Deaf Education Leader's Summit: A Great Beginning

Published 05-07-2009

MCDHH and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)cosponsored the National Deaf Education Project’s Deaf Education Leaders Summit on April 30 and May 1. MCDDH served as a remote site in their new St. Paul offices while the conference was live streamed via internet with captioning from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Attendees were: Sean Virnig (MSAD), Tom Anderson (MCDHH parent), Michele Isham (MCDHH member/teacher of the deaf & hard of hearing), Kathy Arnoldi (St. Paul Schools), Susan Rose (U of M), Kathy Anderson (EHDI/MDE), Joan Breslin-Larson (MDE)& Mary Cashman-Bakken (MDE), Mary Hartnett & Cynthia Weitzel & Jamie Taylor (all from MCDHH).

The topic of the conference was data collection of education results for students who are deaf and hard of hearing and using that data to help them improve in school. Attendees left the videoconference full of energy and excitement for the future. Some of the questions asked and discuss were: What should Minnesota’s data and education improvement plan look like? How can we help MDE & the MN Resource Center?

Next steps: If the legislature passes and the governor signs provisions in HF1212, the Department would be required to collect and report data and develop a plan that would make recommendations on how to improve outcomes. MCDHH, the U of M, MSAD and other organizations are ready to help and support these efforts. The commission will discuss this at their May 15, 2009 full member meeting.