Removing bilingual approach - Berkeley united district

[DYUSA Bay Area]

I read the message from jane jonas about berkeley losing biligual approach.. here her letter template... we should write letter... What do u think?

Dear Kay Altizer and the Board of Education,

I am concerned about the current situation where John Muir’s day program for deaf students is at risk of losing the bilingual approach to deaf education. Eliminating the bilingual approach is denying the basic human right of a deaf child to experience full access to language. In the absence of hearing, a visual language is the most accessible form of language. A bilingual approach where sign language is used in conjugation with English will enrich the acquisition of written and spoken English. A totally Oralist system provides only partial development of language and prevents a sense of positive linguistic awareness in a deaf child.

To remove the bilingual approach is in contradiction of the Berkeley Unified School Board’s goal to provide language access and to ensure that all systems are culturally and linguistically responsive to the needs of our students and their families as stated in the district goals, section III: Family/Community Engagement.

I am proud to say that I am an alumnus of John Muir Elementary, and was in the deaf program in the very first days of the program. Pam Ormsby was our marvelous teacher, and we had a very diverse class, with most of us benefitting drastically from the bilingual approach practiced there, and mostly from sign language. I am a proud sign language user. I am also hard of hearing, and I benefitted from speech classes while at John Muir, admittedly, but it was my least favorite part of my school day. I know for a fact that I would not be where I am today without that early exposure to bilingual education, and complete access to language in all forms.

Please allow sign language to continue to be a part of the program, and allow children like me to blossom and flourish.

Please reconsider the decision to adopt a totally oralist system. Let deaf children succeed by granting them their right to full access of language.

Sincerely,

Jane M. Jonas

Sent from my iPad

[21ba...@gmail.com]

I emailed mine with some changes of the template... Here it is 

Dear Kay Altizer and the Board of Education,

I am concerned about the current situation where John Muir’s day program for deaf students is at risk of losing the bilingual approach to deaf education. Eliminating the bilingual approach is denying the basic human right of a deaf child to experience full access to language. In the absence of hearing, a visual language is the most accessible form of language. A bilingual approach where sign language is used in conjugation with English will enrich the acquisition of written and spoken English. A totally Oralist system provides only partial development of language and prevents a sense of positive linguistic awareness in a deaf child.

To remove the bilingual approach is in contradiction of the Berkeley Unified School Board’s goal to provide language access and to ensure that all systems are culturally and linguistically responsive to the needs of our students and their families as stated in the district goals, section III: Family/Community Engagement.

Jane Jonas, John Muir Elementary alumnus wrote that she is proud to say that she was in the deaf program in the very first days of the program. Pam Ormsby was marvelous teacher, and they had a very diverse class, with most of us benefitting drastically from the bilingual approach practiced there, and mostly from sign language. She was a proud sign language user. She is also hard of hearing, and She benefitted from speech classes while at John Muir, admittedly, but it was my least favorite part of my school day. Se know for a fact that she would not be where She is today without that early exposure to bilingual education, and complete access to language in all forms. 

Please allow sign language to continue to be a part of the program, and allow children like her to blossom and flourish. 

Please reconsider the decision to adopt a totally oralist system. Let deaf children succeed by granting them their right to full access of language.

Sincerely,

Rima Cornish 

Sent from my iPad

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[Leala Holcomb]

If someone is willing to write a letter, then I don't see why DYUSA Bay Area can't sign it.