After the difficult time I had in junior high school, my family and I faced a difficult decision. Should I stay in the public schools or go to a deaf school for high school?
Social Versus Academic
For social reasons, I wanted to attend a deaf school. For academic reasons, we felt I should stay in the public school. Which was more important, my social well-being or being academically challenged?
Visiting a Deaf School
To help us decide, we visited the closest school for the deaf, which was the New York School for the Deaf (Fanwood). I remember little about that visit, but do remember the man we met with - Taras Denis. Mr. Denis answered our questions and seemed hopeful I would become a student.What decided it for us was academics. At that time, the school for the deaf was so weak academically that my family feared I would be bored. Somewhat reluctantly, we decided I would stay in the public school.
Right Decision or Not?
Was it the right decision for the time? I did well academically, but paid a price socially. Not going to a school for the deaf meant that I did not have the same opportunities as the hearing teenagers to develop certain crucial social skills. This led to my leaving high school early.Staying in public school for high school also meant I had to face discrimination. For example, when I was on the school paper in high school, I got my first assignment only by fighting for it. The editor had assigned someone else to write an article on my club's activities. I protested, and was allowed to write the article. Although I was able to write more articles after that, they did not let me become an editor.
A Decision Still Faced Today
Today's deaf and hard of hearing teenagers still face similar decisions. I belong to parenting lists, and have read messages from parents describing how their families' deaf/hoh teens choose between deaf schools and staying in or moving to, hearing schools. The reasons for their choices continue to be academic and social.Did you have to choose between a deaf school and a hearing school? Talk about it on the forum.
