From: 11telliott@gallua.gallaudet.edu (Zarathustra)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.deaf-l
Subject: Re:      Delivery Problem
Date: 30 Aug 92 07:17:07 GMT
Organization: Gallaudet University

Thank you, Bryce, for including Miss. Brandt's original message. Onward, then:
(With a wee bit of thanks to Roy for solving this 'delivery bit' problem. ;)

> Todd,
> 
> I certainly won't attack you personally or make judgments about what or how
> much you know.  But, I don't think it is fair to assess my ability to "educate
> deaf children based on a term that many deaf people accept and use.  Before you
> make a claim about what I know about "educating deaf children" I'd like for you
> to meet those children, their parents, deaf adults who are familiar with my
> teaching, my principal or my supervisor.  Better yet, COME AND VISIT MY CLASS.
> The people who know me personally and have witnessed my teaching can testify to
> the  kind of teacher I am, what the kids are learning and how they feel about
> themselves.  If after *those* experiences you decide I "know nothing" I will
> accept your decision.  Because *then* it will be an educated decision based on
> fact and not my use of one word.
Very true, then, in that assumption. My regrets that I am unable to visit
Lexington in the near future.

> Again, I would invite you to come and meet these children and observe them in
> the school environment.  We teach respect for all children regardless of the
> color of their skin, level of hearing or socio-economic condition.  We do not
> have a perfect school.  But, our children do not experience negative reations
> due to their level of hearing.  In fact many of the children in our school are
> learning sign language in order to communicate with the children.  It is a very
> positive environment.  Again, we are not perfect.  It is not utopia.  But there
> are no perfect schools or environments.  Personal strength, identity and char-
> acter is not built  in the midst of an easy life where everything is exactly
> how we would prefer it to be.  Character, identity and integrity come as one
> learns how to deal with all of the differences in the world.  *Everyone* must
> deal with people who do not understand or accept them.  This is real life.  We
> do children an injustice if we continually protect them from the world.  We
> must teach them how to develop their own qualities to be self-sufficient, prod-
> uctive members of society and to value their own abilities.  This is for *ALL*
> children  -  no matter color, physical attributes, economic background etc.
Ok, in the same vein, then you shouldn't term yourself, _Teacher of the Hearing
Impaired_, but rather simply, _Teacher of Young Children_.That is because ythe
school preach abilities, values, character, identity and other vital qualities
in each and every one of them to be productive members of society later in the
future, regardless of their socioeconomic background, race, religion, and
whether they are deaf or not.
Yes, no schools are perfect, and my deaf insititution is no exception. I do
realize that education is vital to overall progress of the current and future
generations, and we must focus our efforts in that arena, instead of bombs and
pork barrel projects. (Sorry- going off in a tangent here.) ;)

Miss Brandt, you still haven't answered my question:
How do you feel about educating those deaf kids, (I know, you generalized there
earlier.) and how did you decide that the hearing-impaired approach was the one
you would use in applying your education plan for those kids under your
tutelage? I am saying that it (terminology) is wrong, but I just wanted to know
your side, and how you felt about it, so I can understand, and maybe learn
something out of it.
Now, my personal opinion: I believe that mainstreaming is wrong, and the deaf
institutions are somewhat an imperfect solution to the problem of educating
today and tomorrow's deaf generations. (Why imperfect? As Miss Brandt pointed
out, no school is perfect; as is no educational approach.) This is where we
have to work on this. My ideal school system is that each major geographical
location would have a institution devoted exclusivly to educating deaf
children. This would promote the children's family values, as there will be no
dormitories, and would promote the children's sense of belonging, as achieved
by the all-deaf environment of the school. Applying this to my state, then
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area would have one, Melbourne would service several
East Coast counties, and Jacksonville would service the Northeast area,
Tallahassee would hold the middle north area of Florida, Pensacola would
educate those from the Northwest, Tampa would service the Middle West coast,
Naples the Southwest, and Orlando would service the middle part of Florida.
That comes up to say, 8 or 9 such schools.
There is a monkey wrench, of course: We still have to ensure that the quality
of education in those schools are up to par with America's educational
standards, instead of just grouping them together, and acting like a 'daycare'
center.

> Todd,
> You definitely stepped in something squishy when you said that Cathy's .
> sig line
> "Teacher of the Hearing Impaired"
> 
> "...does clearly show that this "Cathy Brandt" knows nothing about
> educating deaf children."
> 
> I have to ask why you put quotes around "Cathy Brandt" and used the
> adamant tone of saying that she knows "NOTHING" about educating
> deaf children unless you  were indeed engaged in making a personal attack
> on Cathy?
Oh, this is where problem comes in. The reason I used that it was not intended
to be personal. I only intended it for shock value, and I can see that it did
grab many people's attentions to a matter I want to discuss. Of course, I had
no idea who and what Miss Brandt is, and is certainly in no position to judge
her teaching ability. My only regret was that people focused on
idea who and what is Miss Brandt is, and in no position to make baseless
assumptions about her teaching ability. My regret was that people focused on
the personal attayck part, and not on the subject matter I wanted to have a
productive and informative discussion on. I was hoping for Miss. Brandt to
respond personall, and explain it to her, but I did never get her response.
:( At any rate, my sincere apologies on this matter, and looking forward to

Pax,
-- 

Todd Elliott
11TELLIOTT@GALLUJ (Bitnet)
11TELLIO@GALLUX.GALLAUDET.EDU (Internet)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU