You might have seen my name last week in The Gazette. I didn’t feel like they captured the heart of my message. Today, I want to take back my words. I will sign my letter to the Board of Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Dear Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees,
Thank you for taking the time to incorporate my comment prior to making an important decision for CSDB. Your decision will have an impact on the educational outcomes for the children at CSDB. I stand before you today as a doctoral student in the UCCS educational leadership, research, and policy with over 12 years of research experience in culture, language, cognitive outcomes, and mentoring. I urge you to through research to consider the implications of your decisions and abandon your biases when making your vote for the next Superintendent for CSDB.
Research has indicated that categorical inequality occurs internally and externally through sorting students into categories, which in turn generates and reinforces social inequality. CSDB has been doing this for 150 years starting with its name- Colorado School for the DEAF and BLIND. The establish of two different schools on one campus, both serving different populations. By perpetuating this archaic system, we are doing our students an injustice. Our students are failing and graduating without the ability to read or do math. Here I stand before you arguing to abandon these categories of deaf and blind/visual impaired. Instead, I ask you see the evidence in candidates that will be able to lead CSDB into the future of–in need of significant improvement.
This Superintendent will have the duty to work with the board of trustees to develop a Superintendent evaluation plan, overhaul the curriculum and budget at CSDB, and strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for all staff at CSDB. The 2019 external evaluation reported CSDB board has a longstanding history of over-reliance on the superintendent and in turn the school has been heavily run with little to no oversight. We now see the consequences of this oversight as our children are failing. We have a duty to uphold by ensuring these children the best educational access and outcomes so that they may access higher education and reach their full potential. Every child that enters CSDB is unique, let’s start by treating them as whole and stop categorizing these students and making decisions based on categories. Equality starts with all of us and that leaves no room for bias. I trust the board will make a decision for ALL students at CSDB increasing their chance of reaching their true potential.
Thank you for your time.
Reference: Domina, Penner, & Penner, 2017. Categorical Inequality: Schools as Sorting Machines