Adam Tarnoff

About Adam Tarnoff

When I was younger, I admired clever people. Now that I am older, I admire kind people.\"(A. J. Heschel) I compassionately support parents through the process of understanding their neurodivergent child’s needs and discovering how to meet those needs (at home, at school, elsewhere) while still leaving space for parents to take care of themselves. Career history of $28M+ in competitive grants and contracts to increase educational equity in urban and underserved schools, as well as over two-dozen peer-reviewed publications and presentations on taking educational innovations to scale. Strong track record of accomplishment leading cross-functional teams and stewarding partnerships with diverse clients, funders, and collaborators.

Experience

1. Parenting Coach

   Scaffold Education Consulting

   Feb 2023 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   In 2023, Scaffold Education relaunched as a family support service dedicated to empowering parents of neurodivergent children to more fully understand and support their kids while managing the stress and emotional toll of caregiving. Trained in human development, adaptive design, and behavioral change at both Northwestern University (MA, Learning Sciences) and at the Mayo Clinic, and certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBC-HWC), I bring a deeply empathetic and client-centered approach to coaching that consistently centers parents\' strengths, nurtures their own sense of agency, and enables them to embrace their children\'s differences with compassion and positivity.

Education

• Northwestern University

  M.A., Department of Learning Sciences - School of Education and Social Policy

  2001 — 2002

• Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences

  National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Certification, Wellness Coach Training Program

• Pomona College

  B.A., Department of Physics & Astronomy / Department of Science, Technology & Society

  1994 — 1998

Skills

• Classroom
• Inquiry-Based Learning
• Nonprofits
• Volunteer Management
• Teaching
• Teacher Training
• Staff Development
• Museums
• Science
• Qualitative Research
• Curriculum Design
• Educational Technology
• Professional Learning Communities
• Integrating Technology in the Classroom
• Community Outreach
• Curriculum Development
• Research
• Mentoring of Staff
• Program Management
• Instructional Design
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Leading Change
• Fundraising
• Educational Leadership
• Program Evaluation
• Higher Education
• Grants
• E-Learning
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Curriculum Assessment
• Tests
• Grant Writing
• Leadership
• Program Development
• Science Education
• Department Budgeting
• K-12 Education