School Counselors and Brawls as Entertainment

Re “Villaraigosa’s Victory Tour Is Marred by Violence at School,” May 19: As the parent of a Taft High School student, I was relieved by the response of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District police to student fighting.

But the school administrators’ response was offensive: ignoring frantic parents and denying student accounts only increases tension and distrust.

Ironically, Cal State Northridge’s College of Education was holding its annual credential ceremony for the graduating class of 2005 that afternoon, including 35 graduating school counselors.

The master’s degree program serves as a model for the National School Counseling Standards, including academic, personal and career counseling, conflict resolution, social justice, reducing the dropout rate and advancing academic achievement for all kindergarten-through-12th-grade students.

Despite the dire need -- California has the nation’s lowest ratio of school counselors to students -- L.A. Unified has a moratorium on hiring school counselors. Too bad for our Cal State Northridge graduates, who have to go outside the district for jobs. But really too bad for our kids.

Tovah Sands

Assistant Professor of

Educational Psychology

and Counseling

Cal State Northridge

Before we spend any more time wringing our hands about the epidemic of brawls in public high schools, consider that the students may fight for fun and entertainment. Onlookers cheer the combatants on, inspired by the prospect of disrupting classes and -- oh, joy -- closing down the school for a day or so.

After a hearty flare-up, the students recount the action, blow by blow, grading it on a scale of bloodiness and aggressiveness. Check out the fight websites they watch and to which they contribute. Racial tension? More like ugly, 21st century urban amusement with drug and gang components.

Tina Forde

Malibu