Submission 1
| REQUEST TO ADDRESS BOARD | |
| Select One | |
| Non-Agenda Item | |
| Name | |
| Alexah sloan | |
| Date | |
| 05/03/2022 | |
| Subject | |
| School | |
| Comments | |
| I am concerned about my deaf daughter’s future. I will not take her to oral school because it embraces our language ASL! This should be change and keep our language ag ASDB! What does ASDB school for? ASL? Access? Our culture? Our history? If you change it to orally school and you guy are big betrayal to us who’s deaf parent. Now I am super worried. I am worried about my DAUGHTER’s education. Where is her opportunity to have good education and ASL access |
Submission 2
| REQUEST TO ADDRESS BOARD | |
| Select One | |
| Non-Agenda Item | |
| Name | |
| Leslie Janda-Decker | |
| Date | |
| 05/04/2022 | |
| Subject | |
| Assistant supt and k-12 principal hiring | |
| Comments | |
| It s time to hire them who are Deaf or hard of hearing people to cover these positions. So tired to see others in the past knew nothing about ASL and Deaf community. Even in years they had been working at asdb and know a very little ASL. Obviously they worked there for money. They know what is the best for deaf children and their education. The language deprivation from deaf children have to be stopped. Motivate them acquire the beautiful language where they can get the good education. The hirings for these positions would show compassion, empathy and know the best of interests for the deaf children. These positions should be showing their faces more often instead of staying in their offices. Often staff and faculties don’t see them very much especially in events in past. Hiring Deaf and HH for these positions and they will make sure the communication would be accessibility for everyone even students. |
Submission 3
| REQUEST TO ADDRESS BOARD | |
| Select One | |
| Non-Agenda Item | |
| Name | |
| Samantha Moore | |
| Date | |
| 05/04/2022 | |
| Subject | |
| Desert Voices | |
| Comments | |
| Growing up in ASDB, I did not attend speech on campus. The campus was the ONLY place where I could use my special hands, and my eyes. The only place. I used my ears and mouth at home, outside of campus, around my family, at work, and all else where. Currently Desert Voices is taking away that opportunity and taking away student’s belonging to the Deaf school. My parents were responsible of me, they took me to speech therapy outside of campus, worked on my speech at home, but not at school. I am requesting that ASDB releases Desert Voices from ASDB’s contract. This is language deprivation, taking away the student’s ability to acquire language and educating on campus. I did not have language until I entered ASDB, this is where I learned sign language and where I picked up my education, through ASL. I am not encouraging to remove how to communicate, that is up to the students to decide(I encourage parents to support their decisions). However, pushing speech therapy in Deaf school sounds very wrong, and it is wrong. If you look at other Deaf schools, Riverside, Fremont, Texas, Maryland, Indiana, and other big schools. They have high number of Deaf students, why? ASL!! |
Submission 4
| REQUEST TO ADDRESS BOARD | |
| Name | |
| Elizabeth Brauss | |
| Date | |
| 05/04/2022 | |
| Subject | |
| Agenda Item 7.02 and 7.03 | |
| Comments | |
| Superintendent Reichman and the Board, At the November 2021 board meeting there were many comments raised addressing the culture of intimidation, the chain of command, and concerns about services for our students.…comments and concerns that have gone unaddressed by leadership to teachers and staff. During the March 2022 board meeting, formal complaints and grievances were discussed. The previous suggestion of reporting to the state Ombudsperson was also discussed and revealed that it is not a viable option for ASDB staff when dealing with issues and concerns within the agency. It was pointed out that staff go through beginning of the year trainings to identify how to file formal complaints and grievances. A training that also includes information about consulting an Ombudsperson. Not all points of concern rise to the level of formal complaint or grievance. I have had a personal experience with the chain of command dismissing my questions. Questions that remain unanswered. I have personally had a concern over a situation with leadership in 2020 where I was unsure of what to do, so I sought the support of our then Ombudsperson, Karin Grandon. After I found out that the Ombudsperson position was vacant, I didn’t pursue the concern any further because of fear and lack of support. Having felt dismissed from the internal process and my understanding of the formal complaint and grievance policies, I took my concerns to a public comment at the board meeting in November 2021. Finally, I have said this in a previous board comment, but after listening to numerous board meetings this year, I feel compelled to say it again. To suggest that the concerns have come from a place of resisting change is insulting and feels like I am being gaslit. Change can be embraced when it is centered in equity and made with true transparency and collaboration, especially when it positively impacts our students. It is my hope that you, the board and Superintendent Reichman, reflect on the concerns that have been raised. Why might they have been raised? Why might they have come from a specific region? Why have people decided to go the route of the public board comment? I also hope that the position of Ombudsperson is filled to ensure that the concerns and comments of the entire ASDB community are considered, not just those at the very top. Thank you. Elizabeth Brauss Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Region 2/DVR |