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Second deaf educator's position approved - Bennington Banner
The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union board approved funding a second deaf educator position at Mount Anthony Union High School for next school year, but decided it needs more information before approving a new paraeducator position for the deaf program.
The board unanimously voted not to approve an intensive needs paraeducator who is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) after board members said for contract reasons they wanted to see a job description to make sure the position should be classified as a paraeducator.
The board will again consider creating a position to be filled by someone fluent in ASL at its next meeting in May.
"The paraeducator position being fluent in ASL is really not a defined classification within the frame of the SVSU contract," said Superintendent Catherine McClure.
The increase in deaf education faculty next year comes at the same time contracted services with Austine School for the Deaf, which provides deaf education at MAU Middle School, will come to an end and not be renewed.
Next year, the four students enrolled in that middle school program will attend the high school where there is already a deaf education program with one teacher and one student, according to a letter to the board from Kathy Buck, director of special education for the SVSU.
The program at the high school is funded through the SVSU and directly billed to the MAU district.
The approximate $140,000 per year Austine's services at the middle school has cost was transferred to the high school budget so it could add a second licensed teacher of the deaf, someone fluent in sign language and additional interpreter services, Buck wrote.
While the board voted 10-0 not to approve the paraeducator position, it made clear it was not voting against funding such a position, but that it wanted questions answered about the job description before approving the position.
The board approved the teaching position by an 8-2 vote, with Kenneth Swierad and Francis Kinney voting against the motion.
Swierad said he voted against the teaching position because he wanted more evidence that Austine wouldn't provide equivalent services at a lower cost.
McClure told the board it will be less expensive to fund the program at the high school locally and the majority of board members said the move made financial and educational sense.
"We're trying to bring this in-house and use the resources we have to do that work. (It) is a step to save dollars and be more proactive with the move from the middle school to the high school for that program," board member Leon Johnson said.
The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union board approved funding a second deaf educator position at Mount Anthony Union High School for next school year, but decided it needs more information before approving a new paraeducator position for the deaf program.
The board unanimously voted not to approve an intensive needs paraeducator who is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) after board members said for contract reasons they wanted to see a job description to make sure the position should be classified as a paraeducator.
The board will again consider creating a position to be filled by someone fluent in ASL at its next meeting in May.
"The paraeducator position being fluent in ASL is really not a defined classification within the frame of the SVSU contract," said Superintendent Catherine McClure.
The increase in deaf education faculty next year comes at the same time contracted services with Austine School for the Deaf, which provides deaf education at MAU Middle School, will come to an end and not be renewed.
Next year, the four students enrolled in that middle school program will attend the high school where there is already a deaf education program with one teacher and one student, according to a letter to the board from Kathy Buck, director of special education for the SVSU.
The program at the high school is funded through the SVSU and directly billed to the MAU district.
The approximate $140,000 per year Austine's services at the middle school has cost was transferred to the high school budget so it could add a second licensed teacher of the deaf, someone fluent in sign language and additional interpreter services, Buck wrote.
While the board voted 10-0 not to approve the paraeducator position, it made clear it was not voting against funding such a position, but that it wanted questions answered about the job description before approving the position.
The board approved the teaching position by an 8-2 vote, with Kenneth Swierad and Francis Kinney voting against the motion.
Swierad said he voted against the teaching position because he wanted more evidence that Austine wouldn't provide equivalent services at a lower cost.
McClure told the board it will be less expensive to fund the program at the high school locally and the majority of board members said the move made financial and educational sense.
"We're trying to bring this in-house and use the resources we have to do that work. (It) is a step to save dollars and be more proactive with the move from the middle school to the high school for that program," board member Leon Johnson said.