Dear Dr. XXXXX, Dr. XXXXX,
and Dr. XXXXX,
The purpose of this letter is to express my frustrations
of being enrolled in a program that does not meet my needs as a current teacher
of the Deaf, and the lack of response to my professional and personal concerns.
I look forward to finishing this program in June and I’m distressed by the fact
that my experience so far is not what I was promised when I started the
program.
I am currently a classroom teacher at a bilingual school
for the Deaf. When I was hired, I was expected to obtain an Educational
Specialist - D/HH credential. I needed to be educated on best practices in
bilingualism so that I could excel in my job. After looking for the best
teacher preparation program, reviewing the National University catalog, and
meeting with the program director, XXXXX, I felt I found the perfect
program at National University because of its ASL-English bilingual emphasis.
I
looked forward to participating in a renowned program where Deaf people are viewed
as capable, whole individuals. Most Deaf education programs present Deaf
children as deficient and in need of rehabilitation and intervention. I
personally was subjected to this deficit model while growing up and had no
desire to put myself in this kind of atmosphere. National University promised a
progressive learning environment based on cultural and social model of deafness
through its catalog, program description, and my meetings with XXXXX. Consequently, I made a
significant investment to pursue this opportunity.
I
was taken aback when I learned about the drastic changes in the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing program. To my dismay, the new catalog provides a completely
different program than the one I was given when I started the program. More specifically, the philosophy of this
program no longer focuses on ASL-English bilingualism, and has shifted to
traditional approaches of educating Deaf children. Instead of providing me with
the state of the art pedagogical practices, I’ve been subjected to the traditional,
pathological view of how Deaf children should be taught. In fact, during my
first D/HH course, I was stunned when the emphasis was on the devastating
effects of being “hearing-impaired” (which is an outdated term) rather than the
best practices of educating Deaf children in a positive and nurturing way. I
have been distressed by an environment that is hostile to the wellbeing of
myself as a Deaf person, and all Deaf children in the State of California. This
is the opposite of what I had aspired for in my graduate program and my
life-long career. This is not what I signed up for.
Since
last October, I have been requesting clarification and meetings to discuss the
ramifications of this shift for my education at National University. To date, I have not gotten any clear answers as
to how National University will address my needs as a bilingual educator and a
Deaf person. As an example, I am including the correspondence that I have had
with XXXXX, my academic advisor and subsequently the Department chair,
Dr. XXXXX. What you will see is a pattern of delay and stalling that
have compounded my feelings of frustration and dismay. With such a dramatic
shift in the course catalog and syllabi, I expected to obtain clear and prompt
communication from everyone involved in my program. Unfortunately, this did not
happen, and consequently, I am pushed into a program that does not meet my
needs. I am asking for your timely intervention before I take my second D/HH
course in March.
Thank
you for your attention to this matter,
Leala Holcomb
021837304
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