This is a truth- Schools for the deaf have never been held accountable or required to have any standards to teach any deaf student at any school for the deaf INCLUDING our Federally funded Federally supported Laurent Clerc Center. According to the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools for the Deaf- member schools have had to demonstrate that they have a curriculum but the success or failure of any deaf student did not prevent them from receiving accreditation from CEASD. CEASD only wants to see that the schools are fiscally sound not educationally sound. Salaries must be paid Students are not a priority. Get it??
In fact, to date, there is not a literacy curriculum to teach deaf students.
I have requested from the Laurent Clerc Center textbooks, workbooks, instructional media such as dvd's and there is nothing.
In fact when my son attended American School for the Deaf I was told by the administration that they did not have a teaching curriculum, or workbooks, or instructional materials to teach students literacy.
Given that the majority of deaf students at schools for the deaf are deaf special needs and given that there is no accountability of the administration at these schools for the deaf to have to teach these deaf special needs students Nothing will ever change
On NTID website there is a forum for families to ask questions relating to deaf education at schools for the deaf really?? show me the curriculum
I do know that there is a working group of deaf educators writing a literacy curriculum. The question is when will it be available and what schools for the deaf will incorporate the literacy curriculum ? The real test is what deaf students are valued?? Because I know that not all deaf students are valued and seen as deaf first.
To all the teachers at schools for the deaf I recognize that there are some dedicated teachers who work for the highest good and I also know that there are those teachers who do not WANT deaf special needs students in their classroom and they do not want to bother with these deaf special needs kids. It is ultimately up to the administration to have in place accountability and this is not in place.
I have spoken with Joe Finnegan, Ex Dir of CEASD many times and asked him about literacy, curriculum, and accountability. He stated that CEASD looks only at the financial state of the school and that they have on paper a curriculum. Further, he stated that he is not concerned about the success or failure of the students attending the schools for the deaf. Further, when asked about accountability of every school for the deaf that is a member school of CEASD he stated "buyer beware".
So, I believe it is my responsibility to share this information with other families who are considering schools for the deaf and trusting that the administration will educate their deaf children. My suggestion echoes Joe Finnegan of CEASD BUYER BEWARE request to review the curriculum ask for copies of every workbook, instructional materials, dvd, computer software these are available at every Public School WHY NOT at schools for the deaf??
And yes, I have requested all of this from Gallaudet Research Institute and spoken with literacy professors at Gallaudet and have been told that literacy for deaf is a "tough nut to crack"
Yes, it is a tough go..agree with that but when so much money has been provide via GRI to research and provide "best methods for deaf instruction" and there is not a curriculum in place to teach deaf students to read and further deaf that have learning disabilities...this is inexcusable.
Therefore, knowing all of this and recognizing that NAD is very familiar with the deplorable state that is deaf education WHY then is NAD not advocating for improved standards in deaf education as opposed to demanding that more state and federal money be wasted at schools for the deaf that do not and can not educate deaf students.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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