Charter schools for deaf and hard of hearing students are popping up across the nation. In just the past few years alone, more than five charter schools have opened or are making plans to open. The schools largely follow a bilingual-bicultural education philosophy. Most importantly, some of these schools are experimenting with the Tripod model of educating hearing and deaf students together, that was developed by the Tripod school for the deaf in Los Angeles, California. Even with so few charter schools open, the trend is clear and the schools are having an impact on deaf education. In our area, they are trying to find ways to educate hearing and deaf students together, instead of the other way around.
It is not easy to start and operate a charter school. Charter schools usually don't have their own buildings and programs are housed in existing schools or other facilities. Plus, they must compete for students with already available programs for deaf and hard of hearing students.
Charter schools already open:
- Charter School of Tampa Bay Academy - This charter school in Florida specializes in educating kids with mental health needs.
- Jean Massieu Academy, a bi-bi school in Texas.
- Metro Deaf School, a school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Uses the bilingual-bicultural approach. Also in St. Paul, Minnesota is the Minnesota North Star Academy, a bilingual-bicultural high school. is the
- Rocky Mountain Deaf School - Bilingual charter school in Colorado (Note: School's website is gone. School may have ceased to exist).
- Sequoia School - Bilingual charter school in Arizona that has deaf and hearing students share in activities, plus allows hearing students to enroll (e.g. children and siblings of deaf).
Why did I subtitle this article "Dream Schools?" The answer is simple: Because these schools are the answer to many parents' and teachers' dreams. In an environment where deaf and hearing students are seen as equals and educated together, the opportunity for teasing for the "difference" of hearing loss does not arise. As opposed to mainstreaming where a deaf child may be the only deaf one in the class and therefore is an easier target for less understanding students, in a charter school environment hearing students get to see that the groups of deaf students are the same as them, they just don't hear or talk.
The future appears to point towards more charter schools for the deaf. Already, the size of some of the charter schools' enrollments rival that of some state schools for the deaf.
