Local opinion: State facts and solutions on ASDB

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

“The need for leadership cannot be borne solely in response to catastrophe,” yet here we are. With so much in the news, one small group of Arizonans has received too little attention: Arizona's students and parents and the staff of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

Some have said that “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its children.” Seeing how some of Arizona’s most vulnerable children — those who are deaf or hard of hearing or visually impaired or blind — have been treated, one must ask what kind of society would consider closing this school. Arizona facts show there is more than a need for the comprehensive services delivered by ASDB. References to declining birth rates oversimplify the issue and obscure factors affecting the number of children served. A simplistic calculation — dividing the number of students into the budget — leads to the conclusion that costs are too high. But that ignores important context and data that should be part of public review.

The declining birth rate cited is an oversimplified average that does not account for variables affecting the number of children served by ASDB. Unserved or underserved groups of children who are deaf or hard of hearing could total hundreds of students in Arizona public schools. For students with visual impairments, caseloads for traveling teachers can be high, limiting the time available for each student. In a recent survey of Arizona teachers, many indicated they were unsure they had the capacity to teach Braille to the level required for state literacy exams, and some expressed a need for alternative support. These are areas where ASDB currently provides services and expertise. The need for active educational leadership and governance is clear, and solutions exist within the state.

What is needed is for the governor and the state superintendent of public instruction to appoint an interim special administrator with full authority to implement corrective actions and restore trust among parents and school districts. This administrator would focus on the needs of students with sensory loss and help guide ASDB’s future. Research shows that when local schools and campus-based programs work together, students succeed. Leadership is needed now.