As Vice President of Education and Professional Development, Dr. Mary Zurn oversees the development of curriculum and training for Primrose Schools. Responsible for the continuous improvement of the Primrose Balanced Learning® curriculum, Zurn also provides up-to-date training tools and materials to ensure consistent delivery of the Primrose model throughout its more than 212 schools. In her role, Zurn also serves as a company spokesperson on education and child development related topics and writes for Dr. Z & Me, a unique blog providing fun, useful tips and resources for parents.

Dr. Zurn 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. Zurn 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. Zurn 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 challenges. 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. Zurn went on to work for IBM’s K-12 Education Division for 10 years, during which she designed multiple technology-based programs. The teacher-support materials her teams created to accompany the programs won awards as guides for the successful integration of technology into the curriculum.

Zurn’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. Zurn puts special emphasis on literacy instruction, including reading comprehension and writing, appropriate exploratory and 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. Zurn received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Emory University, and her Master’s Degree in special education from Georgia State University.

Zurn resides in Acworth, GA with her husband Warren. The couple has two grown sons, Allen and Lawton.