Thursday, July 2, 2009

Schools for the Deaf do not AND can not educate deaf students

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.

9 comments:

  1. uh ... could it be that you need to look further? I Googled "deaf literacy curriculum" and got a bunch of links. This one looks good:

    http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/deaf/

    you could follow some of the links and see where they lead.

    I work at a school for the deaf and I assure you, teachers DO use curricula. Our Special Needs Department has its own separate curriculum. If you need more information, ask.
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  2. CHECK MARYLAND SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, you think ASD does not have the curriculum that means ALL Deaf Schools does not have one. BS!
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  3. Your claims have no merit because you did not provide evidence to the fact. Your word is not enough. Then again, special ed deaf probably do not receive sound curriculum compared to vanilla deaf, so your statement may hold true for special ed deaf but not for vanilla deaf.

    Do me a favor, please contact Indiana School for the Deaf, they have been known to accommodate all kinds of deaf children. Perhaps, you will like what you see there.
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  4. More than 90% of Deaf schools in the United States are suffering badly on account of few U.S. Deaf schools never getting enough of what they call "the elite" but what I call the "deaf version (watered-down) of the elite." These schools often wish the worst on the underperforming ones so they can inherit deaf administrators, academic caliber and athletic talent when the underperforming schools implodes. What you see is what you get.
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  5. I know you received my comment yesterday. I was hoping to hear your sincere response. If you do not have one because you haven't thought about any of those issues, sure. But I'd love to know if you've contacted any agencies which deal with audism, or if you're just picking on deaf groups because it's easier.
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  6. Joseph I did respond to you. I am not picking on deaf groups rather I am pointing out to the uninformed that there is an inequity in program for deaf, educational materials, a willingness to teach deaf special needs but most importantly that schools for the deaf enroll the deaf/special needs students for the tution and then not educate them. This practice needs to cease.
    Schools and programs for autistic school age children are over crowded and there is a wait list. Programs for autistic adults are non existent. There is a huge void in services.
    My sensible question is why state voc rehab dollars and federal dollars continue to support two deaf institutions? Both Gallaudet and NTID can stand alone as other Colleges and Universities do. The money can certainly be used to fill the void for adults with autism and deaf adults with special needs who have done without for long, long time.
    Joseph thank you for your post.
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  7. iwill like to know more about deaf school
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  8. Christina (Tucson, Arizona)Oct 26, 2009 09:43 PM
    Your response to deaf schools is wrong. My daughter just graduated from Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind as the valedictorian. She was encouraged to pursue higher education. She has obtained enough education to attend Pima College in Tucson, Arizona and now she is attending Galluadet. I am very proud of her. She had studied hard and have pushed herself to learn. I think each child is different no matter if they are hearing or deaf. It depends on the child how much education they learn and pursue. I accredit a great deal to the staff at ASDB they have been wonderful and educated my daughter to go after her dreams. ASDB is wonderful and cares for their students.
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  9. State Education Departments are oblivious to what is happening in the State Deaf Schools. Most State governments are just happy to have a place for the Deaf children to go to school. They need to know that education is not happening in these facilities!!! Our children are being deprived and educationally neglected at numerous State Schools for the Deaf. I think the Deaf Community needs to pull together and rally and let State Govt's see that this is much wasted $$$! Put the $ into developin curriculums that work not into staffing schools that don't! Or put the $ into the many public school systems that have programs for the deaf and have the capability of actually providing an education w/o making excuses as to why the children are not learning!!!!!
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