MS FSSA Reports On MSD Protest
Hey
This is Ray Freeman, Gallaudet University alumni ’01 and Mississippi School for the Deaf alumni as well. As you know the MSD protest was taken at the Mississippi School for the Deaf yesterday after lunch time, the protest lasted about 30 minutes. The students were told that they would be in violation of the student handbook if they continued to protest.
The students have been very upset that some of their teachers are not fully proficient in sign language. That was the reason they decided to protest to wake up the MSD administration. The latest result since the protest is that Mississippi Dept of Education put the MSD Superintendent, Dr. Delores Mack Smith and Ms Harvey, HS Principal on administration leave for an investigation. The Superintendent of the School for the Blind is now taking up and operates the MSD.
One of MSD alumni stated in his email to me and some others that
“One troubling encounter a student had with one of the new teachers was told to me by a witness. As it was explained to me, one of the new teachers told a student that she was not in the mood to talk with the student because she didn’t want to use sign language.
How can a teacher, who supposed to be a professional, demean a student in this way, deeming the student as unimportant enough to even talk to? Not only does this devalue the student, but it also devalues American Sign Language, the language of the student. M.S.D. students need, as a minimum, teachers with deaf education degrees and sign language skills so they can get an education and lead successful lives in our world.”
So, that’s all I know of for now and I will share with you later if I hear anything more.
~Ray Freeman
Commentary: Thanks, Ray, for updating us. I can understand the frustrations of the students with their teachers not proficient in sign language. Why would that new teacher apply for a job at a school for the deaf if she isn’t motivated to use sign language to communicate with her students? Her reaction wasn’t appropriate nor professional. I am glad to see that the state officials listened to the students and launched an immediate investigation instead of letting the school bury the issues. Elizabeth
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Hey
This is Ray Freeman, Gallaudet University alumni ’01 and Mississippi School for the Deaf alumni as well. As you know the MSD protest was taken at the Mississippi School for the Deaf yesterday after lunch time, the protest lasted about 30 minutes. The students were told that they would be in violation of the student handbook if they continued to protest.
The students have been very upset that some of their teachers are not fully proficient in sign language. That was the reason they decided to protest to wake up the MSD administration. The latest result since the protest is that Mississippi Dept of Education put the MSD Superintendent, Dr. Delores Mack Smith and Ms Harvey, HS Principal on administration leave for an investigation. The Superintendent of the School for the Blind is now taking up and operates the MSD.
One of MSD alumni stated in his email to me and some others that
“One troubling encounter a student had with one of the new teachers was told to me by a witness. As it was explained to me, one of the new teachers told a student that she was not in the mood to talk with the student because she didn’t want to use sign language.
How can a teacher, who supposed to be a professional, demean a student in this way, deeming the student as unimportant enough to even talk to? Not only does this devalue the student, but it also devalues American Sign Language, the language of the student. M.S.D. students need, as a minimum, teachers with deaf education degrees and sign language skills so they can get an education and lead successful lives in our world.”
So, that’s all I know of for now and I will share with you later if I hear anything more.
~Ray Freeman
Commentary: Thanks, Ray, for updating us. I can understand the frustrations of the students with their teachers not proficient in sign language. Why would that new teacher apply for a job at a school for the deaf if she isn’t motivated to use sign language to communicate with her students? Her reaction wasn’t appropriate nor professional. I am glad to see that the state officials listened to the students and launched an immediate investigation instead of letting the school bury the issues. Elizabeth
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
December 3rd, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Elizabeth,
To answer your question about why the teacher would apply at MSD…She was recruited by the principal and told she did not have to have sign language skills upon hire. Which went against the policy in the handbook, which requires all staff to sign at all times on campus. The prinicpal’s motivation was to hire more african american teachers regardless of credentials. Many of them were recruited and hird from her church congregation as she feels it is God who has deemed her the one to help her church members with regards to a job. For the record, many people at the school feel there should be a balance in the ratio of the race with regards to the teachers. One serious issue is that the one deaf education program in the state is enrolled by mostly white students majoring in deaf education. And with the lack of recruiting out of state by MDE for qualified deaf ed. teachers, this leaves most of the candidates applying for teaching jobs being the students from the one program in the state to offer deaf ed. Basically, this teacher would have never been hired by someone with any understanding of deaf ed. or sensitivty to deaf culture, or ASL!!!!! Yes the teacher was in the wrong for applying, but the ball falls directly in the court of the former principal and the superintendent who allowed the hiring of this teacher. MDE trusted the administrators to do the appropriate thing for the students and their education. Afterall, that is what they were charged to do and paid to do!