Letters: I teach at a private school. Gifted students deserve options like Highlands Latin

As a public school and now private school teacher, I’m discontented with how the Courier Journal portrayed a wonderful academic environment like Highlands Latin School . With the upcoming school choice amendment vote , a private school was chosen to besmirch.

The reputation of the school is a close-knit community of caring individuals. Its curriculum is rigorous and rightfully so. As an educator of more than a decade, I’m continuing my education in the field of gifted and talented education. In my early teacher training, I was taught how to differentiate instruction to those with disabilities, but lacked the awareness that a strength is a need for gifted and talented students.

Many students at Highlands Latin School are gifted and talented. Thankfully there is an academic environment that serves and fits their needs. It wasn’t until the launch of Sputnik (1957) by the Soviet Union that educators in the United States worked to improve U.S schools' math and science instruction . We don’t improve often enough and therefore, our society suffers. Our concerns typically go toward no child left behind and good efforts are taken in those things. How discouraging though for a student to have to sit through a class when they already know the material. When we have higher standards, we care for those around us. Higher standards don’t mean perfection; they simply mean wanting others to reach their potential. If you’re a parent, you understand this well.

If our view is that gifted students will get by and be fine, we aren’t serving them well. Students who are above average in their abilities need to be challenged like anyone else. Every student deserves to learn something new every day. Those are things that contribute to people’s fulfillment and happiness. Highlands Latin is known for its discipline and standards of excellence. In a society where students don’t have to listen to their parents, it makes sense that the articles from the Courier Journal would criticize a school that expects students to listen to their teachers. By condemning Highlands, you criticize other private schools, and the service private schools are providing to the community.

In the public school setting, a student threatened my life. Books were thrown in my classroom, weekly fights occurred in the hallway, and I was called many inappropriate names in my first year teaching. I cried a lot during my planning period and eventually had to choose a different school. At another public school I watched as the chair of my department had her students take notes from other teachers on YouTube and called it a podcast day. Students were often given packets and a textbook to learn on their own while this teacher sat at their desk and attended to personal items like filling out invitations to a child’s birthday party. As a product of public education myself, I chose a degree in education to go into public education. Yet the lack of accountability and support made the decision easy for me.

Courier Journal, you are a voice to the public. If we don’t evaluate both sides in articles we are lacking in judgment. The articles written mentioned no positive qualities of an educational organization like Highlands. I’m not sure your mother would be proud of you for that.

—Christine Bramer, parent and educator, 40203

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Letters: I teach at a private school. Gifted students deserve options like Highlands Latin