Most books about education address the tip of the iceberg, ignoring the greater issues hidden in the depths of our overstressed society. Retired Los Angeles Unified School District guidance counselor and truant officer, Herman Velarde's work in the communities, seeking out truants and their parents, convinced him that the most intractable individuals lacked a basic understanding of the American social contract and before the neighborhoods and their schools can be improved, that must be remedied. Mr. Velarde says, "Out in the communities, I met parents who could not or would not encourage their children to strive for excellence in anticipation of some future reward that had never materialized for them. I also found affluent parents, so caught up in the trappings of their successes, that they had little or no time for their offspring and chose to pay them off with hefty allowances, rewarding them for staying out of the way, rather than for personal achievements. In these families, the social contract was undermined, if not completely abrogated. Tragically, without a comprehensive understanding of, and commitment to, the basic principles embraced by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, these marginalized individuals will remain outside the mainstream, perpetuating their isolation." In HANDBOOK FOR AMERICA, Mr. Velarde addresses these issues head on, presenting his proven approach to enhancing learning skills and community relations for all public, private and home-schooled students, dropouts of all ages and anyone else seeking a socially responsible avenue to success. His insights and exercises are fresh and vital, not just for our native-born sons and daughters, but for anyone striving to succeed in the United States of America.
About the Author: Born in Gallup, New Mexico, Herman Velarde, earned his B.A. in Police Science Administration at Cal State L.A.; his M.A. in Education and Administration at Mt. St. Mary's College; and his Pupil Personnel Credential at California Lutheran University. He worked 32 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District teaching classes K-12, serving as a guidance and attendance counselor and, for three years, as a specialist overseeing 48 LAUSD math and reading teachers working in non-public school settings. During his career he dealt with troubled teens, magnet school students, parents, teachers and administrators representing virtually all the ethnicities Los Angeles provides. In the preface to his first book, "Handbook for America," Mr. Velarde, as he was known to several generations of students, acknowledges how his career enriched his own life and dedicates this new work to the enrichment of new generations, young and old, seeking happiness and success through discipline, hard work and belief in themselves. He has launched a website www.handbookforamerica.org, in support of the book and its readers, where the dialogue can continue.