Update On MSD Protest
Students Protest Conditions at School for Deaf
Deaf School Protest
By Bert Case
bert@wlbt.netAbout 20 students at the Mississippi School For The Deaf, staged an unauthorized protest Tuesday. They are upset that some of their instructors are not fully proficient in sign language and have other issues. Dr. Hank Bounds, State Superintendent of Education, told WLBT news we were “totally out of line” trying to talk to the students on campus.Â
The Superintendent of the School for the Deaf, Dr. Delores Mack Smith, invited us into a conference room in the main building and told us if we were allowed to talk to students it would be there. Dr. Daphne Buckley, Asst. Superintendent for Special Schools, told us we couldn’t talk to students because their personnel records did not have a statement from their parents that it was all right to talk to the media. We were never given an answer about whether she knew about the charges that teachers were not proficient at sign language.Â
The students finally came out and protested for a few minutes, then went back inside when they were told through WLBT’s sign language interpreter that they would be in violation of the student handbook if they continued to protest.
Dr. Bounds said late Tuesday that there are indeed teachers at the school who are not proficient at signing, but he said the problem is limited to the School for the Deaf. He says the whole state is dealing with an overall shortage of certified teachers.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5740834&nav=menu119_2
What Can You Do?
Please check out this website and consider writing a letter of support
in favor of the students. We are currently trying to find out more
information prior to “jumping in.”
Watch the video on the website below to get a feel for some of the
things that students are experiencing:
Students Protest Conditions at School for Deaf
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?s=5740834
Some information from the school’s website (selected tidbits)
90.95% of MSD’s funding is from the State of Mississippi through
appropriations made by the state legislative body.
2005-2006 Stats show that 76.4% of the students enrolled at MSD are
African American. Only 32% of teachers/administrators are African
American.
Only 16% of the teachers/administrators are Deaf or Hard of
hearing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The website barely mentions ASL at all– in fact, the mission statement
and vision statement make no mention of ASL. If you go on to read other
areas, you’ll be hard pressed to find any mention of ASL.
Mississippi State Department of Education:
Central High School
359 North West Street
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: (601) 359-3513
Fax: (601) 359-3242
Email: cblanton@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/
The Supt (Hank Bounds) looks like a nice young man– may be receptive to
a letter…? (Picture on website… but who knows? Looks are often
deceiving…
Dr. Daphne Buckley is the assistant supt for quality professionals and
special schools. Her fax number is (601) 359-1728. Still looking for an
email address…She oversees the supt of Mississippi School for the
Deaf- Dr. DeLores Mack (dmack@mde.k12.us).
About DeLores Mack: (From Deaf Professional Network…)
Delores Mack Appointed as New Mississippi School for the Deaf
Superintendent (Jackson, Mississippi - April 17, 2005)
In a groundbreaking move, the State Board of Education of Mississippi
selected Delores Mack to serve as the superintendent of the Mississippi
School for the Deaf. She is the institution?s first African-American
female to serve in this capacity.
The principal is Pamela Harvey (pharvey@mde.k12.us) and the director of
curriculum is Kim Baggett (kbaggett@mde.k12.us)
Alison
reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
e mail contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Students Protest Conditions at School for Deaf
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By Bert Case
bert@wlbt.netAbout 20 students at the Mississippi School For The Deaf, staged an unauthorized protest Tuesday. They are upset that some of their instructors are not fully proficient in sign language and have other issues. Dr. Hank Bounds, State Superintendent of Education, told WLBT news we were “totally out of line” trying to talk to the students on campus.Â
The Superintendent of the School for the Deaf, Dr. Delores Mack Smith, invited us into a conference room in the main building and told us if we were allowed to talk to students it would be there. Dr. Daphne Buckley, Asst. Superintendent for Special Schools, told us we couldn’t talk to students because their personnel records did not have a statement from their parents that it was all right to talk to the media. We were never given an answer about whether she knew about the charges that teachers were not proficient at sign language.Â
The students finally came out and protested for a few minutes, then went back inside when they were told through WLBT’s sign language interpreter that they would be in violation of the student handbook if they continued to protest.
Dr. Bounds said late Tuesday that there are indeed teachers at the school who are not proficient at signing, but he said the problem is limited to the School for the Deaf. He says the whole state is dealing with an overall shortage of certified teachers.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5740834&nav=menu119_2
What Can You Do?
Please check out this website and consider writing a letter of support
in favor of the students. We are currently trying to find out more
information prior to “jumping in.”
Watch the video on the website below to get a feel for some of the
things that students are experiencing:
Students Protest Conditions at School for Deaf
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?s=5740834
Some information from the school’s website (selected tidbits)
90.95% of MSD’s funding is from the State of Mississippi through
appropriations made by the state legislative body.
2005-2006 Stats show that 76.4% of the students enrolled at MSD are
African American. Only 32% of teachers/administrators are African
American.
Only 16% of the teachers/administrators are Deaf or Hard of
hearing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The website barely mentions ASL at all– in fact, the mission statement
and vision statement make no mention of ASL. If you go on to read other
areas, you’ll be hard pressed to find any mention of ASL.
Mississippi State Department of Education:
Central High School
359 North West Street
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205
Phone: (601) 359-3513
Fax: (601) 359-3242
Email: cblanton@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/
The Supt (Hank Bounds) looks like a nice young man– may be receptive to
a letter…? (Picture on website… but who knows? Looks are often
deceiving…
Dr. Daphne Buckley is the assistant supt for quality professionals and
special schools. Her fax number is (601) 359-1728. Still looking for an
email address…She oversees the supt of Mississippi School for the
Deaf- Dr. DeLores Mack (dmack@mde.k12.us).
About DeLores Mack: (From Deaf Professional Network…)
Delores Mack Appointed as New Mississippi School for the Deaf
Superintendent (Jackson, Mississippi - April 17, 2005)
In a groundbreaking move, the State Board of Education of Mississippi
selected Delores Mack to serve as the superintendent of the Mississippi
School for the Deaf. She is the institution?s first African-American
female to serve in this capacity.
The principal is Pamela Harvey (pharvey@mde.k12.us) and the director of
curriculum is Kim Baggett (kbaggett@mde.k12.us)
Alison
reprinted with permission by the listserv moderator
e mail contact: mishkazena@aol.com
November 30th, 2006 at 1:25 am
Daphne and Shelton Buckley are in the public telephone directory:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=RNWE%2CRNWE%3A2004-44%2CRNWE%3Aen&q=%28228%29+863-7100+++&btnG=Search
November 30th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
If you check out Elementary Department website there is mentions of ASL very clearly