DBC Conference Updates

Kathy Say and Veronica Kozlowski are only Deaf Arizonians who went to DBC Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last weekend, June 27th to 30th. DBC conference was very successful! They had a wonderful time there. They will bring resources to Arizona.

DBC's motto is "Let all Deaf children sign!" Here are several links about DBC Conferences.

DBC Conference Vlog#4: SATURDAY RALLY! (Also see Vlog #1 to #3)
http://www.deafread.com//go/45728

DBC Slideshow:
http://www.deafread.com/go/45726

David Kerr's Vlog about His Wonderful Experience at DBC Conference
http://www.deafread.com/go/45656

Patti Durr's excellent editorial - a must read!
http://www.deafread.com//go/45727

Marlon Kuntze's Address by Brian Riley
http://www.deafread.com//go/45729

John Egbert, the founder of DBC and David Reynolds will give workshop at NAD Convention.
http://www.deafread.com/go/45662

Mark Drolsbaugh's Blog about DBC Advocacy
http://www.deafread.com/go/45653

PDSD Update – May 30th, 2008

Reminder: June 9^th – ASDB Board Meeting

PDSD’s Mission and Vision Statements – Ultimate Fail?
State Laws Regarding ASDB – Need for Change
May 27^th Meeting Addendum – Assistant Principal Position

Reminder: June 9^th – ASDB Board Meeting
The ASDB Board will be having its monthly meeting on Monday, June 9^th at 4 pm at PDSD.

We strongly encourage everyone to show up and express their support for change at PDSD as well as showing the Board that we appreciate the administration’s proposed action plans and expect to see them implemented as rapidly as possible.

PDSD’s Mission and Vision Statements – Ultimate Fail?

A subscriber to the PDSD Update list was kind enough to provide PDSD’s Mission and Vision Statement. We will leave it to you to decide if PDSD has been following its Vision and Mission.

“VISION: ASDB, preparing for tomorrow... today.

MISSION: We are committed to excellence in education of all children and youth with hearing or vision loss throughout Arizona.

We are commited to partnerships with families, school districts, communities, and others that will enable children and youth with hearing or vision loss to succeed now and in the future.

We are committed to the respect, support, and well-being of each employee.”

http://www.asdb.state.az.us/pdsd/vision_mission.html

If any of you feel that PDSD has not been complying with its own Vision and Mission statements, you are more than welcome to explain to Principal Knudson why PDSD has not been following its vision and mission. More importantly, you need to propose SOLUTIONS as well. Complaining isn’t enough, tell the principal what you want to change at PDSD!

Principal Knudson’s email: BKnudson@ASDB.STATE.AZ.US

State Laws Regarding ASDB – Need for Change
These are selected laws regarding ASDB/PDSD. Can you guess what is missing?

15-1302. Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind; provision of services

A. There shall be Arizona state schools for the deaf and the blind which provide schools and regional programs in appropriate locations in this state.

B. The schools shall be for the education of sensory impaired persons, so that the persons educated there may become self-sustaining and useful citizens.

C. The schools shall be fully recognized as institutions for educational purposes.

D. The schools shall be optional resources to school districts, state institutions and other approved educational programs. Resource services shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Assessments.

2. Special curriculum.

3. Equipment and materials.

4. Supplemental related services.

5. Special short-term programs.

6. Program planning and staff development.

7. Information services for parents, families and the public.

8. Research and development to promote improved educational programs and services.

E. The services prescribed in subsection D shall not duplicate existing services and shall include a variety of methodology as may be requested by the school districts, state institutions and other approved educational programs, including but not limited to oral, auditory, total communication and cued speech.

15-1341. Instruction of pupils

A. The board of directors shall see that all persons admitted to the school are taught and trained by methods which are to their best interests.

B. The board shall ensure the careful supervision of the care, education and development of pupils to insure that the best care and education known to modern science is given, as nearly as is practicable, and that the best methods of teaching the sensory impaired are used in the school.

C. The board shall give special attention to the methods of care, education and development of the persons admitted, with particular consideration of the humanitarian aspects of their education.

D. The board, if advisable in particular cases, may allow pupils to remain at the school during the entire year.

If you answered “Where’s the ASL?!” then you’re correct.

Surprisingly, not ONCE is ASL or “sign language” mentioned in state law regarding ASDB/PDSD!

The proposed parent/teacher/staff/student organization will be forming soon and we will be developing a legislative action group to change these embarrassing laws!

May 27^th Meeting Addendum – Assistant Principal Position

One glaring oversight in the summary about the May 27^th Meeting was that the administrators stated their intent to have an assistant principal position at PDSD and, more importantly, it was their expectation that the position will be filled by a qualified DEAF person.

Some hearing staff have already said that the administration’s plan to hire a deaf person as assistant principal is “reverse discrimination” against hearing people.

Huh?!

In any case, two candidates have been interviewed today, May 30^th, at PDSD for the Assistant Principal position.

Fingers crossed!

We are still waiting for Asst. Supt. Hill to send us the PowerPoint presentation used at the May 27^th meeting. Despite a phone message being left with him earlier today, we still have not received a copy.)

Posted by Rob Voreck

PDSD Rally - May 22, 2008

A rally in support of our Deaf staff and students will be held on the last day of the school year, Thursday, May 22^nd, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Bring poster boards, signs, or banners with whatever slogans/sayings/quotes you like. We do ask that you not use any vulgar or foul language or single out any one PDSD personnel with your signs.

Quotes along the lines of “ASL #1” or “Deaf Staff = Role Models for our kids” “Bilingual Education Works, Why not use it?” or “No More Audism” “We love our deaf staff and students!” “New Building = A New Beginning or the Same Old Attitude?” are examples of what are acceptable.

Additional poster board and markers will be made available.

Please remember, this is a show of support for deaf staff and students while acknowledging the circumstances that they work and learn under.

The rally will not take place on the campus itself but rather on a sidewalk adjacent to PDSD.

Do not walk onto the PDSD campus once you begin actively participating in the rally as the administration or offended audists may consider this to be trespassing and ask for you to be arrested and/or cited.

Please do not park your vehicle on campus even if you have children on campus or if you work on campus if you wish to stand beside us.

Families, friends, and supporters of change at PDSD are welcome to attend and bring their rally signs and banners.

If you have students on campus, they are certainly more than welcome to join the rally but please ensure that they have been checked out of the front office prior to your joining us at the rally

Bring water and sunscreen as needed.

Local media, including all major television networks and newspapers, have been contacted as well as the Phoenix Police Department to ensure a smooth event.

Posted by Rob Voreck

DBC Conference - June 27-30, 2008!!

Deaf Bilingual Coalition will host very first conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 27-30, 2008! Check for more details about registration (Yes, it's FREE!). Hope you can go there!

http://www.deafbilingualcoalition.com

News from DBC of CA!

DBC California Update at the Rally in AG Bell State Conference

To obtain more information about the background of the DBC California, please check out their blog.

DBC CA Report #1
At the hotel, it appears that there is way more police appearance than Arlington, VA- there you can see this humongous police RV.

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DBC CA report #2
Wow- one AGB convention attendee just flipped us off, and the police went into the convention and yelled the woman out, saying it was unacceptable.

Luckily Kristen Weiner already met w/ the hotel mgr and all the police this morning and they were very appreciative of our cooperation. We are standing on the grass in front of the hotel very good location.
Media is coming later today. :)

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DBC CA Report #3
The AGB Keynote speaker, Josh Swiller, just finished and came out and joined us! Guess what? There are more of us than the AGB convention attendees!! (They have abt only 40!). Josh then spoke w/ us!!! He was genial, humorous, etc.!! We all have him hand waves, etc. Now ppl are speaking- and Dr. Klopping is explaining Sweden etc. Cat Cassidy, Beth Ticehurst, and Adam Lovelace- DBC CA's representatives in the AGB convention, are sharing their experiences this morning. They say Josh's keynote was great and mostly about his African experiences, however, the Q+A was solidly about his CI, etc. So far so good. There are about 80-90 of us here for DBC at this moment! And- AGB's conv is on the 2nd floor overseeing us...we are on the grass and AGB kept opening and shutting the drapes on us. We are very visible to 'em and they kept checking us out but slamming the drapes often.

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DBC CA Report #4
It is lunch now and just before lunch, one of the AGB panelists, a Deaf audiologist in her late 20s/early 30s came out w/ another CI Deaf and chatted w/ us. She even presented to us- and AGB opened the drapes to spy on her. Anyway, she was pleasant and signed a bit and told us she tells families to use ASL in her job etc... We invited her to our suite party tonight and she enthusiastically said YES, YES! Then Tom Holcomb proposed that we mingle w/ AGB in the hotel restaurant and now we are mingling. Many of AGB CA ppl do sign. And before lunch, one of DBC CA's reps, Adam Lovelace, spoke w/ us and thanked DBC for asking him to rep us. He is oral, and just learned ASL 2 mos ago thru Kristen Weiner. Adam told us that he is a poster child for AGB- college degree, no ASL, owns a restaurant, etc- but when he met Kristen, and learned ASL felt his life is more complete now. Wow!! More at 1 PM- ppl are really mingling in the restaurant now. Connectedness, connectedness!

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DBC CA report #5

After lunch, all 90-100 of us took a group picture. Weather's perfectly sunny. Beth Ticehurst, one of DBC reps in AGB reported that the AGB conv is now talking abt auditory tech stuff, very routine. Then AGB Keynoter Josh Swiller re-joined us and brought along another oral Deaf (w/ CIs), Michael Chorust (sp?), author of "Rebuilt" something to talk w/ us. Now others are talking to the group and soon yoga activities will begin. Its 2:15 now and the AGB conv is still in swing, but more and more of AGB attendees are coming out to join us ha. More drapes are opened now- either they're peering at us or have given up . Really mind-blowing to have around 100 of us as compared to 40 of 'em- and its a STATE convention!

Report #5- ADDENDUM!!

Michael Chorst just declared to us this, "I have learned more since my book...some of the things I wrote in my book,... My opinions have changed." He said he applied for a fellowship to Gallaudet University for ASL training! In closing, he said, "15 years from now, its unknown- but we need to work together." We are making in-roads!!!

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DBC CA report #6

Its now 3:20 PST and more people are here. Children's activities- so cute! Someone donated her/his car for the kids to PAINT on- yessss, paint the car!! There are a lot of cute slogans on the car, and the kids are happily painting away.

Sandra Ammons, Don Grushkin, Ella Mae Lentz, Judy Gough, Roberta Daniels, Eugene LaCosse, Nan Zhou (represting Bay Area Deaf Asians), Ralph Singleton (representing CAD Bay Area), Hank Klopping, etc. spoke eloquently.

Also, the DBC CA committee was introduced to everybody- Kristen Weiner, Tara Holcomb, Brian Morrison, Liann Osborbe, Justin & Jonathan Reynolds, Jenny Cantrell, & Sean Hauschildt. All cheered 'em on.

Then we returned to the sidewalk and held out many signs- beautifffull and all photographed. We also were videotaped during our chant, etc. Will post photos & vlogs sometime soon.

T-shirts are selling like HOT wow..

AGB convention is winding down in about an hour and we'll be seeing them as we plan to invite as many of 'em to dinner w/ us.

More to come.

DBC of AZ Meeting - Friday, March 14th

Welcome to Deaf Bilingual Coalition of AZ. This Friday, March 14th is our regular second Friday of every month but it's different location due to DPHH's hosting. Deaf Nation Expo will be held on Sat, March 15th so DPHH will host at Coach & Willie's, 412 South 3rd St., Phoenix on Friday, March 14th from 4pm to 7pm (half price). DBC of AZ meeting will be held there too. The meeting will be short, up to one hour becuz many people will be there. It may be distracted but they are more welcome than joining us. See you there.