Parents sue to keep SD School for the Deaf open

[Buffalo]

There already aren't enough resources for the deaf school.

What other schools have been shut down already? I'm curious to see what happened to those kids afterwards.

Then I proposed that they change from State School for the Deaf to National School for the Deaf. Let's keep American School for the Deaf in Hartford out of our respect to Laurent Clerc. Maybe a second one in the west so the kids don't have to fly so far to get to the school.

I just hate to see deaf kids suffer education-wise when they are mainstreamed, especially if they don't get a good interpreter/tutor.

 

[shel90]

Then I proposed that they change from State School for the Deaf to National School for the Deaf. Let's keep American School for the Deaf in Hartford out of our respect to Laurent Clerc. Maybe a second one in the west so the kids don't have to fly so far to get to the school.

I just hate to see deaf kids suffer education-wise when they are mainstreamed, especially if they don't get a good interpreter/tutor.

There are probably no interpreters in the rural areas. The more I think about it, the more I think no deaf schools should close.

I dont think having one deaf school for each side of the country would work because who is going to send their kids to another state just to go to a deaf school?

 

[faire_jour]

A question for you, Daredevel...


Do you realize that the deaf schools quite often serve the kids that the mainstream has already failed completely? Public schools don’t just pay the tuition to send a student to a deaf school just because that is what the parents want. It has to be proven that the mainstream is not serving the needs properly of the deaf student before a public system can be compelled to pay the student’s tuition to a deaf school. And the public system will fight it tooth and nail because they don’t want to send the funding to the deaf school. They want to keep it in their own district and then provide only a minimum of accommodations. It is all under the LRE provision.

This is not my experience at all. I found that the local schools want to send the kids to the Deaf school, and if the parents want otherwise, they generally have to give up having an IEP at all.

Maybe it is just this way were I live.

 

[faire_jour]

Then I proposed that they change from State School for the Deaf to National School for the Deaf. Let's keep American School for the Deaf in Hartford out of our respect to Laurent Clerc. Maybe a second one in the west so the kids don't have to fly so far to get to the school.

I just hate to see deaf kids suffer education-wise when they are mainstreamed, especially if they don't get a good interpreter/tutor.

The point people are missing is that kids aren't going to Deaf schools, because parents don't want them to. The parents don't want their kids to attend the school for many reasons:

1. They don't want to send them to live in dorms, or on a bus for hours and hours everyday starting at age 3.
2. Deaf schools often do not have a good trach record educationally. Often the test scores are much lower than typical schools.
3. Founded or unfounded, parents worry about abuse.
4. 95% of parents want their children to learn to listen and speak. They may want sign as well, but the fact remains that almost all parents want their children to learn to use spoken language fluently. Bi-Bi schools NEVER say that they will make sure a child can do that. They say "Maybe they can, maybe they can't, that isn't what matters to us." And parents don't want to accept that.

 

[flip]

A question for you, Daredevel...


Do you realize that the deaf schools quite often serve the kids that the mainstream has already failed completely? Public schools don’t just pay the tuition to send a student to a deaf school just because that is what the parents want. It has to be proven that the mainstream is not serving the needs properly of the deaf student before a public system can be compelled to pay the student’s tuition to a deaf school. And the public system will fight it tooth and nail because they don’t want to send the funding to the deaf school. They want to keep it in their own district and then provide only a minimum of accommodations. It is all under the LRE provision.

It's interesting to see the similarity between the systems in US and countries in europe. This happens in europe, too. Public schools and counties want to keep the money themselves. The sad part is that it's those children who pay the bill in a stressing learning and shitty social environment.

Laws, we need laws. Those children needs to be better protected from "informed choices" and cost effective administrators that do not know anything about deaf people.

 

[flip]

This is not my experience at all. I found that the local schools want to send the kids to the Deaf school, and if the parents want otherwise, they generally have to give up having an IEP at all.

Maybe it is just this way were I live.

That can happen, especially if the deaf child is taking too much resources(classic case of deaf school used as waste dump) or parents demand so much the school realize it's getting too expensive. But it's a trend public schools in the western world try rely on the CI and take the money themselves.

 

[shel90]

This is not my experience at all. I found that the local schools want to send the kids to the Deaf school, and if the parents want otherwise, they generally have to give up having an IEP at all.

Maybe it is just this way were I live.

I guess the west coast policies seem very different from the east coast policies. I will ask my friends who live on the west coast about how things work over there.

 

[shel90]

The point people are missing is that kids aren't going to Deaf schools, because parents don't want them to. The parents don't want their kids to attend the school for many reasons:

1. They don't want to send them to live in dorms, or on a bus for hours and hours everyday starting at age 3.
2. Deaf schools often do not have a good trach record educationally. Often the test scores are much lower than typical schools.
3. Founded or unfounded, parents worry about abuse.
4. 95% of parents want their children to learn to listen and speak. They may want sign as well, but the fact remains that almost all parents want their children to learn to use spoken language fluently. Bi-Bi schools NEVER say that they will make sure a child can do that. They say "Maybe they can, maybe they can't, that isn't what matters to us." And parents don't want to accept that.

#1...I can understand.

#2...why do u think that is? Most kids come from the mainstreamed programs so far behind so they get sent to Deaf schools as a last resort. I am a teacher, not a magican but I do try my best to get the kids caught up.

#3. I can understand but it happens at public schools too. Teacher sex scandals, anyone?

4. Learn to listen and speak..HMMM... Is it about meeting the parents' needs or the childrens' needs?

 

[Cheri]

Anyways, if people dont like the idea of dorms, then they can go ahead and petition to have them shut down. I am not going to stop them but I wont start a petition to shut them down.

I don't, not because it's a deaf school, I mean any residential or boarding schools. I can't imagine being away from my boys and only see them weekends and holidays.

I'm sure deaf children are getting the better education at a deaf school than they would at a public school, but it really depends on which schools. I know all deaf schools aren't so bad either are public schools.

 

[shel90]

I don't, not because it's a deaf school, I mean any residential or boarding schools. I can't imagine being away from my boys and only see them weekends and holidays.

I'm sure deaf children are getting the better education at a deaf school than they would at a public school, but it really depends on which schools. I know all deaf schools aren't so bad either are public schools.

That I can fully understand.

 

[dreama]

What's wrong with residentual schooling?

I think people idolize the family unit.

Some parents argue all the time and it's not a healthy atmosphere for the kids, or they let the kids run wild, or abuse them.
Or in the case of the deaf they just haven't a clue how to talk to the kids in their language.

With some kids, being away from it all is just what they need.

I wish I had gone to a residentual deaf school.

 

[shel90]

What's wrong with residentual schooling?

I think people idolize the family unit.

Some parents argue all the time and it's not a healthy atmosphere for the kids, or they let the kids run wild, or abuse them.
Or in the case of the deaf they just haven't a clue how to talk to the kids in their language.

With some kids, being away from it all is just what they need.

I wish I had gone to a residentual deaf school.

I couldnt part with my kids and only see them on weekends BUT I do agree with you there. There are many deaf children who go home to homes where they dont have a sense of belonging. Too many that I know of...

 

[deafdyke]

dreama....ditto.........I think people overidealize the family unit. What about kids from really bad ghettos or really poor families or families that are dysfunctional? Heck.......specialized schools can be a refuge from REALLY horrible generic "Stepford Wives" style schools.
Maybe a good idea might be to offer cheap/subsidized rent or deals on houses in the area for families who have dhh or blind/low vision kids.

 

[shel90]

dreama....ditto.........I think people overidealize the family unit. What about kids from really bad ghettos or really poor families or families that are dysfunctional? Heck.......specialized schools can be a refuge from REALLY horrible generic "Stepford Wives" style schools.
Maybe a good idea might be to offer cheap/subsidized rent or deals on houses in the area for families who have dhh or blind/low vision kids.

It is a great idea but the problem is what if the parents have good jobs where they live and dont want to commute 3 hours each way? There are just too many factors but it would be nice to have that option available. The schools could start a partnership with the local companies and housing units. However, the problem is that the schools are under the state (or most of them anyway) and usually mountains of red tape would be needed before that happens. Unfortunately politics always have to play a role in many decisions the administrators at the deaf schools make. Sometimes, the designed purpose can get lost through all the mess. So frustrating sometimes.

 

[Cheri]

What's wrong with residentual schooling?

I think people idolize the family unit.

Some parents argue all the time and it's not a healthy atmosphere for the kids, or they let the kids run wild, or abuse them.

What about sexual abuse at a residential school? Is that a healthy atmosphere for the kids? There were many allegations of sexual abuse where former students had experienced sexual and physical abuse while at residential school, just because many of those allegations happened so long ago doesn't mean it won't happen again.

 

[deafdyke]

There were many allegations of sexual abuse where former students had experienced sexual and physical abuse while at residential school, just because many of those allegations happened so long ago doesn't mean it won't happen again.

Sigh.....Under that logic, they should have closed my mainstream jr high due to sexual abuse by the gym teacher.
Thing is, what YOU don't understand is that, back then sexual abuse was considered quite (relatively) common. They didn't have the safety mechanicisms set in to prevent it. Now they do.

 

[shel90]

Sigh.....Under that logic, they should have closed my mainstream jr high due to sexual abuse by the gym teacher.
Thing is, what YOU don't understand is that, back then sexual abuse was considered quite (relatively) common. They didn't have the safety mechanicisms set in to prevent it. Now they do.

The usual stereotyping...it never ends. If deaf schools are so terrible cuz of sexual abuse then fine, public schools are terrible too. I should keep my children away from public schools as well!

 

[Cheri]

Did I say deaf school? I sure did not. From the get and go I said any residential and boarding schools... Read my first post before you try to twisted my post the other way around.

 

[shel90]

Did I say deaf school? I sure did not. From the get and go I said any residential and boarding schools... Read my first post before you try to twisted my post the other way around.

Where did I say that you said deaf schools? I was talking in general whenever people out there say stuff like that about deaf schools. I was adding on what Deafdyke said because she said they should have closed her mainstream jr high school. Many people out there tend to scream sex abuse whenever they think deaf schools so I was using her logic..if they do that, then I can scream sex abuse whenever I think of public schools. Being sarcastic but honestly, it wasnt directed at you. Hope that clears it up...

 

[faire_jour]

#1...I can understand.

#2...why do u think that is? Most kids come from the mainstreamed programs so far behind so they get sent to Deaf schools as a last resort. I am a teacher, not a magican but I do try my best to get the kids caught up.

#3. I can understand but it happens at public schools too. Teacher sex scandals, anyone?

4. Learn to listen and speak..HMMM... Is it about meeting the parents' needs or the childrens' needs?

I'm not saying that the reasons are right or wrong, they are just true. If you want parents to send their children to a Deaf school, these are the FACTS about why they aren't. They don't want to hear that their concerns are "wrong", they want to see that the needs they have are getting met, right or wrong.