Independent board would benefit deaf, blind youths
April 30, 2007
Please support Senate Bill 757/House Bill 3334 to establish an independent school board for Oregon School for the Deaf and Oregon School for the Blind. This would abolish control by Oregon Department of Education. The school boards should consist of a majority of deaf or blind representatives who have a greater understanding of educational needs for these schools. Other states already have their own boards for deaf and blind schools.
The termination of the Oregon School for the Deaf’s former director, Jane Mulholland, is considered a very serious mistake to everyone involved in the deaf community.
The Oregon Department of Education’s recommendation to move programs from Oregon School for the Blind to Oregon School for the Deaf campus is a waste of money, senseless and not approved by Oregon School for the Deaf and Oregon School for the Blind supporters who feel it’s an unsafe environment for blind students. This move would abolish the historic Oregon School for the Deaf museum and the alumni association office from the campus to make room for the blind school. This is probably illegal.
To ensure high-quality education for deaf and blind students, it is imperative that these bills pass.
– Mark Loil Hamstreet, Dallas