Raymond Barglow, Ph.D., Founder.  I am a teacher and a psychologist, with a special interest in helping high school students improve their test-taking skills.  I tutor students one-and-one or in small groups to achieve a high score on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT tests.  As well, I help students prepare for the SAT subject tests and AP tests.  I have taught test preparation classes at public and private schools here in the East Bay, including Skyline High School, Head-Royce, Oakland Tech High School, and at the El Cerrito Public Library.

My partner Pam Montanaro and I have written SAT and ACT test preparation handbooks that supplement the official preparation guides, and we’ve developed a tutoring approach that enables students to do their very best. The students we tutor find that test preparation can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

I received an undergraduate degree in physics, with a minor in biology, at Cal Tech.  Then I came to Berkeley, where I studied educational testing under the guidance of Professor Michael Scriven.  I received a doctorate in philosophy at the University of California in Berkeley and a second doctorate in psychology at the Wright Institute. I have taught at UC Berkeley and at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut.  I am currently teaching a one-unit course at UC Berkeley: "The Art and Science of Tutoring."   

I have written many articles on educational issues for the Berkeley Daily Planet. 

Pamela Montanro, M.S., Founder.   I have a Master’s degree in educational psychology and counseling from the University of Southern Maine, worked as a teacher and counselor in Maine’s public school system, and co-founded and ran a tutoring service for students.  I enjoy tutoring students one-on-one.

Having raised six children, now all grown, I’m quite familiar with the opportunities and challenges that high school students face!  One of those challenges is making a successful transition from high school to college.  There’s much that we can do, as parents and as teachers, to help students take this important step in their lives.

Michael Barglow, M.A., Consultant.  I teach history and English at Skyline High School in Oakland.  I received an undergraduate degree and a masters degree in English at UC Berkeley.  After obtaining my teaching credential, I founded and served as the principal at Arrowsmith Academy in Berkeley.  Recently I went back to UC Berkeley and earned an administrative credential.

I’ve long been interested in reform to improve education in our public schools.  I bring student volunteers from UC Berkeley into my classes to work with high school students one-on-one.  I find that tutoring is a good way to provide students with the individual attention and guidance they need.