The biggest problem schools face is that students arrive in the classroom unprepared to learn

Many thanks to Scott Carroll for his down-to-earth examination of the importance of parenting and its relationship to school success ("What kids need most: a culture of caring," Aug. 31).

I have three siblings who are or were teachers, two of whom taught in Baltimore City, and Mr. Carroll's thoughts echo theirs.

I applaud Mr. Carroll for having the courage to put a spotlight on the real problem in the classroom: students who are not prepared to learn.

I found it interesting and ironic that in the same issue of The Sun, there was a story about the city curfew centers, where an eight-year-old child was picked up by authorities on the streets at 1:30 a.m. ("City's curfew center rounds up wandering youths," Aug. 31).

What chance does that child have in the best of schools?

Perhaps next, Mr. Carroll could tackle the topic of an obscenely bloated school administration.

David DeBoy, Owings Mills