fifth/sixth grade teacher at Oak Lane Day School, where she previously oversaw the program in the Reading Lab. Her experience includes writing and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in education at Chestnut Hill College. Outside of the school sector, Dr. Tinari was Education Director of the Jenkintown Center for Learning, a private enterprise, providing individualized remedial reading programs from early elementary through adult levels. After leaving school administration, Marilyn founded Collaborative for Change in 2015, offering consultation and support services to families, educators, and learning organizations. She is experienced in independent school and non-profit governance, having served as president of the Gladwyne Montessori School Board of Trustees and chair of the governance committee of Elmwood Park Zoo. She is currently (2023–2026) president of the Board of Trustees of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.
After receiving a BA in psychology, Dr. Tinari earned a master’s degree in education with a core in reading (leading to Reading Specialist certification) from Arcadia University. She received a doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009.
