AP Latin Literature Cancelled -- Please Add Your Name

[Andrew Reinhard]

Salve,

As many of you know, AP Latin Literature is being cancelled, although AP Vergil will remain in place for the immediate future. Please read the letter from the AP in the news section on the right and the letter from Ronnie Ancona in the Blog, and if you feel strongly about keeping the AP Latin Literature program alive and active in the United States, please add a comment to this post with your name and school affiliation attached. I will collect these in preparation for what is sure to be a counter-offensive by some of the leading lights in US Classics education. Thanks for adding your names to the list.

Andrew Reinhard
Director of eLearning
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers

[Gina]

I'm no Classics student, neither am I a citizen of the United States. But I do believe strongly in the providing of every opportunity for students everywhere. These sorts of things shouldn't go unnoticed. Right now it's AP Latin Literature but who knows what other courses will follow? Good for you for lobbying for this cause.

Gina Shin
Burnaby North Secondary School
Burnaby, BC, Canada

[maximus24]

Latin at my high-school was a big joke (no offense) until this past year. A new teacher came and inspired most of the class to actually learn latin and the rhetoric behind all of it. He was able to do the impossible (at my school)..make latin fun. Taking away this AP test would limit the teachings of only one of the great authors of the time, whenever there were countless others to go along with Vergil. Im absolutely against getting rid of the AP latin literature

[Morgan]

It is awful to think that I will be one of the last students taking AP Latin Literature. How could they do this to the students? My projected major is Classics and it would be insane to take away an opportunity for me to prepare for college. My school has a solid Latin program and our new headmaster is a former Latin teacher. This is a ridiculous cut.

[Samantha Sayre]

In a country where standardized testing is the norm Latin is dismissed in the worst ways. In many states our Latin teachers are not required to take a content area test before beginning instruction, and now our students are not given the chance to show a mastery of the language outside of the beautiful yet sometimes tedious words of Vergil. What an outrage that one author is used to test the abilities in an entire language.

[Stephanie]

The AP Latin Lit Exam got me studying things that I wouldn't have ordinarily studied and got me beginning to really enjoy Latin. Even 10 years later, at least one of the selections on my translation exam in grad school was from Catullus, and thanks to AP, I knew what I was dealing with. With AP testing on so many smaller subjects anyway, why is AP Latin Lit getting singled out? Hope this makes some small difference.

Stephanie Craven
University of Texas, Austin
1st year

[Steve Perkins]

I am beginning to see posts from parents and students as well...keep it up! In fact, I would ask all teachers to encourage their students and parents to write.

[Linda]

As a teacher who is currently beginning an AP Latin program this is distressing. I was going to begin with building an AP Vergil curriculum and then I hoped to vary through the years with an AP Latin Literature program, to provide for possible 5th year Latin students as we are expanding the program into middle school, yet this removal of the exam will limit my own and my students possibilities, limit the material, and thus limit students interest. I've even just recently been to AP trainings for Latin and there was no mention of this possibility, so it is even more shocking to me that this going to happen.

[Kate Horsley]

I echo the reactions and thoughts of those who’ve already responded here. I am shocked at the abrupt decision, and angry at the manner and style of its delivery.

My school has supported a fairly strong Classics program, waxing and waning in numbers over the years, but we’ve managed to fill at least one Vergil and one Latin Literature AP section each year. The Latin Literature AP course has been the culmination of hard work and study for our students, most of whom began in seventh grade, and have continued from love of the subject. The AP designation, however, has meant more certainty of their continuing with Latin, since the reality of college admissions pressures them to load up on AP courses. I fear they’ll bow to that pressure and shift to other subjects with more AP possibilities, whether a different language or science/maths. I think this is another frightful move in American education away from exposure to languages and humanities, subjects which prepare students as well-rounded adult thinkers, learners, contributers and leaders.

Kate Horsley
Classics Faculty
Hopkins School
New Haven, CT

[Marcene Farley]

Please add my name to the protest. Our school does not have AP Latin courses, but I still do not think that this fair to those schools who do have the programs, especially in light of the fact that enrollments are increasing.

Marcene Farley
Latin teacher, Pekin Community High School, Pekin, IL

[Gerol Petruzella]

I've not yet heard any justification for this move. Until any such rationale be forthcoming, I can but object to what appears to be a very ill-considered decision.

--
Gerol Petruzella

Mt. Greylock Regional HS
Williamstown MA
and
Department of Philosophy
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams MA

[Principalman]

I am appalled that the College Board would, for what seems to be financially motivated, drop AP Latin. Not only are they robbing students of a rich academic experience, they are robbing a huge portion of our cultural and national identities that are the very foundations of Western Civilization. What's next? Please pay attention as there seems to be a concerted effort to minimize academic and cultural traditions in the United States, a watering down as it were. This is another example.

Michael Davis
Principal
Pekin Community High School

[Carol Donohue]

Please let the “powers that be” know that I absolutely do want to protest the decision! My students love the Catullus/Ovid selections, but they plod and struggle with the Vergil. I have alternated the Vergil with the Catullus/Ovid each year for the past twelve years, but I had been considering dropping the Vergil for that reason. If it stands, this will probably be the end of my AP Latin program at Westlake High School in Waldorf, MD.

Carol Donohue