Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/246730
"My class and classes around my class were very connected and upbeat about the school, leaving with the sense that we had had an extraordinary experience at Latin. The school has changed in many ways. But now, 30 years later, I see my children having the same experience that I did. Like me, my kids have very good, close friends, and they have teachers who know them and care about them. … I remember back in lower school when a pair of twins in my older son's class were feeling lonely and frightened because their mother had been called to active military duty during the Iraq War, and a staff member at Latin baked them chocolate chip cookies and lifted their spirits when they needed it most. I've seen teachers here literally save students from potential disasters, turn kids' lives around. My own kids have been the beneficiaries every day of the generosity and inspiration of our outstanding faculty and staff, just as I was when I attended Latin." – Charlie Gofen '83 to a high standard, making them more responsible than ever before for the well-being of the entire school. Jonathan Slater 94 L AT I N M AGAZINE "It was not unusual for Jonathan Slater to come and sit in on a class," said Steve Sommers. "At the end he would hand the teacher his very detailed record of the class and ask him or her to review and later share opinions of the class based on Slater's notes." For some, Slater's approach was motivational. For others, it was difficult, and during the first few years a number of teachers left the school. "His standards were high across the board. He wanted the best teaching so that students could do their best work," Sommers said. During Slater's tenure, Latin developed a comprehensive computer literacy program, and by the end of the '80s, the school had nearly 100 computers and students in all three divisions were taking computer classes – something that was still relatively rare in independent schools at the time. The school also redefined its college counseling philosophy, moving further away from college placement and traditional college options to making students more responsible for their college decisions and providing them with a wider range of choices. Responding to criticisms both within and outside the school community, Latin launched its service learning program in 1987. Initially a pilot program that asked for a three-hour commitment from upper school students every two weeks, it became part of the