Petition to Reverse the Removal of the Latin Program at Brown Summit Middle School
To: Principal Jones-Goods, Superintendent Dr. Whitney Oakley, and the Guilford County Board of Education.
Objective: To formally protest the unilateral decision to discontinue the Latin program at Brown Summit Middle School and to request an immediate reinstatement of the course for the upcoming academic year.
Statement of Purpose:
We, the undersigned parents, students, and community members, are writing to express our deep opposition to the recently announced removal of the Latin program at Brown Summit Middle School.
Brown Summit is currently recognized as the #1 Middle School in North Carolina. This achievement is built upon a foundation of academic rigor and a unique curriculum that challenges students to think critically. The Latin program is a cornerstone of that identity. Removing it without prior community engagement or a transparent feedback process contradicts Guilford County Schools’ (GCS) stated strategic goal of fostering community partnerships.
Why Latin is Essential to Brown Summit’s Excellence:
- The Blueprint for Academic Mastery: Latin provides the grammatical "bones" of English. Students who study Latin consistently outperform peers in reading comprehension, writing precision, and verbal standardized testing.
- The Foundation of Professional Fields: Up to 90% of specialized vocabulary in medicine, law, and the sciences is rooted in Latin. By cutting this program, we are removing a competitive advantage for our students entering these career paths.
- Cognitive Development: The logical, algorithmic structure of Latin grammar acts as a mental gymnasium, training students in the exactitude and analytical thinking required for advanced STEM and humanities work.
- A Unique Competitive Edge: The presence of a strong Classical language program is one of the primary reasons families choose Brown Summit. Stripping this away erodes the school’s distinctive character and high standards.
Our Demand:
We urge the administration to honor the GCS commitment to community engagement by:
- Suspending the decision to cut the Latin program for the next academic year.
- Hosting a public forum or town hall to allow parents and students to provide feedback on the value of the curriculum.
- Collaborating with the community to find sustainable ways to maintain Latin as a core offering of North Carolina’s premier middle school.
By signing this petition, we affirm that Latin is a vital "gift that keeps on giving" to our students’ intellectual and professional futures.
As a former Latin teacher at Kiser Middle, I will gladly sign this petition. I agree totally with the factual statements of the document. I discovered another benefit: Latin is a grand subject for students to "learn how they individually learn." With that knowledge my students found that they could learn anything.