NY Schools for the Deaf Need Our Help

There was a rally held this past Tuesday at the NY School for the Deaf on Knollwood Road to protest the cuts in the NYS proposed Cuomo budget, effectively forcing the closure of this and other schools for deaf children. ABG realizes there must be room in education for trimming costs, expenditures, maintenance, pensions, etc. But we also realize the impossible burden placing deaf students into our hearing classrooms would place on all school districts, not just the Greenburgh Central 7 district.

Supervisor Feiner is usually on the wrong side of most issues, unless it has to do with increasing taxes and buying more votes through doling out more money to special interest groups, the TYC, or developers. That's why we'll acknowledge those too-few instances when he gets something right. Finally, he is protesting the budget cuts from one of his own, future presidential candidate, Governor Cuomo.

ABG queried a school board candidate at the last election using only one school as an example, the Maria Regina High School, on Hartsdale Road. There are state and federal monies that go to the Greenburgh school district based on attendance taken at MR. The district gets this money to spend as they choose, with a few exceptions. The most obvious one is the district must provide busing for the students that go to MR. The ABG question to the candidate was, "What happens to the rest of the money you get for each student who's parents are paying tuition?" Her answer was succinct. "We spend it," was her honest response. "Then how can they always be in need of more money for the students they do have to teach?" No answer.

The schools for the deaf have teachers that know and teach utilizing sign language. If these schools are closed, they will not necessarily be hired by the school districts to teach. More important is that the schools will need to hire translators for every classroom with deaf students. Teaching, explanations and clarification of information, sometimes difficult to explain to youths as it is, will take longer. We all know that when things slow down in a classroom, disruption slowly creeps in. The deaf students may wind up feeling and/or being isolated as there will not be many in each classroom. With bullying being such a big issue nowadays, at least based on the 17 minute film the supervisor insisted on showing at the last Town Board meeting, we're sure there will be bullying to deal with. ABG is sure there are many more issues.

With the difficulty learning presents to all involved, we should be taking steps forward, not backwards, when it come to the education of special needs students. This is moving backwards. ABG believes Cuomo is posturing for his presidential bid and should open his eyes, listen to what people are saying and do as he promised during his campaign: stop funding the special interests. That's where he can safely cut and save money, not with our students.