About Us

Our curriculum

SMART School offers a broad range of classes and private tutoring, from the most basic math your children need in order to stay ahead in school, to SAT I & II preparation, to advanced areas of analytical mathematics that help develop analytical skills and important work habits. Our teachers are capable professionals who have demonstrated advanced expertise in their subjects and a dedication to teaching.

Our classes include:

  • Math for all levels and ages
  • Preparation for the SAT, MCAS, and GMAT
  • English, reading, and writing skills
  • Physics and chemistry
  • Chess

In addition to classes, SMART School hosts chess tournaments, book readings, art shows, and music concerts throughout the year to make our school both a place of learning and a community.

Our philosophy

At SMART School, we encourage the view that our universe is not a collection of isolated objects and phenomena, but a system where new pieces of information fit into a big picture. We know how to approach each child individually. We create relationships with each student, treat him/her as a unique individual worthy of respect. We pay special attention to communication, reasoning skills, overarching concepts, and the understanding of definitions.

Every year, more and more Americans recognize that the education system is in crisis. International “standardized” tests consistently rank the US near the bottom. Our education system is particularly inadequate in math. Universities, including Ivy League schools, acknowledge serious gaps in basic math skills among their first year students. The goal of SMART School is to fill the gap between education in schools and the requirements of the college system – a gap created by the inefficiencies of math classrooms in American schools.

Math has an enormous range of applications in every part of our lives. The cognitive value of learning math is no less important than its use, for math is the universal language of all sciences. The study of math helps develop clarity, independent thinking, and personal discipline. These qualities encourage “process learning,” which involves the analytical understanding of the process itself rather than simply the end results – a key ability shared by all successful, bright thinkers. The great physicist Henri Poincare said: “Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.” There are few things we can give our children in terms of improving their self-esteem and building a taste for intellectual activity in the way that a strong mathematical foundation can. Let us help you reward your child with the gift of math.

Testimonials

Dear Alex,
Thank you for a wonderful couple of years. You helped me realize my love for mathematics, and helped me fulfill my potential. Thank you for teaching me Math and teaching me teaching.

Katya R. (MIT student)

Thanks Alex,
I am very grateful to have discovered your program. I think the work you are giving my boys is terrific… challenging and yet fun.

Youngme (Brookline)

A teacher myself, I was very impressed with the SMART educational approach. The school is providing a very personal approach, considering specific difficulties that each student is facing at school. The director of the school, Alex Shilmover, is spending a tremendous amount of time interacting with the students far beyond the lesson time through the emails, designing his own materials and homework assignments, following very closely to the progress of every student. The level of knowledge that my daughter received exceeded all my expectations. Not only she became more confident at school, but she also ended up loving math as one of the favorite subjects. She is now in college, and interested to become a scientist. Her love for science and math was definitely inspired and developed during the time she spent at SMART.

Svetlana O. (Newton)

SMART school became a part of our daughter’s life 6 years ago. She was 8, when first started attending the school. We are sure, that SMART was the right decision for our daughter, because she loves going to this school. She used to take lessons of Math, Chess and Russian language here. Students at SMART take pride in learning at a more advanced level than many of other schools can offer. All the nice teachers are experts in the subjects they teach. Classes with a small number of students allow each child to get a high level of individual attention. The school is highly responsive to parents’ feedback. We always feel like we are part of study process. We appreciate very much hard work of the talented teachers. Our daughter has significantly improved her math and chess skills. She won awards in all the chess tournaments she has played so far. Study at SMART expanded our child’s intellectual curiosity and capabilities.

Galina A. (Newton)

Hi, Alex and Sergey,
I wanted to share with you the good news about Tyler’s acceptance to Dartmouth College, his first choice, along with eight other great schools. You have helped him overcome a fear and aversion to math to the point where he can now, if not love, at least appreciate math’s complexities. He has learned to work very hard through his math issues and achieve some success – something he never expected. So again, we offer a heartfelt thank you to you both for your understanding and patience. You will certainly both be in his thoughts as he encounters math throughout his life. On to Dartmouth!

Karen B. (Westwood)

Hello Sergei,
I just wanted to give you an update on things. I have heard from the 13 colleges I applied to this week, and I got into 9 of them, including Dartmouth College, which as you know, was my first choice. I want to thank you, Sergei, for everything you have done. You are a truly wonderful teacher. I am proud to be your student. You made not hate or fear math, and for that I will always be grateful. I wish you the best of luck in the future and sincerely hope that our paths will cross again in the future. Thank you.

Sincerely, Tyler B. (Dartmouth College student)