Hi Judith,
Thank you for sharing!
I commend your husband for being a teacher, especially for high school students. Teaching is so difficult but those with a heart like your husband's are the best thing for our society.
He, and other teachers, should remember that there is a limit to what they can do. Some children will end up on the streets no matter how great of a teacher they have. Family influence often trumps educational influence. That's why affirmative action bothers me so much. It lowers expectations for minority students. That hurts everyone involved.
I think affirmative action is especially useless in a country where we have access to junior colleges. High school is not the last chance. I myself went to a junior college for two years and transferred to Azusa Pacific University. I didn't have the high school grades and SAT scores to go straight to a four-year. I was lacking motivation, while many students lack the skills and motivation to succeed. I went from a 2.5 in high school to a 3.5 in college. Without junior college, I might have given up on higher education. However, I had a great family to support me. Many minority students do not. But the government can't make up for a bad home situation.
Again, your husband is amazing to take on the challenge of teaching. I pray that he successfully encourages his students to take control of their lives so they don't have to rely on the government or anyone else for their well-being.