"You are a certified teacher, and we need you to evaluate our home school students." This is the invitation I received in 1996 from a friend, a mother of ten children, which opened the door of home school education to me.

I have been teaching seventh and eighth grade students in West York Middle School the strategies for how to "read to learn" for the past sixteen years. My additional nine years of teaching middle school students to read and write have been in Baltimore, MD., Waterford, Conn, Red Lion, PA and Gettysbury, PA. I have also tutored adults for the GED Test preparation and given individual insturction in reading and writing to students in both elementary and high school.

From the first three students I evaluated in 1996 from that one family to the 21 families with 41 students that I evaluated this June, 2003, I have come to view my part as an evaluator as a ministry I can offer to support the home school movement. Throughtout the year I collect newspaper articles from The Washington Times and other sources that focus on home school news and views. I make copies of these and give them to my clients at the evaluation. Also, I keep a file of ideas and materials that work for different home schools and share these ideas for resources.

I am an evaluator who is enthusiastic about the accomplishments of my clients. Each feels comfortable and accepted when he or she sits at my kitchen table with the portfolio, log and book to read aloud to me.

"Are you going to do evaluations next year? Please don't stop, at least for three more years until all mine graduate."

This is a testimonial I received this summer.

My clients usually call me in early June. I do evaluations at my home as soon as my school year ends and before June 30. You might want to call me also.

Barb Borgal
Home address: 26 Woodvale Rd.
Airville, PA 1702
Mailing address: PO Box 117
Fawn Grove, PA 17321 barbaraborgal@peoplepc.com 717-862-3804