NEWPORT BEACH

In the struggle to improve local schools, Jim Wittkower and Trish Ramser think they have a secret weapon: senior citizens. “We really think there’s a lot of grandparents out there who have time on their hands,” said Ramser, 65, who volunteers in her grandchildren’s classrooms at Mariners Elementary School once a week.

Wittkower and Ramser, along with Mariners Principal Mary Ann Ehret, believe there are many more retired people with time that could be well spent bent over young heads--whether or not they have grandchildren in the area. In a series of letters and meetings, the two have been trying to mobilize the retired community to go back to school. They say such volunteer work benefits both young and old. “It’s the best part of my week,” Ramser said. “We bring in a lot of warmth and love.”