Principal Barbanell Is Respected, Appreciated

* I am shocked that you would try to tarnish the name of Dr. Harlan Barbanell, (“Free Labor by Students Questioned,” Nov. 21) a man who has done as much for the Los Angeles Unified School District as any other person in this city. The landscaping done at his house was an ideal learning experience for the students involved.

In his nearly 40-year educational career, Barbanell has brought millions of dollars in grants to the LAUSD. He has instituted many creative and valuable programs, particularly in the area of job training. These programs have benefited both students and the community. Two years ago, he was responsible for securing a Carl Perkins grant that has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in badly needed equipment for vocational education. Recently, he was instrumental in securing a grant of $20,000 from the Los Angeles Urban Resource Partnership to build greenhouses at West Valley for growing vegetable and flower seedlings, which will be distributed to schools and community gardens throughout Los Angeles.

I doubt if there is a principal in all of Los Angeles who is more respected and appreciated than Barbanell. He is a man who daily demonstrates candor, integrity, and, most of all, personal concern for teachers and students.

JOSHUA SISKIN

Sherman Oaks

Siskin is a landscaping instructor at the West Valley Occupational Center.