The stories of the Scranton State School for the Deaf need to reach the tin ear of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. You can help him hear the message this Saturday.
The Alumni Association of the Scranton State School for the Deaf will return to their old school this Saturday for a rally that begins at 11 a.m.
In Northeastern Pennsylvania, a place where there’s been so much bad news about the treatment of children, why would Gov. Rendell zoom in on this very special place?
People may point to the extravagant cost of educating deaf children. Ruth Gerrity, president of the Scranton State School for the Deaf Education Association, explained to us today that the vast majority of parents who discover their child is deaf don’t have any experience coping with the situation because they aren’t deaf. Once a child receives a diagnosis, the process of helping them is very intense. Much of the work done once children enter the SSSD may involve living on the school’s campus, where services are provided 24/7 for five days a week. Children are entitled to an appropriate education by law, and the SSSD meets that mission in an effective way.
A lot of people have been discussing the “deaf culture,” attributes very specific to the community. American Sign Language is just one component. The deaf have their own art, plays and publications. They lobby for causes important to them.
Now, their cause is our cause. I don’t want to over-simplify the solution to this issue, but if the government can find money for all things great and small, why in the world would they want to destroy a successful, results-driven education system for something unknown? Who’s to say that any other group can do it better than the Scranton State School for the Deaf?
What began in the 1800s as an educational facility for eight children has blossomed into a full-service provider for children. These children might also have other disabilities that are also addressed at the SSSD.
Alumni from the school are expected to attend from as far away as Boston to attend Saturday’s rally. They are not the only ones who are troubled: 25,000 signatures have been put on petitions in the effort, which is only about one month old.
Northeastern Pennsylvania has seen the pain of a round of parochial school closings. Although it hurts, students have been able to find other schools providing the education they need. I believe the scenario for the SSSD is much more serious because there’s uncertainty over what kind of education will be offered and where it will be offered.
Northeastern Pennsylvania lawmakers have been somewhat demonstrative about their concerns, but they need to step it up. Hopefully, they will this weekend. Hopefully, you will, too. The address is 1800 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. See you there!
Corbett
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