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SGVTribune.com - Parents object to cuts in program for deaf
Elizabeth Castillo of Norwalk has been deaf for much of her life. With help from Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District's deaf and hard of hearing program, Castillo expects to graduate from La Mirada High School this year.
But Castillo's father, Aurelio, is afraid that his other daughter, 6-year-old Leslie, won't get those same services.
The district plans to eliminate its program and have its students transfer into the Los Angeles County deaf and hard of hearing program.
"It's ridiculous," Aurelio Castillo said. "The program already is in place and it helps so many people. Why change something that is working? What they're saying is they don't care about the special kids."
The move will mean that elementary school students with hearing deficiencies will be bused to Paramount, while middle- and high-school students will go to Downey instead of Eastwood Elementary, Los Coyotes Middle and La Mirada High schools.
The Castillos were among the students and parents who attended last week's Board of Education meeting, asking the district to leave the program in place.
The district provides three full-time teachers and 14 interpreters who help students in regular classes or provide instruction in separate classes.
Superintendent Ginger Shattuck said Friday the program was moving because students would get more extensive services from the county and the change would save the district about $400,000.
"\ has become too small for our district to give the breadth of services students need," Shattuck said.
The district only has about 24 students in the program and can't afford to offer such things as counseling, physical education, speech and language programs, she said.
But parents and students don't see it the way the district does.
"I've been in this program since I was in kindergarten," said Madeleine Leos of La Mirada, an eighth-grade deaf student who was accepted into the high school's International Baccalaureate program.
"With the help of this program, I've been able to get A's and B's. I don't want to go to Downey. It will ruin my entire life."
Ophelia Dacones said she didn't want her daughter to have to transfer to another school.
"It would be another adjustment again," Dacones said. "If she has to transfer, she'll stay at home."
Fourteen interpreters also will be laid off as part of the change. Shattuck said the district was providing job counseling for them.
But Trudy King, an interpreter, said she doesn't believe the district is going to save as much money as officials think and that there are more students who could be served.
King said she has found some students who have hearing problems but weren't in the program.
"If these students were referred, the students would benefit in their education, the program would grow and become more cost effective," she said.
Shattuck said she believes that all students are being served, pointing out that not all students with hearing issues are in the deaf program.
King also said that she believes the savings will be only about $100,000 because the district has overestimated its costs of the program and underestimated costs for the transfer.
Shattuck disagrees.
"I had our fiscal department look at the numbers," she said. "It is not less, but more."
Another issue is the loss of a La Mirada High School American sign language class now taught by teacher Denise Lopez for the deaf and hard of hearing program.
Veronica Moat of La Mirada, said her son, Robert, a sophomore, loves that class.
"He's learned a lot," Moat said.
But Shattuck said the class was supposed to be canceled before this year. It was only continued for those students to get a second year to meet college foreign language requirements, she said. No class was set up for first-year students.
Elizabeth Castillo of Norwalk has been deaf for much of her life. With help from Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District's deaf and hard of hearing program, Castillo expects to graduate from La Mirada High School this year.
But Castillo's father, Aurelio, is afraid that his other daughter, 6-year-old Leslie, won't get those same services.
The district plans to eliminate its program and have its students transfer into the Los Angeles County deaf and hard of hearing program.
"It's ridiculous," Aurelio Castillo said. "The program already is in place and it helps so many people. Why change something that is working? What they're saying is they don't care about the special kids."
The move will mean that elementary school students with hearing deficiencies will be bused to Paramount, while middle- and high-school students will go to Downey instead of Eastwood Elementary, Los Coyotes Middle and La Mirada High schools.
The Castillos were among the students and parents who attended last week's Board of Education meeting, asking the district to leave the program in place.
The district provides three full-time teachers and 14 interpreters who help students in regular classes or provide instruction in separate classes.
Superintendent Ginger Shattuck said Friday the program was moving because students would get more extensive services from the county and the change would save the district about $400,000.
"\ has become too small for our district to give the breadth of services students need," Shattuck said.
The district only has about 24 students in the program and can't afford to offer such things as counseling, physical education, speech and language programs, she said.
But parents and students don't see it the way the district does.
"I've been in this program since I was in kindergarten," said Madeleine Leos of La Mirada, an eighth-grade deaf student who was accepted into the high school's International Baccalaureate program.
"With the help of this program, I've been able to get A's and B's. I don't want to go to Downey. It will ruin my entire life."
Ophelia Dacones said she didn't want her daughter to have to transfer to another school.
"It would be another adjustment again," Dacones said. "If she has to transfer, she'll stay at home."
Fourteen interpreters also will be laid off as part of the change. Shattuck said the district was providing job counseling for them.
But Trudy King, an interpreter, said she doesn't believe the district is going to save as much money as officials think and that there are more students who could be served.
King said she has found some students who have hearing problems but weren't in the program.
"If these students were referred, the students would benefit in their education, the program would grow and become more cost effective," she said.
Shattuck said she believes that all students are being served, pointing out that not all students with hearing issues are in the deaf program.
King also said that she believes the savings will be only about $100,000 because the district has overestimated its costs of the program and underestimated costs for the transfer.
Shattuck disagrees.
"I had our fiscal department look at the numbers," she said. "It is not less, but more."
Another issue is the loss of a La Mirada High School American sign language class now taught by teacher Denise Lopez for the deaf and hard of hearing program.
Veronica Moat of La Mirada, said her son, Robert, a sophomore, loves that class.
"He's learned a lot," Moat said.
But Shattuck said the class was supposed to be canceled before this year. It was only continued for those students to get a second year to meet college foreign language requirements, she said. No class was set up for first-year students.