Fernandes’ concept: “Inclusive Deaf Education”
As we all know that University of North Carolina - Asheville named Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as the new provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs on Friday, November 30, 2007.
The appointment still has to be formalized later this month by the UNCA board of trustees.
There is an article in Asheville Citizen-Times written by Carol Motsinger published December 1, 2007 at 12:15am.
The title is: UNC Asheville provost nominee unveiled
Click here to read the article
What captured my attention is a small insert (box) announcing an extra feature called Web Extras: Multimedia & Related Content.
Inside the box, there is an audio file of an entire interview with Jane K. Fernandes. (18,313 KB) This audio file is over 22 minutes long.
This is ironic, because I cannot hear the audio file.
But, luckily, I was able to get the transcript of the audio file today.
It is a telephone interview between the reporter and Dr. Jane K. Fernandes with an interpreter, James Fernandes.
_____________________________________________________________
Transcript of audio-recording of Asheville Citizen-Times reporter’s telephone interview with Jane Fernandes
Q (female voice, mid- twenties): Well, I wanted to start with asking why you were particularly interested in this position at UNCA.
Jane Fernandes (voice of a severely hard-of-hearing person, her own voice): I was very interested in the position at UNCA, because, UNC at Asheville is, among the top public liberal arts institutions in the country, and I strongly believe in the importance of liberal arts education today. I also was attracted to the UNC Asheville by their demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion of all different kinds of people in the fabric of the institution. Those are the two main, aspects of UNC Asheville that attracted me to the university.
Q: And do you have any specific examples of what you call the “demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion” that stand out in your mind?
Jane Fernandes: I was very impressed with the strategic planning work that Chancellor Anne Ponder is doing and I received–as a candidate for the position–I received a draft of the strategic plan. And in that plan, it’s clear that the university is committed to achieving diversity and inclusion in the student body and in the hiring and retention of faculty of staff, because they’re working on goals, outcomes, measures of progress and accountability for–for what the managers at the university do, and I think that’s a demonstrated commitment to hold the university administration, such as myself when I’m the provost, accountable for achieving the goals that we have.
Q: And what are your specific goals, um, for this university? I don’t know if they–sort of beyond the overall goals of the university, you know, what are your hopes in your time here? [friendly tone of voice] What do you hope to get the most out [of it]?
Jane Fernandes: Well, right now I’m still very new. I’m still learning about UNC Asheville. So, I don’t know if I can be very specific about what I hope to achieve. I need to learn more–I need to know the people and the place better. But, I know that UNC Asheville is full of energetic and committed faculty, staff and students whom I met on the search committee and during my campus visit. And, I sense a good match between [the] campus community and myself, and I think that bodes well for what we can accomplish together.
Q: [Typing] Let my fingers catch up here [friendly laugh]. And you mentioned that [unintelligible], what sort of are your impressions and your experience thus far at the university?
James Fernandes (interpreter): Could you repeat that please, and could you speak a little louder?
Q: Oh, sure.
James Fernandes: Thank you.
Q: Give me just one second. [pause] My computer here is freaking out [friendly laugh].
Jane Fernandes: Are you going to record this?
Q: Yes, I’m recording and taking notes.
Jane Fernandes: OK.
Q: I like to do both, if possible. Sorry here. Alright, great. What else is it that you mentioned the campus community, and I wanted to know exactly what your experience thus far was with coming and visiting, who all you’ve met and sort of your impressions.
Jane Fernandes: I have to say honestly from the minute I first met the search committee, I just knew that they would be a wonderful group of people to work with. I just had a very, very welcoming experience from the first minute I met the committee. I first had an interview in, it was housed in Greenville, South [sic] Carolina only with the search committee and when I left there, I came home, I told my husband that that is a place that anyone would be proud to be a part of, because the way the interview was conducted was so professional, and at the same time it was very warm and engaging. Then I had a–I stayed in Asheville–my husband Jim and I stayed in Asheville for three days, and two days was a campus visit where I met with many, many groups [friendly laugh], many faculty, many staff and students. All of the key leaders and the key bodies that are involved in the governance of the university. And I received many challenging questions. At the same time, I noticed [the] tremendously respectful and very academic environment where people respect open and honest dialogue and discussion. So I left–I stayed over one day to meet with people in the community in Asheville to look at some of the schools in the area for my children.
Q: Oh neat. How old are your children?
Jane Fernandes: My son is 16. His name is Sean. S-E-A-N [friendly laugh] and my daughter is 14, Erin, E-R-I-N.
Q: E-R-I-N?
Jane Fernandes: That’s because my husband is Portuguese, from Hawaii, and so his name is “Fernandes” with an “s” at the end. And I’m Irish, so we wanted to name our children each to have part of our heritage. They have Irish first names and Portuguese last names.
Q: [Laughs] Best of both worlds.
Jane Fernandes: Yes.
Q: Great. You know, I wanted to ask you, what you’ve been doing at Bennett College. I know that’s your–where you’re coming from.
Jane Fernandes: I’m really–I’m not at Bennett College. I’m at the Johnnetta B. Cole–I’m a senior fellow with the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute. Dr. Cole recently stepped down as Bennett College for Women’s president.
Q: Oh, OK.
Jane Fernandes: And during the time that she was the president, she established the Institute. It was founded at Bennett College for Women.
Q: I see.
Jane Fernandes: Then she stepped down. The Institute moved. I believe now it’s located in the town of Greensboro, and as a senior fellow, I work with Dr. Cole and others in the Institute to develop a concept of inclusive deaf education where the great diversity among deaf people–deaf students–the people—the great diversity among the student body of deaf students would be able to be educated in an environment that is respectful of that diversity. And that’s something that hasn’t been the case, historically. So we’re working on a new concept of–[hesitates]–called “inclusive deaf education.”
Q: I see. Thank you for explaining that.
Jane Fernandes: I hope to be able to continue working with Dr. Cole’s Institute in my capacity as–my new capacity as Provost at UNC Asheville.
Q: What aspects of your experience do you think will fit nicely with UNCA’s goals and programs?
Jane Fernandes: Well, I have a great deal of experience with strategic planning for academic affairs, and I know that will be a cornerstone of Chancellor Ponder’s work in the near future. So I believe my experience with academic affairs/strategic planning will fit nicely. I have a lot of experience with curriculum development and faculty development, and I believe that UNC Asheville will be working on making its already exemplary curriculum–Really the curriculum at UNC Asheville is nationally known as an outstanding example of interdisciplinary studies and integrated curriculum. And I believe that they will remain on the cutting edge, and I look forward to working with them on further refining the curriculum and on faculty development. I’ve also worked extensively on–as I said before–diversity and inclusion, particularly racial and ethnic inclusion in education, and I know that many faculty, staff and students I spoke with on campus are committed to that goal, and I want to work with them to achieve the kind of results that we want to see. I think that’s–those are the main areas where there’s a nice fit.
Q: Yeah, that’s certainly a lot. [laughs] And I also, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your experience at Gallaudet. [noise on the telephone line] Can you hear me OK?
James Fernandes: You could be a little bit louder.
Jane Fernandes: [laughs]
Q: OK, I just wanted–yeah, feel free to interrupt me at any time if you can’t hear me.
James Fernandes: Yes, that’s good right now.
Q: Is that better?
James Fernandes: Yes, thank you.
Q: Alright. No problem. My colleagues can deal with my louder voice. [laughs] And I wanted to ask a little bit about, you know, some of the experience that you gained at Gallaudet and I wanted to–somebody who wasn’t exactly there sort of understand. First off, a little bit about what you thought was the sort of central objection that generated the controversy and also, you know, what you learned from it.
Jane Fernandes: Um, well I think, um [pause] Well, alright. I was selected to be–I served as Gallaudet provost for six years and then I was selected, or appointed, by the Board of Trustees to be the president. And a protest started and ensued for about seven months, and at which point the Board of Trustees decided that they needed to have someone else be the president.
Q: Hmm mmm [yes]
Jane Fernandes: [pause] Right. [pause] Oh, I haven’t become–My husband’s signing. I thought you were saying something. Um, so he wanted me to say that I hadn’t become the president. I never served as the president.
Q: Right. Hmm mmm.
Jane Fernandes: I think that–while I’ve always had a very good understanding of academic community and university community politics, I think I underestimated, in this case, um, the politics of the deaf community and the impact of many changes taking place in American society that impact the deaf community. Um, what I learned, um–Well I learned that it’d be very important to, um, always [pause]–sounds odd for a deaf person to say this, but [laughs lightly]–to listen even more carefully than I–I always have. I’ve always been a very careful–carefully attending to faculty, staff, and students’ concerns and issues and hopes and dreams, but I think–One thing I learned from the Gallaudet situation is it’s very important for me to be, um, very attuned to faculty, staff and student issues. So going forward I know I will be an outstanding [pause] listener [pause] to the campus community. I also learned that–Well, you know, any time that you face a crisis like that, your values are tested. And, um, you really get to analyze what is really important and where it’s important to hold firm and where it’s important to give in, and what I learned is that, uh, academic integrity and commitment to diversity and inclusion are values that I won’t compromise under any circumstances. And so, right now Gallaudet University has a new president and they’re moving on, and I wish them well in the work that they do, and I’m looking forward to bringing all of my experiences to UNC Asheville, and, um, looking forward to an incredible and exciting challenge for me.
Q: And, um, you mentioned that, uh, it was probably the result of the impact of changes, and I wanted to know specifically, um, what were some of the changes that generated the issues
Jane Fernandes: Uh, well, one major change is, um [long pause] the increasing popularity of cochlear implant surgery on deaf infants and very young deaf children. And the success of cochlear implant surgery has created a situation where deaf infants and young children who before would not have access to meaningful sounds, because of cochlear implant surgery they now do have access to meaningful sound, and they are able to learn, um, to hear and speak auditory-based languages at much better success than ever before. And so this creates a situation where sometimes, or most of the time [laughs tepidly] parents and audiologists and medical professionals don’t see any need for the children to learn sign language, and so that’s a threat to deaf people who live in the ASL-and-Deaf-culture community, because there will be fewer and fewer people growing up with their language and culture. [pause] In addition, there’s ongoing pressure from the concept of genetic screening, because, um, with genetic screening it becomes possible for people to elect whether to have a deaf baby or not. And with the assumption that many people who don’t know the value of being deaf may choose not to have a deaf baby, that is a threat to [the] ASL-and-Deaf-culture community. And so, um, because I grew up as an oral deaf person, and I learned American Sign Lang–oh, sorry–[to someone else:] What?–[to interviewer:] I grew up as an oral deaf person and I learned American Sign Language late in my life, um, I wasn’t–I didn’t have right characteristics as a deaf person to be the president that the ASL-and-Deaf-culture community wanted to have. [pause] I felt that, um, well I know that I represent, uh, the future of the deaf community in America. They’ll be more and more deaf people such as myself, growing up, and I was promoting the concept that Gallaudet University needed to become an inclusive university where all kinds of deaf people are valued and respected. But, um, I think right now the direction the university is going is more geared to those who grow up using American Sign Language and grow up in Deaf culture [pause] and I think that’s fine. That’s the choice that the university has made.
Q: Well, thank you so much for explaining that. I know I had been up in Maryland, I’d read the Post and everything else, but, I always, if I have the opportunity, like to ask people directly to kind of go beyond the kind of–the clippings that I have, so thank you for taking the time.
Jane Fernandes: OK.
Q: And, uh, I wanted to know, if, uh–if the controversy has affected, you know, job opportunities for you, um, or if it’s, you know, prompted any, sort of, change in your career or what you’re looking for from a university.
Jane Fernandes: [long pause] Actually, I think that everything happens for the best [laughs lightly] and so right now I have, um, been offered and received what is virtually my dream job at the UNC Asheville. Um, I can’t think of a position where, um, my skill and knowledge would be put to better use, and where I sense that the community will be receptive to the knowledge and skill that I bring, and also where the community has a great deal of experience, knowledge and skill that I can learn from. Um, so right now I’m in the perfect position with my career. I’m very happy to be where I am and I’m looking forward–really, really looking forward to moving to Asheville. My husband’s looking forward to moving to Asheville, [unintelligible].
Q: Good.
[End of audio recording]
[Transcript is unofficial.]
Thank you, Brian Riley for this transcript. Your valuable contribution is greatly appreciated.
_______________________________________________________
Amy Cohen Efron here:
What the heck is Inclusive Deaf Education?
That is a new “catch-phrase” here!
I am trying to figure out what does this “catch-phrase” may mean to me. If I use my own framework based on my knowledge, experiences and understanding about Deaf Education.
Inclusive Deaf Education may mean having:
A. Deaf students within language spectrum, from American Sign Language/English bilinguals to Spoken English monolinguals.
B. Deaf students of Deaf parents, Hearing parents, with Deaf siblings, or with Deaf relatives.
C. Deaf students within the audiological spectrum, from profound hearing loss to mild hearing loss aided with cochlear implant.
D. Deaf students with additional disabilities.
E. Deaf students within racial and ethnic groups.
F. Deaf students within religious groups.
G. Deaf students within social-economic levels.
H. Deaf students within geographic locations (urban or rural).
Inclusive Deaf Education means to me that all of these Deaf students from different language, familial, audiological, disability, racial/ethnic, social-economic, religious and geographic, diversity are LEARNING TOGETHER and GETTING ALONG TOGETHER!
*** OR ***
Using this ‘catch-phrase’, Inclusive Deaf Education - what does this term mean to parents of Deaf students? Audiologists? Doctors? Educators? Policy Makers? Legislatures? Researchers?
Would these words make these people THINK about one deaf child who is a student with cochlear implants, receiving auditory-verbal training, be placed in an inclusive environment, also known as mainstreaming?
Read closely to what Dr. Jane K. Fernandes, as a senior fellow with the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute said on this interview:
I work with Dr. Cole and others in the Institute to develop a concept of inclusive deaf education where the great diversity among the student body of deaf students would be able to be educated in an environment that is respectful of that diversity. And that’s something that hasn’t been the case, historically. So we’re working on a new concept of — called “inclusive deaf education.”
Which framework do you think that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes is trying to present?
December 1st, 2007 at 9:42 pm
It is interesting to read her interview. From my own interpretation it seems like she felt that Deaf Gallaudet students and faculty did not want to have diversity programs on campus. Students and Faculty did not want to have students who are hard of hearing, using cochlear implants, signers and etc. She might thought that protestors wanted students who are DEAF and uses ASL only to be welcomed on campus. I think she felt that students did not want her there because she did not come from residential Deaf school, did not sign before she reached to adult stage and is not Deaf enough. It could be that she did not listen carefully why students did not want her to become the next President or maybe she knew why but wanted to protect herself (for political reasons) and make up some lists to point that Gallaudet does not accept diversity or ready for new change. Some people refuse to admit the real reasons for rejection and some won’t even acknowledge real issues or reasons. Like Carl mentioned about MMP and it looks like her MMP does not fit with Deaf community’s MMP. We all know that Galluadet students and faculty do accept diversity programs and welcome anyone on campus. We all know that. Jane is bright woman but her MMP does not fit with us. We all can wish her well and we can focus to improve our needs in our community. That is a positive step we can do right now.
December 1st, 2007 at 9:59 pm
My interpretion:
Jane Kelleher Fernandes has said in the interview that there will be MORE ORAL deaf people LIKE HER and she wantED Gallaudet to change the direction from “the Deaf Culture” to the “Inclusive Culture” (oralism, cochlear implant, speech training, auditory training, lipreading training (remember she founded cochlear implant center at LCC in Sept. 2000). Between the lines, she has said she is disappointed that the Gallaudet community rejects (her) change of the direction and wants to remain culturally Deaf. In short, she has said that the rejection of the change of direction means the rejection of inclusiveness.) She hopes to fulfill her goal at the UNCA — her goal that was unfulfilled at Gallaudet.
To me, Fernandes is being influenced by people like Scientist Gerard Loeb. See his letter:
“Edward Dolnick’s sense of historical timing is as acute as his sense of balance. The cochlear prosthesis , on which I have worked for years with many other scientists, engineers, and clinicians, will lead inevitably to the extinction of the alternative culture of the Deaf, probably within a decade. There will still be deaf people, some by choice and some because the technology cannot address (yet) some forms of deafness, but they will be so thinly scattered that the Deaf culture will be unsustainable.
Gerald E. Loeb, M.D., Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
Source: Atlantic Magazine, Deafness as a Culture by Edward Dolnick
Editorial, Page 8, December 1993
Jean Boutcher
December 1st, 2007 at 10:24 pm
The irony is that Gallaudet has always been inclusive, accepting deaf people of all diversity. However, since it is a specialized school where sign language is the main communication in classrooms, these students are expected to learn sign language. However, they are not rejected because they are oral, hard of hearing, or wear cochlear implants.
If Gallaudet is really exclusive, I and countless other oral students wouldn’t have been accepted in the first place. Gallaudet is probably one of the most inclusive universities with a wide range of diversity. It’s rather unfortunate that Fernandes doesn’t grasp this concept.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Jean- i agree with your interpretation too. It is good thing that we stopped her from becoming the next President. I wish she had listened to students and faculty and let them have empowerment by resigning the Presdential position and support them to select a new President. If she had done that then she would be respected by our community. However, she chose not to do it. It was her decision and she paid the price for it. She was bold anyway because if a large crowd do not want me to be their leader…I would have cried and then resign and myabe buried myself somewhere LOL. (I am being silly).
December 1st, 2007 at 10:27 pm
I mean to have her resign the new Presidential position.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:29 pm
My English is horrible tonight since I have many things on my mind right now…please pardon me but you all know what I was saying above. Thanks.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Jane is saying that Gallaudet is not welcoming of diversity, and that she (JKF) herself felt rejected as do some Gallaudet students who have backgrounds other than the classical Deaf family and residential school. Their number is increasing.
Let’s not overlook this. There have been students who couldn’t overcome their oral backgrounds and have left. There were some from ethnic backgrounds who felt like outsiders.
There is much more that Gallaudet and its various divisions could do to make these people feel valued. There are even some closed groups on campus that are so selective that it works against campus inclusion. Not all are student groups: even the faculty has this problem.
On the other hand, most students of various backgrounds and degrees of oral-auditory education have gone through Gallaudet and found themselves a happier world of ASL-using friends and colleagues.
Since we are a deaf community we still need to remember the large number that didn’t feel included and will leave feeling even less included in the wider hearing community. This could cause fragmentation of the Deaf community.
It is appropriate for us to reach out to these people and nurture them in finding their niche while making education accessible for them.
Jane made her point, but we did not accept it from her since she lacked credibility; one reason being her limited view of ASL and underestimation of more-culturally Deaf people.
In her kicking off controversy, we were made to see more clearly what we must do. Gallaudet is not just an education factory, it is also shaping the future of Deaf society.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:01 pm
I find the interview quite compelling. She made a point that she does need to be a better listener. So she’s tacitly acknowledged that some complaints the protesters had were legitimate.
As for “inclusive Deaf education” ugh… that has been around for ages. That is the biggest danger to Deaf Education than Oralism is, really!
It’s all about mainstreaming the deaf kid, using SEE interpreters and such. They’re using IDEA to shoehorn EVERY kid into mainstreaming. This isn’t happening only to deaf kids - it’s happening to ALL special education kids, including mentally retarded students. It’s pretty scary.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Actually, Congress founded Gallaudet University
because the communication of the deaf is different from that of the hearing students and hearing
professors in hearing universities.
December 1st, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I second Mishka! It’s a good thing we took her out successfully and unilaterally, which speaks volumes by itself. We made changes at Gally, improving the university across the board as a result of our protest. Her responses sounded defensive. Amy, thank you for providing the transcript!
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 am
My reaction parallels mostly with above commentators. I frown upon her defensive reason for being asked to resign by the Board. JKF pointed out that Gallaudet was reluctant to have her as a future president because she didn’t have the right characteristics. Isn’t it more of not having the right kind of leadership? It made my eyes roll knowing that she is playing not deaf enough card again.
She said:
“learned from the Gallaudet situation is it’s very important for me to be, um, very attuned to faculty, staff and student issues. So going forward I know I will be an outstanding [pause] listener [pause] to the campus community.”
So there that she admitted she needed to improve on being a listener but I find it conflicting that she boasted herself by saying: “I–I always have. I’ve always been a very careful–carefully attending to faculty, staff, and students’ concerns and issues and hopes and dreams…”
If she always had been a listener then do pray tell why she learned this from Gallaudet experience? Also note that she said she WILL be an outstanding listener..this statement gave me the impression that she acknowledges her weakness that she was never a great listener to begin with.
Now with the inclusive deaf education business, it seems to me that she is talking about reversible deaf inclusive environment in Gallaudet University. The traditional meaning of inclusive Deaf education is that when students are educated within a regular education classroom that is composed of both Deaf and hearing students. So I decided to google the term “inclusive deaf education” and found this interesting article that mentioned about Deaf students who are in mainstreaming environment:
http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/3/225
“Deaf students were more concerned about the pace of instruction and did not feel as much a part of the ‘university family’ as did their hearing peers.”
So in that case, from what JKF is applying this “inclusive deaf education” concept is that Gallaudet students who are not fluent in ASL and not a part of Deaf culture may not be as inclusive as did their Deaf peers.
In attempt to make it inclusive in deaf education, either mainstreaming or JFK’s version, it is like swimming against a big wave because it is not easy and smooth yet natural.
By the way, I find it interesting that she laughed when mentioning about “parents and audiologists and medical professionals don’t see any need for the children to learn sign language, and so that’s a threat to deaf people who live in the ASL-and-Deaf-culture community, because there will be fewer and fewer people growing up with their language and culture.” This statement made me cringe since she sounded like a fortune teller and just allowing this to happen. Why can’t she be an activist to take the stand about the importance of ASL in Deaf babies instead of mocking Deaf people?
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
Pardon me, I realized that JFK wasn’t being asked to resign by the board..she was TERMINATED by the Board!!
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:37 am
Barb DiGi- Perhaps the Board of Trustees told the public that she was terminated but they may have asked her to resign with lists of reasons why in order to avoid lawsuit. We will never know the real truth unless we find the documentation. But why do we need to dig in there? Deaf Children in third world are hungry…deprived from education…no family…torture… rape…this is nothing compared with children that are suffering right at this moment.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 am
Penny..point taken that there are Deaf children suffering in the Third world and it is heart wrenching to see them suffer.
What I am talking about is that many parents are being misguided about what to do when they learn that their child is deaf. For Deaf children growing up without language still suffer in this manner. It violates against human rights.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:49 am
One more thing here…The information Jane shared to the public hurt Deaf children and our community in a great deal. I agree…no question ask but let us not make her God by talking about her constantly because she will never change. Let us become productive to our community…work with DBC…participate in massive protest this summer…write letters to medias and etc. This will beneifit us far more than talking about Jane Jane Jane. It gets us no where and there are important things that we need to do together to make noises that Deaf children are being deprived from education and ASL.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:52 am
There you go, Penny! See you there!
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:17 am
Jane a God? Nah! It is more like acting a fortune teller, haha.
I just think it is healthy for us to analyze the definition of inclusive deaf education just what Amy has brought up. Also to analyze Jane Fernandes’s responses allows the public to see this side and have second thoughts (mostly by naive people) especially that she is now grasping a powerful position. It is all about awareness.
Besides, talking about this only takes minutes nothing compared to the time being involved fighting for the rights of Deaf babies. Everyday in my career life, concerns of Deaf babies/children have always been a priority.
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:37 am
Barb- I agree with you and I guess I get tired of hearing about her and it really disappointed me that she is not speaking up for Deaf children and our community. She is gifted and she has perfect English and she can use this weapon to fight for us but she isn’t doing it. That is too bad. I know we have many other genius Deaf people like you that can fight with us.
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 am
Sigh… Obviously Jane has many lack of knowledges and skills for leadership, approach in interview, her core of motivation for her position in different stages of life. Look at her way of communicate to answer, yeah there are a lot of “umm, pause, and blah explain. Also, my husband would be happy..” Would you think a leadership role and college president would do that? It would be wise to give points. She can choice in positive or negative points on her experience in Gallaudet. She still carry her old bag. Other thing, how could she not know what her motivation for her position while she’s interested in UNCA. *Slap my head* She did not do her homework to research UNCA and visit several time to get know instead just a two days. Compare to RIT New president, Dr. Destler from University of Maryland pulls his motivate in campus. Sadly, she’s vulnerable with her soul to motor the reason and haven’t discover the truth of her spirit what she needs to living in the beautiful earth. It seems that she does not realize that we, ASL and Deaf culture are also human beings that we are living in a power and intelligent spirit too. Silly..
It is not worth for us to chase on her path and focus on our primary issues for our lovely Deaf souls and infants. I believe we can delight Gallaudet University and Deaf community to show we have a heart to live our eyes and hands to express our language. Let Jane learns from us what we wants for a Deaf human beings and our spirit leadership in this eyeth/earth. We needs focus the primary issue related a language and culture for Deaf infants.
Let’s rumble the world instead waste our ash paths with her. Karma will take care of this.
Smile,
Ruthie Eyepoetic Jordan.
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:39 am
Hey, Pardon of my grammar written,
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:02 am
Inclusive Deaf Education issue is around for years.
It’s like *anything* to be involved in communication style.
I know it’s compelling and complicating issue but I do not think there will be a solution for a long time.
I think that Jane Fernandes is using her own progranda.(spell?)
White Ghost
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:54 am
What is “MMP”?
December 2nd, 2007 at 5:07 pm
This line, “Inclusive Deaf Education” reeks of Total Communications. No thanks. I rather go forward with ASL.
December 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pm
The idea of being inclusive is a proper specialization of the field of administration. It’s a concept that applies across the board to various kinds of organizations, including schools, businesses, nonprofits, governmental entities, etc.
There is nothing unique about deaf education that requires a special theory about inclusion specifically for deaf ed. If there is a *study* made on the topic, then you could call the study “inclusion in deaf education”, or something like that. But it is improper to attempt to create a new theory called “inclusive deaf education.”