Originally Posted by deafdyke

What about Kansas School for the Deaf? One of my friends sent her daughter to KSD, and also mainstreamed her. Katie said that Remy's experiance at KSD was even better then her mainstream sitution.
I thought that Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind was supposed to be good, as well as Western Pennsylvania school for the Deaf. Also Austine School for the Deaf.

Originally Posted by peteydid

I have been spending time and money to find the "best"
deaf school for my son Joe. I think I have more current info than anybody. I noticed that lots of people like to post opinions about a school they have never seen because an opinion has been formed by the community as a whole. Anyway, everthing I write is first hand.

Indiana school for the deaf has 21 smart and deaf first graders and a pretty nice facility. The education is trying to be " on level" with hearing kids. The school is in an ugly depressed neighborhood that is more deserted than dangerous. The large number of deaf families in the area and Deaf teachers /administrators make this kind of a voice off environment. Its great to see so many deaf kids together learning and having fun. But its in Indiana.

Western pa school for the deaf is beautiful, well run, state of the art. Truly BiBi teachers say and sign everything. There are only 5 first graders. the neighborhood is shot, real ghetto on one side right outside the front gate. Kids could be on the bus for 45 minutes to get to a decent suburb. Beautiful homes next to the school are going cheap.

Ohio school for the deaf is big and a renovation is planned but enrollment amounted to only a handful of elementary students grouped K&1st, 2nd and 3rd etc. Nice school, no budget problems but no kids.

Maryland school for the deaf at Frederick I would call a classic deaf school. The new elementary school was soon to open when I visited in the fall of 07. I don,t know who will attend the new school because there were only a few first graders at the time of our visit. And the school is coupled with a deaf community that lives nearby and is voice off. the neighborhood is OK compared to the others I visited but traffic is horrible and the new school is on a busy off ramp. Like Ohio, the if you build it they will come plan May or may not work out.

Kendall model school is a very nice facility but is run like the federal program it is. I thought the place was stiff and
it had only a few first graders. It is on the campus of Gallaudet and is not surprisingly voice off. The neighborhood is rough and the university is planning to remove the fence surrounding the school. Why?

New jersey school for the deaf is shot. The state is giving operations over to a commission with no deaf ed experience. Something good could emerge say 3 to 5 years from now but currently you are looking at an old school with no funding and dwindling enrollment. Also the campus has been rented to all kinds of crummy social programs with nothing to do with deaf education. Its a mess.

I physically visited these six and found that the large numbers, On level philosophy, deaf community and deaf role models made Indiana a standout. When all three first
grade classes go to gym together its a wonderful thing.

Next I need info on Florida, Texas and California and that should cover any schools with big enrollments. I would appreciate any first hand info on these or other deaf schools.

Originally Posted by skyboss

New Jersey School for the Deaf 's education is improving right now for Lower and Middle school. But High school is improving little bit...

Originally Posted by skyboss

New Jersey School for the Deaf 's education is improving right now for Lower and Middle school. But High school is improving little bit...

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

Your room. Your bookself. Your computer with internet access. Need I say more?

Originally Posted by deafdyke

That does not help with socialization, or actually teaching stuff... plus that only really works when you're older........

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

School isn't really about socializing, but studies. I social all the time when I'm outside my home. It's easy, you just put on a smile and you laugh, that's how you socialize.

Originally Posted by deafdyke

Actually, it's a combonation for kids. Kids learn how to socialize and about the ins and outs of realtionships in school. As a matter of fact, something like 90% of learning is incidental....learned outside the classroom.

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

Pfft, that's your perspective. I believe that if you don't focus on your study before college, you'll get outplayed by a lot of students in college. Just my perspective.

Originally Posted by deafdyke

I said it was a combonation of stuff............and yes, you gotta actually KNOW stuff. But at the same time, a thing that gets glossed over (for a lot of low incidence kis)is social-emotional development, and thus social skills/abilty.
Self directed learning is a good thing, but then again how many people are trained to teach dhh kids? How do you know you're teaching yourself the right things? My second mother is a huge advocate of unschooling (self directed learning) but she has said that if she had a dhh kid, she would have sent them to Austine to get the benifits of group learning, as well as teachers who were trained to teach dhh kids.
Besides, the way you're talking about socialization, is kinda superfical. Dhh kids can interact with the hearing world.....but only partially. They can never have full and complete access to the hearing world......and before I am attacked, that's not just limited to dhh. Other minorites can never have full and complete access to the mainstream. I know GLB folks who say they don't fit in, or feel comfortable with straight people, for just one example.

Originally Posted by deafdyke

Generally almost ALL Schools for the Deaf have good Lower Schools/early childhood programs. Doesn't NJ have a strong contiunum of placement? (meaning regional dhh programs and deaf schools) Kinda surprised the high school isn't better.....

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

Your room. Your bookself. Your computer with internet access. Need I say more?

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

That is because they get scared easily. They get ideas that things could end in a bad way. But honestly, there is no right or wrong way in this world, only Left or Right turns. I was one of the DHH kids and I will tell you this, I LEARNED NOTHING from that program, but I became a teacher to those other kids only because I was big, older, and smarter. Also advocates can fail and nothing is wrong with that, it only show you of ways you shouldn't do. This is really simple, just don't get scared and be brave to push forward in life. Life doesn't end until it does.

Originally Posted by orangeearths

Yea, NJSD doesn't have strong deaf community. In the fact, NJSD high school have more students than nursey school, lower school, and middle school combined. NJSD high school have more voc classes compared with middle school. While middle school have drama class, high school doesn't have one.

As NJSD doesn't have many high level of education students, NJSD doesn't provide any AP class in high school. It rarely provide honor classes to students but I am one who get honor classes. NJSD has great programs such as Special Need (multiply disables) and PLUS(emotion therapy) for students.

Originally Posted by orangeearths

Everyone have different preferring. You prefer to have a little social while other people prefer balance between education and social. Everyone have different definition of being success in their life. For deafdyke; he believe balance between education and social while you believe focus on education. For me, I agree with deafdyke because you need to have good mental, social, and physical to have good health. (that is called the Health Triangle.)

Originally Posted by ChefDylan

That is because they get scared easily. They get ideas that things could end in a bad way. But honestly, there is no right or wrong way in this world, only Left or Right turns. I was one of the DHH kids and I will tell you this, I LEARNED NOTHING from that program, but I became a teacher to those other kids only because I was big, older, and smarter. Also advocates can fail and nothing is wrong with that, it only show you of ways you shouldn't do. This is really simple, just don't get scared and be brave to push forward in life. Life doesn't end until it does.

Originally Posted by deafdyke

Exactly..............you start out in a Deaf School or program, so they have the base of education and socialization, and then take a Montessori approach.
Dhh kids should be able to have the advantages of socialization in the deaf and hearing worlds. It is very difficult for minorities to fully fit into the mainstream. Even oral sucesses will say they don't feel like they fit in with heairng people.....and a sense of belonging and community is extremely important.

Originally Posted by orangeearths

In the fact, I start out in a Deaf School (NJSD). And I am still attending to NJSD. Right now, I am junior student.

Originally Posted by deafdyke

Oh wow.......have you gone to Deaf School, all your life? You're very lucky! Are you in the dorms or a day student? What a neat experiance!

Originally Posted by orangeearths

Yep, I went to deaf school for my whole life. Actually, I am day student but I was involving many after school activites such as soccer, robotic, and track.
Did you go to deaf school or mainstream school in your life?

Originally Posted by deafdyke

Mainstream school.....and not even one with a deaf/HOH program. When I was little I thought I was only deaf kid in the world. If I could do it over again, I'd go to deaf school or dhh regional program. My mom and dad both say they should have sent me to deaf school.

Originally Posted by orangeearths

Good thing is that you involving with deaf community such as alldeaf. Where did you go for college?