Miss-Delectable
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Inside Bay Area - Deaf school delays new program
Starting a new program for students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities at California School for the Deaf may be delayed until September because of challenges in finding a qualified teacher.
The school and state Department of Education had agreed in an August settlement with the parents of a deaf and autistic child — who had filed a lawsuit on their daughter's behalf — to start the program by January.
But after a nationwide search, the school has not found an instructor with both a license to teach deaf students and a credential to teach those with severe developmental disabilities, as is required by law, deaf school Superintendent Henry Klopping said.
"We knew there would be difficulty ... (but) we're committed to doing this," he said, adding that there's already a building on the Fremont campus to house the program and that classroom equipment is in storage until a teacher is hired.
Although the school has received two applications, Klopping said he did not know yet whether the candidates are qualified.
Bill Koski, the plaintiffs' attorney, said his clients agreed to delay the opening of the special-needs day class to ensure that a suitable teacher is hired.
"We understood that the school made (a) good-faith effort to find a teacher," Koski said.
"We started looking for a teacher at the most difficult time of the year — October, November, December. Most teachers are already under contract (with another employer) for the school year," he said. But with the new teacher hiring season starting around March, Koski said, he's hopeful an instructor will be found by Sept. 1. If a teacher is hired sooner, the program could start this summer, he said.
In the meantime, J.C., the now 16-year-old plaintiff, continues to receive instruction through the Fremont Unified School District.
Her parents want her to attend California School for the Deaf so that she may communicate with teachers and peers in her primary language — American Sign Language.
Although the deaf school offers a class for children with mild disabilities, there's no program yet for students with more severe developmental disabilities.
The absence of a program led J.C.'s parents to file a lawsuit in 2006.
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that students with disabilities are entitled to a "free and appropriate public education." In other words, schools must provide accommodations so that students with disabilities can receive, as much as possible, the same quality of education as other students.
When the special-needs class opens, it will serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students ages 15 through 22.
Starting a new program for students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities at California School for the Deaf may be delayed until September because of challenges in finding a qualified teacher.
The school and state Department of Education had agreed in an August settlement with the parents of a deaf and autistic child — who had filed a lawsuit on their daughter's behalf — to start the program by January.
But after a nationwide search, the school has not found an instructor with both a license to teach deaf students and a credential to teach those with severe developmental disabilities, as is required by law, deaf school Superintendent Henry Klopping said.
"We knew there would be difficulty ... (but) we're committed to doing this," he said, adding that there's already a building on the Fremont campus to house the program and that classroom equipment is in storage until a teacher is hired.
Although the school has received two applications, Klopping said he did not know yet whether the candidates are qualified.
Bill Koski, the plaintiffs' attorney, said his clients agreed to delay the opening of the special-needs day class to ensure that a suitable teacher is hired.
"We understood that the school made (a) good-faith effort to find a teacher," Koski said.
"We started looking for a teacher at the most difficult time of the year — October, November, December. Most teachers are already under contract (with another employer) for the school year," he said. But with the new teacher hiring season starting around March, Koski said, he's hopeful an instructor will be found by Sept. 1. If a teacher is hired sooner, the program could start this summer, he said.
In the meantime, J.C., the now 16-year-old plaintiff, continues to receive instruction through the Fremont Unified School District.
Her parents want her to attend California School for the Deaf so that she may communicate with teachers and peers in her primary language — American Sign Language.
Although the deaf school offers a class for children with mild disabilities, there's no program yet for students with more severe developmental disabilities.
The absence of a program led J.C.'s parents to file a lawsuit in 2006.
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that students with disabilities are entitled to a "free and appropriate public education." In other words, schools must provide accommodations so that students with disabilities can receive, as much as possible, the same quality of education as other students.
When the special-needs class opens, it will serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students ages 15 through 22.
