Management by Intimidation at RSD
To the community of RSD who care about this deaf school.
The protest at Gallaudet University did open our eyes to our problem with RSD. There are so many blogs on the internet to discuss the deep problems they have with Gallaudet University. Many of us are paying attention to this news reporting by the deaf bloggers on the new site, www.deafread.com. The deaf community in the world is evolving and finally takes charge of their own fates. We easily agreed that we, the deaf community, have been oppressed and being ridiculed for a long time. We are also struggling to be accepted as the deaf person and our native language, ASL. We noticed the same pattern we are experienced at RSD. It is amazing that we have the same problem like Gallaudet University.
We were so frustrated and finally vented it on our RSDBLOG last spring. After reviewing the comments, we noticed that we have the problem with the administration. It is Management by Intimidation (MBI) and Apparatus of Oppression (AOP). You should know about this because we already discussed the problems we had with RSD at the town hall meetings last spring.
Recommend to read a professor Robert Johnson’s 17 pages letter.
Or
Watch ASL translation of Robert Johnson’s letter on Gallaudet crisis
16 Comments:
Gallaudet’s problems are the same as RSD’s. Please. Shortly and wisely forever the Feds will stop the massive taxpayer support of this so-called University only for tight-lipped ASL users, who walk straight across a graduation stage with a bogus Bachelor degree and immediately into the nearest SS Office looking for a monthly check.
GALLAUDET BREEDS DEPENDENCE AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE – WHY? Why indeed since the RIT students who are deaf seem to be doing so very well in their education and employment and they have ample room to use ASL or speech or whatever.
Gallaudet sucks.
Maybe I. King should’ve opted for a much shorter Presidential Honeymoon, like 17 years shorter, Leading his University instead of turning it over to idiots like JKF and the like who took the controls and flew Gally straight into the ground, while he flew around the country with his version of the now-moot DPN story.
RSD uses MBI, my ass. If any one is intimidating RSD it’s the Old RSD alums. They want RSD like they used to have it but they can’t because deaf and Deaf people are changing today and RSD must move with those trends because families demand it.
RSD alums can help if they are humble to their roots, understand that times change, respect families who are facing increasingly complex choices and decisions, and offer solutions because they faced tough choices also.
Taking a hard line will only eliminate One issue and in the d/Deaf world Issues are Plenty, so are the opportunities for dialogue and Solutions.
Think about it.
Anonymous:
To combat such issues raised in your post, I believe that leaders of ALL alumni associations of schools for the deaf across the nation should be convened for the purposes of educating, empowering, finding common goals, etc. before beginning to address these issues.
Pamela R. Conley
It's true Gallaudet breeds dependence.
They booted out possibly the only chance to continue their 10 year old tradition of partying and living off the taxpayer rolls.
I have yet to see an university that's technically been taken over by militants survive the funding question especially 3 BOT members were the schoo's only saddle to the federal pepeline. This was a clearly deaf verses deaf protest and the militants done taken over and only time will tell whether the school survives this wrath of the ASL militants.
Richard Roehm
Hey you keep on going everywhere chasing after every blog on the earth.
RSD folks, do not let him dupe you. He looks forward to having the new deaf order to imitate his deficit mind and identity problems. What more he is using you and many deaf people as a distractor from children, I dare to expose your past arrest if you Richard get lost!
I personally believe that school administrators, parents, board liasion members, & alumni should work together to help future generations of deaf children succeed. We all should not try to make accusations. Continuing to do so would only take away real opportunities for real changes in the existing systems found within ALL educational programs that are long overdue for a major overhaul.
Regardless of major strides made in the area of accessibility for deaf people in this country (Sec. 504, PL 94-142, ADA, NCLB, etc.), research continues to show that average deaf students graduate from school at the 4th grade level. Why!??? We MUST try to address this question as HONESTLY and CONSTRUCTIVELY as possible.
Unfortunately, MBI does exist at RSD. As a parent, I have had a couple of encounters with it myself. Additionally, I know quite a few people who work there. Though I don't know some of the RSD administrators personally, I've also heard stories that reek of MBI and audism. Why have I been told such stories? I suspect that individuals who share their stories are really frustrated about their work environment. Since no one knows more about these issues than they do, the RSD administrators REALLY NEED to help them. The atmosphere at RSD is tense. As a parent, I can sense it. I also observe that the RSD BOT is primarily composed of members whose interests in RSD are purely philanthropical. It is necessary for us to educate some of them what it really means to help RSD students obtain the best education possible. Further, only 6 or 7 out of roughly 20 members on the board are deaf. One does not need to figure out that these board members are minority in their views. Numbers speak for themselves. Two new members recently joined the board -- one of them is a hearing parent of a current RSD student with some experience in educational administration and the other one is a local deaf doctor.
Things are changing at an exceedingly slow pace at RSD. I guess this is called some progress! There is a town hall meeting hosted by the RSD BOD at RSD tomorrow night. Another sign of progress.
Pamela R. Conley
I recommend those who suffer MBI and oppression get together and get a lawyer to see what it can be done about it. You will need to organize well and band together, there will be a great chance to fight against MBI and audism.
What do you know about RSD? You don't even work there but I do so let me tell you a few things. You have no clue about what rsdsinking is trying to convey. It is not about resisting change due to technology that helps deaf children hear better, it is not about your claim about old alums wanting to hold on the ropes, it is about ATTITUDE, RESPECT and COMMUNICATION between administration and staff and students.
Ever since the school was founded, the Rochester (fingerspelling) method was used in the classroom along with spoken English. It later evolved to the use of sim com and it still exists today as practiced by 90% of the teachers. We all know very well that sim com is a "creole language" as it is not even a straight use of ASL nor English. Go figure why deaf people have fourth grade reading/writing level. Heck, the alumns did not even have the chance to experience ASL in the classroom. They did not even have the chance to experience "like they used to" as you said. As they discovered and mastered the use of ASL later on in life, they have every right to advocate for the deaf children of RSD knowing what is best for them and that ASL has a positive effect on their identity as a deaf individual.
Regardless of the enriched speech program at RSD today which is much more emphasized than the ASL program, we lost a good number of deaf students with cochlear implant to mainstreamed program before they enrolled in first grade. Then we lost another group of deaf children of deaf parents since the use of ASL instruction had lacked in the classroom that turned away deaf parents. RSD, in fact, made that change to accomodate deaf children who rely on technology to hear and what good is it? This is a no win-win situation.
We had an issue that the Board's role had been apathetic. They were not visibile and barely interacted with parents and teachers. This issue was brought up last year leading to periodical town meeting making recommendations on solving these issues. As for now, two committees were formed along with representatives from different groups (parents, staff, teachers, Board members, administrators) and confronted issues that concerned most of us. This was what rsdsinking meant that there were striking similiarities to what Dr. Robert Johnson was saying. Hence, we still have a long way to go.
Like you said, we had have the opportunity for dialogue and solutions but the problem was that those traditionalists refused to let go the old ways, sim com that is, and were not ready for this change to accept ASL in the classroom.
Richard, you have it backwards and do not make any assumptions about this school for the deaf or any such institutions especially that you have not been in the system. Also you cannot sterotype ASL users as welfare dependents since this is not true for most of them. Based on my observation, most deaf educators tend to be proficient in both ASL and English and have been exposed to ASL in early life from their families. They are models of ASL as a first language users (L1) who learned English as a second language (L2). Also we know that research has shown that deaf children of deaf parents are more advanced in reading and writing and acquire better cognitive thinking skills. So tell me why.
Ignore Ricky. He will go away. If anyone tries to comment about his comment, he will keep on hovering and ruin the site. That is what he wants to accomplish.
Wonderful!! Yes it is time for Deaf people to get together and resist MBI, audism, and other problems!
You have my FULL support! Your community need to get together and discuss some issues and decide what to do.
It is strongly recommended that you invite some speakers to talk about Deafhood, -isms, Audism Unveiled film, and few others. It will definitely help your community to identify some certain problems.
Joey Baer
TOWN MEETINGS HELD
Note: New Meeting Scheduled
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Click here to learn more.
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Two “town meetings” were held during the month of March 2006. In the first meeting, the RSD community shared their concerns about RSD; the second one allowed RSD to respond to the concerns.
The following have been posted for your review:
Copy of the memorandum that summarized the concerns brought up during the first town meeting
Copy of the presentation that was used during the second town meeting and includes RSD’s plans for action.
Please contact the Office of the Superintendent/CEO if you have any questions.
It'll be interesting Pam's views on tonight’s meeting since she was not there and this site is her creation and its continuation is her desire.
Other parents with children at RSD, along with most Board members, other RSD faculty, RSD staff, and many concerned community members - both deaf and hearing - found the time and dedication from their busy lives to be there at the meeting tonight to express their ideas and feelings on behalf RSD students.
It was a very positive meeting Pam, sorry you missed it.
Mind if anyone shares the info with anyone who could not make it to the last night's meeting on this website?
It has become clear to me that it is difficult to conduct this type of online discussion. Misunderstandings can happen. And that it is equally difficult to maintain face-to-face discussions. No one really wants to speak up in fear of being ostracized. Let me ask, how can we maintain a real dialogue without being misunderstood and feeling fear?
Pamela R. Conley
I want to clarify my description of the RSD board in my comments from 11/1/06. I take back these comments. There are d/Deaf board members with diverse views. There are also hearing board members with diverse views. The point that I guess I was trying to convey is that we are members of a linguistic and cultural minority and are frustrated about how the world perceives us.
How come the announcement for the town meeting that took place last Thursday was addressed to RSD community (staff, teachers and parents) only? Why didn't it welcome the alumni and concerned constituents? Perhaps that explains for a low turn-out.
I am still waiting to learn about the second ASL teacher position opening. Someone asked about it during the town meeting and Dr. Mowl responded with no answer. How can he possibly not being sure about the status of the position? Looks like this is not a priority for him. There are deaf chidren waiting to receive this kind of instruction, learning English through ASL formally in the classroom, that will greatly benefit them. Stop beating around the bush and start looking to fill in this position. What is the problem? Oh yes it is because of the difficulty to find a qualified candidate since the position was opened but tell me why this position "disappeared" in the postings? When one couldn't find a qualified candidate, it doesn't mean that it is meant to be forgotten or put on hold. Just keep on looking and don't give up!
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