TTMW Issue #66
UNCOUTH PRINCIPAL Ryan Commerson There have been different types of leaders in our history. Some have lead us into a direction that resulted in positive change. Others drove human lives into the ground. The physical abuse or destruction of bodies or the freedom from autocratic rule--those are clear and easy to grasp in terms of cause and effect. But when a leader robs a child of his or her educational future, it is more difficult to recognize. People are not as quick to catch on to the slow degeneration of self-esteem, the fall into the trap of helplessness, and the thwarting of one's intelligence. When the child is Deaf, it becomes even harder to see because people watch through lens of misinformation and/or fear. The Principal of Michigan School for the Deaf is an example of such a leader. Her problem lies not so much in not having the necessary information or tools to steer the school in a direction that would result in bringing forth successful, confident, and motivated Deaf young adults. Her problem is not having the boundaries and self-sufficiency to stand by one truth. When you're an administrator, you have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone will like the decisions you make. There will be staff who become so disgruntled that they spend hours criticizing the administrators--hours that could instead be invested in finding ways to stimulate the intelligence of children. Or they leave. But as an administrator you will also find that nothing creates anxiety and tension in a school the way indecisiveness and side-switching does. When your leader does not have a clear vision: one that she stands by, people don't know where to follow. The principal of MSD is the type of leader who refuses to take on the responsibility of her position. She instead creates conflicts that result in two possible outcomes: a decision that results from one person uncomfortably giving into another for fear of escalating the conflict or losing political ground; or a sort of stagnation where no decision is made, no one moves forth. She is the type of leader who is afraid to lead for fear of failing. No wonder chaos ensues at Michigan School for the Deaf--and all the while its children bear the brunt of that fury. To the Principal of Michigan School for the Deaf: Standing up for a Deaf child is not about complaining behind closed doors that the teachers do not sign well enough. It is standing in front of a group of staff and telling them that Michigan School for the Deaf will no longer tolerate halfhearted, heavily excused attempts not to communicate with the children in the language most accessible to them: American Sign Language. And it not turning around to inform certain teachers that "I just had to say that to placate some of the angry staff, don't mind it too much." It is sticking by that statement and following through. A leader who doesn't have boundaries and the courage to lead doesn't belong in a position where she has so much power over children's futures. ***** READERS REACT Re: MSD As a deaf educator, I find it appalling that Beth Steenwyk would think that the benefits of Bi-bi education for Deaf/deaf children would be beyond the scope of a "historic place" like MSD. We all know that research shows that a bi-bi approach only serves to enhance learning of English skills rather than hinder them. To think that a child could learn English in isolation without the context of the native ASL is absurd. Ryan Commerson makes valid points, and the Deaf Community is lucky to have him as one of their voices! S.B, Virginia * Re: MSD Jeannette, you are a wise individual. There are many of us out here that share your opinion! Unfortunately, Ryan has caused many hearies (the ones who know nothing about Deaf) to think all Deaf are angry, confrontational people. In trying to "fight" his cause, he has given a negative view of the Deaf and seems to have forgotten the task he set out to accomplish. Me thinks he doth protest too much! Revenge is a horrible animal that solves nothing but sorrow and ends up hurting our culture more than helping. Deaf in the UP * Re: MSD Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch! Miss Johnson, I agree with your comment that Michigan is a very diseased state. However, everything you said thereafter is nonsense! What a sad state Michigan must be in if the threshold of "improvement" is measured by someone who does not want to close down Michigan School for the Deaf. What kind of tea party wisdom is this? When the kids of that school grow up and realize they didn't have the same opportunities as they might have in some of the other residential schools across America will you tell them, "Well you grew up in the "at least they're not trying to shut you down" era? The fact that MSDB exists in a contaminated state does not excuse it from action. You see, MSDB would logically be the "expert" on the needs of the Deaf Community in the state and can therefore discuss (with affirming research) that the current educational system and laws in Michigan are failing our children. But going beyond that, what I see is that some young Deaf people at MSDB claiming that not only is the school oppressive towards its Deaf students, it is oppressive towards its Deaf STAFF. Civil Servants with their all-powerful Union...as evil as those people are to abuse deaf children for the sake of their own jobs...are also people you can work around. It requires time and effort, developing policies and being willing to stand firm in meetings. Principals at other residential schools have accomplished this. Why does the red queen of MSDB not enlist their support and ask for feedback on how they are able to accomplish such an impossible deed? It's not magic mirrors or space-altering pills. It's all strategy and a fundamental belief that Deaf children TODAY have the right to full access. The Deaf Community is not weak. It is a symptom of Michigan's illness that its residents are suffering from helplessness. But maybe they've just never had the right leader, the right "ADVOCATE" stand up and organize them? Maybe all they've experienced is people like you who sit up in up in Cheshire limbs waving your tail to and fro while you point out three or four negative factors and rain down furballs of cynicism and hopelessness before they even have a chance to stand up. I'm Curious, Miss Johnson, how you know that "things have been taking out of context" when you profess that no one knows what REALLY happened between Ryan and MSDB? You've got a pretty peachy bias going on there. By the way: You mentioned you're angry at ISD and the local school districts. Guess who's the Deputy Director of Special Education in Michigan, working in conjunction with all school districts and ISD? None other than the executive director of MSDB: Beth Steenwyk. You're mad at the same person the people at MSDB are mad at. Fancy that! Tiger Lily in Michiganland * Re: MSD Jeannette Johnson says in TTMW #65 "So, we have a combination of three factors: A weak Deaf community, parents who are just finally beginning to accept that American Sign Language IS an effective way to teach their children, and the Civil Service-Union team, that makes it difficult to replace people who deserve to be." I agree and that is fair. Unions or specifically corrupt teachers who abuse the power of unions are common problems in all educational institutions, and not just Deaf ones. But I partly disagree with Jeannette's view that she can "hardly hold MSD accountable" for how other local Michigan school districts are failing deaf children. For one thing nobody has attacked MSD. It is Steenwyk who is the larger problem. She is avoiding professional meetings with Deaf faculty and she is ignoring their concerns. Many of MSD's faculty members have reported this and other related complaints. It was Steenwyk's arrogance in saying that she is the best person qualified to make decisions for the "greater good" that has caused many pent-up frustrations to explode. Has she apologized for her attitude? This is about her stupid pride when others are trying to work with her and give her respect. Why does she make it so difficult for them? Therefore I disagree with Jeannette's support for Steenwyk and I refuse to accept that she is a better administrator than past MSD administrators simply because she's trying to keep MSD open instead of shut it down. That doesn't prove she is supportive of Deaf people, she can be doing that for selfish reasons too. For example if MSD were to close how could she retain her own job? I see her ongoing silence toward the Signing Community as contempt, when what most seem to want is only accountability from her. She is as much a part of the overall problem as any other school district in Michigan. Joseph Stein * Re: MSD What irks me the most about this MSD farce is the fact that Ms. Steenwyk is clearly affected by "paradigm paralysis" in her stand against the BI-BI philosophy ... thus the school would be better served if she resigned (or is forced out) and is replaced with someone who is willing to look into the BI-BI philosophy and make necessary changes at MSD for the benefit of its students. To start, MSD should get involved with the Star Schools training project, so its administrators and teachers can gain a better understanding of the benefits of BI-BI approach and the effective strategies on how to apply the approach in the classroom. To date, 17 schools serving the deaf across the nation have implemented the Star Schools training, and most have reported that they have seen academic improvements, particularly in the areas of literacy. MSD teachers, staff, students, and the deaf community: the ball is in your court, take a serious action and make a concerted effort to force the MSD administrators, especially Ms. Steenwyk, to snap out of "paradigm paralysis" and to look into the BI-BI philosophy.... JR, a loyal TMW reader * Re: MSD It's funny. When a small group of Deaf people try to point out a problem, everyone ignores them. Then a bigger group Deaf people point out the same problem and others say "It is too complicated I cannot follow it!" But finally an even bigger group makes things too hot, and now it becomes "Wait! Let's talk!" Ms. Johnson, you are right it has everything to do with working together as a large group. But it has nothing to do with more talking--there has been too much of that already, all with no result. --Disgusted * Re: MSD The solution to Todd J. Morrison's complaint (#65) that MSD doesn't hire across the US is also the solution to Jeanette Johnson's (also #65) primary complaint that Michigan has a weak Deaf Community and therefore cannot resist Beth Steenwyk's anti Bi-Bi stance. In both cases, if you can't get what you need locally, get what you need nationally. Mark H., A Supporter! Don't Give Up!
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