Lyceum for all

I want to address the spurious charges against Lowell High’s Latin Lyceum that were printed in Monday’s Lowell Sun (“Left out of the Lyceum,” 9/26). The main point of the article seemed to be that minority students are not represented in the Lyceum to the same degree that they are in the overall population of Lowell High. This is true, but it is part of the much wider problem of Hispanic students dropping out or not achieving at the same level as their white or Asian counterparts (the Lyceum had 25% Asian students compared to 33% in the rest of the high school). The reporter might have pointed out that educators nationwide are struggling with the issue of why Hispanic students are falling behind, but instead she uses the issue to skewer a program that gives all of our children a chance (simply by taking the test) to participate in hugely successful, rigorous academic program without having to pay tuition or travel out of town. The Lyceum boosts the reputation of the high school and, yes, gives the parents of high-achieving students of any color or race a reason to stay in this city.