Mishka Zena

I read with interest this new letter published at FSSA (Gally FSSA News) where the mother of a KDES student described her experience dealing with Dr. Fernandes when Dr  Fernandes was the Vice President of Clerc Center. This echoes what another mother of a KDES student had.  Here is Jamie’s letter.

She Doesn’t Care

If it were not for my one and only experience with Fernandes years ago, I would possibly be a Fernandes supporter. I do feel that the students should leave the HMB, if they have not already left. It is wrong to hold a building hostage, denying people access to classrooms and materials. For the benefit of those who have not yet read it, I repeat my previously blogged experience below.In spring 1995, my child was a first grade student at Kendall at Gallaudet. The teacher became sick. A series of substitute teachers were brought in, none of which were qualified to teach deaf students. We parents were not happy but hoped things would get better in the Fall. The first day of the Fall, second grade, the assigned teacher did not show up. That teacher continued to call in sick, and again a series of substitute teachers, none qualified to teach deaf students, was brought in. By November we parents were fed up. Our children had learned next to nothing the previous Spring and again in the Fall.

We met with the principal, Nancy Rarus. Ms. Rarus told us we had to meet with Jane Fernandes, who was at the time in charge of all of pre-college programs at Gallaudet. One couple made an appointment with Fernandes, and offered to share their appointment with the rest of us.

On appointment day, we all showed up and Fernandes demanded everyone leave except the couple who made the appointment. By then, I was angry- knowing my son was learning nothing - and refused to leave! Our demands were to either get a real teacher of the deaf for the class, OR merge the students from the class with another class that had a real teacher of the deaf.

Fernandes and I began having a shouting match, and she yelled at me, “If you’re not happy/do not like it, you’re welcome to take your [child] out of Kendall and go back to [the] county!” I was stunned…and left thinking, “she doesn’t care! she doesn’t care!” She could have offered to help, she could have offered a real teacher or offered to move our kids to another class, but she demonstrated that she did not care!!

We had no choice. We took our child out of Kendall and went back to the county. One by one, three other students from the class followed us. The last parent to transfer back to the county was very reluctant to do it as she was a Gallaudet employee. But even she had to conclude that her child’s education was more important than her loyalty to Gallaudet as an employee. All four kids paid a high price - having to repeat the entire first grade, and it took years to catch up.

***

I know that I am not alone in having had this kind of experience when Fernandes was in charge of pre-college programs. I had known a teacher at MSSD who had experienced terrible working conditions, for example. I am interested in hearing from others who were parents or teachers in pre-college back then. I have a hard time accepting that someone who clearly demonstrated such a lack of caring back then, is now the new president of Gallaudet University.

Jamie
Gallaudet University Class of 1987

My son, now an adult, still remembers that time. It was a bad experience for him as at least one substitute teacher had treated the children badly. But most importantly, he remembers the fact he had learned nothing.