A Guiding Hand for Troubled Students

Bravo, Marino Parada and all school counselors like you who fight to keep hope alive in thousands of children who daily battle the debilitating effects of poverty, gangs, drugs and dysfunctional homes (“A Lonely Battler for Students,” June 9).

All the rigorous testing standards in the world will not ensure the success of a student if that child does not possess the emotional resilience to show up on exam day. We must not underestimate the power of a positive, committed adult in the life of a young person. Beneath the scowls and baggy clothes is a young man or woman struggling to find direction and open to the possibility of hope. To offer a student only the 80 seconds of encouragement and advice that Parada is limited to provide is shameful. That we are sacrificing the futures of an entire generation of Californians for the lower property taxes of Prop. 13 is tragic.

At the end of the day, Mr. Parada, as you struggle to decompress, I pray that you are always mindful of the heroic role you play in the lives of your students to make the odds they face appear just a little less overwhelming.

Jed Minoff

Los Angeles