Hi Steve,

Yes, it is great news! I think it will not be problem for the senate to
pass it. I think Dr. Morton is not qualified to work as the state Supt. of
Education.

For your information Jerry, my husband wrote a letter to Representative
Craig Ford for his support on the ASL bill as foreign language several months
ago. He checked there were only two persons who sent the letter to Rep. Craig,
one of them was Lynn Jacobowitz, ASL professor at Gallaudet University and one
interpreter in the Birmingham area. He was not sure if deaf or hard of
hearing in Alabama had sent letters to Rep. Craig.

Before I transferred to Gallaudet University, I used to teach sign
language at the University of Montevallo to help students to improve their
skills in
sign language before they are ready to work with deaf or hard of hearing or
mainstreaming children. Some of them got a job or intern at ASD.

When I first came to the University of Montevallo in 1982 and met a
person who taught the sign language class, it was hard to believe that she was
hired who never experience in the deaf community or knew signs very little.
Later
she left her position to take care of her illness mother. Now they have a
right person who teaches at UM who used to work at AIDB for fifteen years. She
was my interpreter when I was a student at UM in 1999 or 2000. However, I still
do not feel comfortable that the deaf education program is taught under the
CSD, they understand my feelings and told me that the decision was made by the
state of education. I assume it is Dr. Morton's decision. I think he is the
wrong person to make the decision over the deaf education program. I hope it
will
not be problem for Dr. Morton to accept some changes we plan to make at UM if
the bill is passed by the senate. Past three years UM has improved alot
after the Dean of CSD retired and an instructor of the deaf education program
left. The CSD at UM recently appointed Jerry to be one of the board of the
Communication Science and Disorders and it is a very good news because he is
first
deaf person to be on their board.

Hope to see you soon when I am at home on the Spring break.

Stay warm,
Debby


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