Luke 17:2
Elena Coppola is the chapter chair in Queens County, New York. She is a former elementary school counselor with over 23 years of experience and she walked away from a career she once loved. As both an educator and a mother, she witnessed a shift in schools away from their core mission and toward policies that blur the boundaries between education, family, and healthcare. She discusses the growing concerns around student mental health, despite increased access to services. Grounded in her faith and guided by Luke 17:2—“It would be better… if a millstone were hung around the neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble”—she now advocates for a return to education’s foundational purpose and for restoring parents as central in their children’s lives and well-being.