15 October 2011

A letter to the Hartford Courant editor...

...that was published in the CT Section on Wednesday, 12 October 2011, in the additional letters location there because, although we apparently asked for more letters (along with more of many other things throughout the Courant), we clearly must not have asked for all the letters to be printed in the same place! 


Re: “Keep Latin Alive” (10/10/11), I encourage all Latin students out there to keep studying because, if they know Latin, they’ll NEVER be out of work. 
When I was in graduate school at The Catholic University of America in the late 80s-early 90s, CUA surveyed high schools nationally and found that many more would offer Latin if they had teachers to teach it.  My own experience as a part-time Latin instructor proved those findings correct. 

I taught at several schools, and each one asked me to be full-time.  When I declined each offer (knowing that full-time teaching would delay my doctoral degree) and consequently was let go at school year’s end, I would find another part-time Latin job within weeks (often by being contacted by a school that had heard about my recent availability).  Indeed, the only time there has been a bidding war for my teaching skills was when I was a high school Latin teacher.
I am now a professor who has resurrected Latin at CCSU, and whose first class of students is starting a classics club, so don’t tell me there’s no interest, and don’t ever believe there’s not a seller’s market for that knowledge!  

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