Deaf Teachers Losing Jobs Because of English
Friday July 3, 2009
Nobody likes to see deaf people lose jobs, particularly teachers. However, in Massachusetts, deaf teachers [update: in this case, a sign language teacher] who can not pass the state's English competency test for teachers are at risk of being let go. This test is required for teacher certification. According to the article in The Eagle-Tribune, so far the teachers have not been let go but it does beg the question, should an uncertified deaf teacher be permitted to continue teaching indefinitely?
Comments
This begs a more fundamental question:
Why would someone who cannot pass a basic English competency test be allowed to teach elementary or high school in the first place?
More importantly, how did these teachers graduate college without even passing Freshman English composition?
Being hearing impaired is not a disqualification to teach: My cranky old ex-wife has done so for >30 years.
Incompetency in the classroom is certainly a disqualification, as it adversely affects his/her students’ education.
Deafness has ZERO to do with competency
Dan Schwartz
Cherry Hill, NJ
No, they should not be continuing to teach beyond a set time limit that requires them to pass the English competency test. Deaf teachers should be able to have good English in order to teach. It’s bad enough that many deaf students are poor in English as it is. We need to bring that up to par.
What about hearing teachers who teach deaf children, can not be fluent in ASL. Most of the time, they can not convey the messages from what the deaf students were trying to tell them. NO differences here, THANKS…
I agree with you somewhat, especially if the teacher is supposed to be teaching only deaf students English! But, in gneral, the logic of that would be to say that all teachers have to be competent in all the languages their students speak. A hard bill to fill. To insist that the teachers all be competent in ONE particular language makes much more sense.
I am sorry to say this but low expectation continues to be a problem among the deaf community. Deaf people can pass English competency test. When did the “can” become “can’t”? If the sign language teacher in the newspaper article were granted an exception, it only encourages the stereotype of low expectation among the deaf community. We don’t need this and we don’t want it at all.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
Valid points by the above 3 comments. Best action is deaf teachers and hearing teachers alike take the English Competency Test as well as the ASL Competency Test to teach the deaf in any subject or teach hearing/deaf in ASL. So the issue will focus squarely on competency.
If this is about an instructor of American Sign Language I have two words for this: PERFECTLY IRONIC. Why? So much for bilingualism.
I’m in favor of such requirements. Deaf schools especially those who hired on basis of favoritism, athletic coaching to name two of many instances involved in package deals lacking merit will lose enough marbles they may as well close. I love sports but I’m not biased.
Yes, I have some of the such who can’t read and write in standard English. Hate to say this but it’s time or some tough loving, really.
It stands to reason that a teacher of any kind should be at least competent in both English and ASL when working with deaf students.
However, I have seen enough to know that educational competence is not measured by English fluency, or even ASL fluency.
Some teachers are so gifted at bringing out the best in students’ abilities that it would be tragic if they were let go because of minor errors in English or ASL. They should certainly be required to take extra courses and demonstrate growth in these skills.
Teaching involves a love of the subject, love of the students, positive role modeling, challenging and awakening interest and exciting curiosity, and making the student feel good about himself.
There are LOUSY teachers out there who teach so that subjects seem dull, boring and useless for any purpose, and who cause students to hate both themselves and school.
Get rid of this deadwood first, not teachers who are good but lack perfect English or ASL.
I don’t know what part of the English competency exam these two deaf teachers failed multiple times, but my understanding is that in MA half the basic English exam consists of listening comprehension. Passages are read aloud and exam-takers have to then respond by memory to questions about those passages. And if they weren’t able to hear the exam questions … Perhaps this isn’t a literacy competency issue, but one of equal access to the exam materials.
But again, I don’t know if these teachers were provided an accommodated version of the exam — a written version of the passage to read to themselves.
I second you, Manny for requiring both deaf and hearing educators to take up the ASL competency test to qualify as the educator of the deaf.
So the deaf students will be not shortchanged in any way!
My true concern about the testing for English competency test is to be real fair to deaf teachers to pass that kind of test. Handful of tests usually involves the use of phonics and sound matching modes.
Is that really fair to deaf teachers whose never have the ability to know any sound meanings, etc?
RLM
rlmdeaf@hotmail.com
I completely support the fact that teachers of deaf students should be bi-lingual with near native-like fluency in their second language. Hearing teachers should be required to take a Signed Communication Proficiency Interview and pass in the Advanced range, or hold an interpreting certification (EIPA or RID/NAD). Sadly this access to deaf students has been denied for far too long.
I have said for years that it is nigh onto impossible to have both deaf and hearing teachers highly skilled in ASL AND English to fill every deaf program (residential and mainstream) throughout the land….
Yes, I have some of the such who can’t read and write in standard English. Hate to say this but it’s time or some tough loving, really.”
I meant to say “Yes, I have some friends who…”
I third with Manny and RLM – we need to review options. English is the toughest language in the world. It is not easy with its idioms and slangs in the language. It can be confusing for foreigners as well as deaf consumers.
The last 40 years show that hearing people tend to oppress those who lack English. It is not hard to learn. Just go with the flow and you shall learn it. Read books and keep up with current events.
The teachers should be retained as they contribute to the needs of deaf children.
Hearing people need to go as they cannot be fluent in ASL. They need to go through ASLTA or the like to be certified.
Ever since 1880, most hearing people lack the capacity to teach deaf. Look at the system! It is BROKEN!
The Congressional report have come out twice in 1965 and 1988 blaming the hearing people for not having proper Deaf education.
[Published with last sentence removed]
I would be OUTRAGED if my child’s teacher could mot fluently use one of the languages she is supposed to be TEACHING! BI-lingual, remember guys! English (written) should have enven MORE emphasis in our bi-bi classes since it is the only way our children will be communication with the vast majority of the world.
It is super unfair that Deaf teachers can’t pass their states’ English competency tests that do not match their deaf stuents’ education while most hearing educators, who don’t have any communication methods, should take ASL tests which is impossible for them to pass either, even the highest educators as well.
Wow, I love the comment of Dianrez. A woman after my heart! Agree 190 %
This reminds me of some Deaf friends of mine who were all at the same University as me and who were set on getting teaching credentials. They took the Rica (English lang test) again and again and failed it, and it was painful to watch since they were extremely motivated and wonderful people.
Years later they all made it, finally passing Rica, after there was a special class offered (at Laney?) in which the exact areas of weakness/need for them to pass the test were addressed by a knowledgable deaf-saavy person.
Now they are THE BEST DHH teachers around, I feel, and their minor imperfections with English, are so far surpassed by their deep understanding, their ASL skills, thus giving the kids a strong language base with which to then continue their education with, etc, that it’s a hugely influential and important thing to their students that they were able to pass this test finally.
I’m pretty good at English (I lost my hearing when I was ten) but these people are the standard I set for myself, to manage a class as well as they, to make school as interesting, to empower the kids as much and in as many different ways as they do. The English is important, for sure, but when you’re in the presence of a master, there is way too much they have to offer for it to be thrown away, and stolen away, because of a misspelled word, to justify the crime of it.
The sheer dedication these people had, in pursuing their chosen careers with determination that was incredible, for years and years doggedly, shows in their passionate instruction, and that is what the (lucky) students benefit from and feel.
The English-perfect teachers may win in an on-paper contest but many of them would surely lose in a contest of which teacher stays most positively and profoundly in the hearts of the students!
If this teacher was teaching her students in English (i.e. science or math), she should be required to know English. She is teaching ASL, which does not have a written language and also has a different sentence structure than English. Since she is fluent in ASL, that should be the measuring stick, not her fluency in English. A great Spanish teacher that was a native of Spain, would not need to have perfect English to be able to teach Spanish and Spanish culture. The same would apply to ASL. The woman’s skill at engaging her students and teaching them proper ASL should be what matters most. After all, she was hired as an ASL teacher, not an English teacher.
Proper grammer has nothing to do with communication. These teachers can still teach that. I know for a fact that a lot of teachers for hearing people can’t plass the English test.
I am a teacher of the Deaf, and I am Deaf myself. GF is right-this teacher in MA seems to be teaching ASL ONLY. If this is correct, then there should be some exception to her passing the English competency exams for teachers, and another way to evaluate her competency through supervisors who KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE.
I teach Deaf education at the High School level and ASL at the college level. I have passed all the tests necessary in order to do this. However, ASL is a completely different language in itself with no written structure, as stated by other posters.
Perhaps this teacher should be required to obtain ASLTA certification and that should be the end of it. (American Sign Language Teacher’s Association). ASL is usually lumped in with other foreign languages, and it should not be.
I noticed that Alisa Nakano’s English seems perfect. Did she say she was deaf? Born deaf? If so, there is the proof, Deaf individuals can and have mastered the English language, which may or may not show up on test.
Shela, Gardena, CA