I applaud the efforts and enthusiasm of Elaine Tuttle Hansen, the new executive director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth ("Hopkins: "New director has big plans at Hopkins Center for Talented Youth," Dec. 28).
Establishing effective gifted and talented programs means identifying and planning specifically for these exceptional students. And it is important to recruit teachers well trained in the curriculum and strategies that work best with gifted students.
In response to a state-wide need to equip teachers to meet the needs of the gifted, Notre Dame offers the only Maryland State Department of Education-approved master's program. This Master of Arts in Gifted and Talented Education prepares teachers and specialists who will change the lives of highly able and talented students throughout the state.
Notre Dame has prepared leaders since we opened our doors in 1895, and our School of Education teaching graduates consistently earn the state's highest accolades. In fact, 10 of our graduates have been honored as Teacher of the Year in their respective counties since 2007, and this year's Maryland Teacher of the Year, Joshua Parker, is a Notre Dame graduate.
Our programs provide knowledgeable and well-prepared teachers and leaders. We are proud to stand with organizations such as CTY to provide opportunities for those who educate gifted and talented youth.
Betty H. Kansler, Baltimore
The writer is coordinator of the Master of Arts in Gifted and Talented Education at Notre Dame of Maryland University's School of Education.