New Mexico School of the Deaf superintendent has ties to Taos
April 29, 2015
Taos News staff
Rosemary Jeantete-Gallegos has been selected the ninth superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Deaf by its board of regents.
Originally from Taos, Jeantete-Gallegos is the first female and the second Hispanic superintendent in the school’s history.
Gallegos is the former assistant superintendent of New Mexico School for the Deaf. She retired in 2011 after 27 years as an early interventionist, teacher, and administrator and continues to serve as a consultant to the school.
She is a doctoral candidate in educational leadership at University of New Mexico, has a Master of Education in Deaf and Hard of Hearing from University of Arizona, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from New Mexico State University. The intended start date for Gallegos is July 1, 2015.
Dr. Ronald J. Stern, New Mexico School for the Deaf’s outgoing superintendent, began his tenure in 2000. In reflecting on the selection of Gallegos as the next superintendent, Stern said in a prepared statement, “Having had the privilege to know and work closely with Ms. Gallegos over the years at NMSD, I very well know she is highly qualified and primed to lead NMSD and its critical statewide responsibilities in the years ahead. Her outstanding intelligence, keen understanding and love for NMSD, its community and the entire state of New Mexico will be crucial as NMSD continues to expand its unique viability on behalf of the education of today and tomorrow’s deaf/hard of hearing students.”
The New Mexico School for the Deaf serves children birth through 21 from every region in New Mexico. Its parent-child home visiting program sees babies, toddlers, and young children in all 33 counties in New Mexico. The school also has regional preschool programs in Albuquerque, Farmington, and Las Cruces.
The main campus in Santa Fe is a state-of-the-art educational facility for children ages 18 months to 21 years of age. This center is the hub for New Mexico School for the Deaf’s outreach consultation and training to all public and charter schools in the state that have students who are deaf or hard of hearing enrolled in their programs.
While the New Mexico Legislature officially established the New Mexico School for the Deaf in 1887, it was deaf pioneer Lars Larson and his wife Belle who first planted the school’s historic roots in 1885. The deaf couple dreamed of establishing a permanent school where none had existed, a place where deaf and hard-of-hearing children could receive a quality education comparable to that of hearing children and have an educational environment where they could belong and freely communicate and learn.
Gallegos said in a prepared statement she is “honored that the Board of Regents entrusted her with this gem for New Mexico’s deaf and hard of hearing children” and is “ready to dig in to continue to develop NMSD’s programs and partnerships so that every child and youth in New Mexico who is deaf or hard of hearing has the opportunity to access it’s many resources and know that it is possible to dream big for his/her future”.
Any child age birth through 6 in any part of the state who has a hearing loss can receive services through New Mexico School for the Deaf’s home visiting program. Any preschool or school age child or youth who resides in New Mexico and has a hearing loss can be considered for school enrollment on the school’s main campus and in its regional preschool programs. Students from New Mexico attend free of charge.
Children and youth who are enrolled in their local public school programs, their families and their educational teams, are eligible for outreach consultation and training services.
SOURCE:
http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_7d9e5096-e9d7-11e4-a3f4-4bfe95675387.html