Statesman -Journal.com
1:36 p.m.
New director hired at Oregon School for the Deaf
May 24, 2007
A new director has been hired as director of the Oregon School for the Deaf, officials announced today.
Patti Togioka will oversee instruction at the school and manage day-to-day operations, Oregon Department of Education spokesman Gene Evans said.
Togioka will begin Aug. 1, 2007.
Most recently, Togioka has worked as assistant principal at McKay High School. Togioka also was principal at the Salem-Keizer Migrant Education Summer High School Program, CIM Coordinator, Special Education teacher, and TAG advocate.
Togioka taught ASL (English and bilingual) and developed curriculum at the Oregon School for the Deaf from 1980 to 1998. She has been involved in education for students who are deaf since 1974.
Togioka earned her bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Gannon University in Erie, Penn. She earned her masters degree in special education of the hearing impaired from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
State education officials began seeking a new director after Jane Mulholland was terminated from the school for the deaf in late December, a decision that angered many in the community.
Interim director Jay Gense was appointed to oversee day-to-day management of both the Oregon School for the Deaf and Oregon School for the Blind.
An advisory committee that provided input during the hiring process included:
* Oregon School for the Deaf parents: Eric Sundquist, Dale Campbell, Marsha Liebe
* Oregon School for the Deaf student: Cruz Saucedo
* Oregon School for the Deaf staff: Karen Trowbridge, Bill Cruscial, Judith Holtzinger
* School District representatives: Linda Felber, Salem Keizer; Sandra Gruhn, Tillamook
* Regional Programs: Robbie Weber, Columbia Regional Program; Eleni Boston, Willamette Regional Program
* State Advisory Council for Special Education: Roberta Dunn
* Oregon Association for the Deaf: Margi Morgan
* Oregon Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services: Bentley Fink
* Oregon School for the Deaf Alumni Association: Daniel Sloan
* Oregon Department of Education staff: Jay Gense, Colleen Carson
OSD UPDATE . . ODE is up to it’s old TRICKS Again!!!
Heads up to one and all . .Kevin and I met with Sen. Walker this morning(4/27/07) and she said she needs ALL OF OUR HELP!!! ODE has been out lobbying all the legislators that the OSD and OSB Senate bill 757 will cost TOO MUCH $$$ and that it should left in committee to DIE A SLOW DEATH . .we can not let all of our hard work be wasted we must contact our legislators NOW and let them know we want it to get out of committee and to a VOTE by the whole legislative body . .I will not bore you with all the NASTY details but it is VITAL that we contact our legislators(George and Kevin have give you their e mail lists) both via phone and via computer NOW . . this is BILL DERVES a VOTE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION !!!! Thanks . . Rob Bartell
Ways and Means (plus see below for Ways and Means Education subcommittee
emails)
Co-Chair Sen Kurt Schrader - Sen.KurtSchrader@state.or.us
Co-Chair Rep Mary Nolan - Rep.MaryNolan@state.or.us
Vice Chair Sen Margaret Carter - Sen.MargaretCarter@state.or.us
Vice Chair Rep Nancy Nathanson - Rep.NancyNathanson@state.or.us
Sen Alan Bates - Sen.AlanBates@state.or.us
Sen Avel Gordly - Sen.AvelGordly@state.or.us
Sen Betsy Johnson - Sen.BetsyJohnson@state.or.us
Sen David Nelson - Sen.DavidNelson@state.or.us
Sen Joanne Verger - Sen.JoanneVerger@state.or.us
Sen Ben Westlund - Sen.BenWestlund@state.or.us
Sen Doug Whitsett - Sen.DougWhitsett@state.or.us
Sen Jackie Winters - Sen.JackieWinters@state.or.us
Rep Bill Garrard - Rep.BillGarrard@state.or.us
Rep Bruce Hanna - Rep.BruceHanna@state.or.us
Rep Chip Shields - _Rep.ChipShields@state.or.us_
(mailto:Rep.ChipShields@state.or.us)
Ways and Means Education Subcommittee Members:
Rep Larry Galizio - Rep.LarryGalizio@state.or.us
Sen Richard Devlin - Sen.RichardDevlin@state.or.us
Sen Ryan Deckert - Sen.RyanDeckert@state.or.us
Sen Frank Morse - Sen.FrankMorse@state.or.us
Sen Bruce Starr - Sen.BruceStarr@state.or.us
Sen Vicki Walker - Sen.VickiWalker@state.or.us
Rep Phil Barnhart - Rep.PhilBarnhart@state.or.us
Rep David Edwards - Rep.DavidEdwards@state.or.us
Rep Bob Jenson - Rep.BobJenson@state.or.us
Rep Susan Morgan - Rep.SusanMorgan@state.or.us
SUSAN CASTILLO
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Public Service Building, 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97310
Phone (503) 947-5600 • Fax (503) 378-5156 • www.ode.state.or.us
Every Student, Every Day—A Success
April 2, 2007
Dear State Schools Study Workgroup:
An idea has been proposed to institute a two-year study with a view to making the Oregon School for the Blind and Oregon School for the Deaf into a new state agency.
Notwithstanding governance problems and the creation of barriers in the continuum of services for special education, this proposal creates very immediate and real day-to-day operating problems that need to be considered.
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is in the middle of recruiting for a new Director for the School for the Deaf. Advocates have noted difficulty in locating qualified candidates. The difficulty of hiring a qualified candidate is multiplied by adding the unpredictability of who that person would be working for.
ODE has expended considerable resources, as have numerous volunteers, partners, and stakeholders in a good faith effort to respond to last session’s budget note regarding potential cost efficiencies of consolidating some of the services provided by the schools and possibly by relocating campuses. That effort itself has created considerable disruption at the schools.
During an additional 24-month study it is difficult to imagine local referring agencies confidently sending students to a program that is perceived to be in a holding pattern. It will be challenging for staff at the schools to be innovative and proactive in improving programs and services to students while trying to guess the direction of a new state agency.
If the Legislature is intent on forming a new state agency for the schools, the best course of action would be to do so immediately, this session. The new agency could get on with the business of making necessary changes at the schools and ODE will work with you to make this happen rather than leave everyone concerned in limbo for two more years.
Every Student, Every Day—A Success
Beyond those current considerations, I’d note in general that placing these schools, two components out of dozens of resources for students who are deaf and hard of hearing and blind and visually impaired, into that new agency is a step backward and a disservice to those students and their families.
ODE is presently crafting an improved system that more fully aligns statewide services for these students. Separating the schools from that service infrastructure actually isolates, “silos†the services and establishes a new barrier that serves no particular educational purpose. Beyond management concerns, I worry that given national trends and Oregon’s own history of decreasing enrollment at the schools, losing 24 months hastens the day when the schools will simply close in favor of local dynamic programs for these students that have used their time to build viable programs.
I can support two new advisory boards that have appeal authority as long as we have resources to staff those boards. I can not support two more years of study and uncertainty. I urge us to use our time to make these two schools as strong and sustainable as they can be and setting the standard for others to follow in the future.
Sincerely,
Susan Castillo
Superintendent of Public Instruction