Local mother leads fight to improve learning accommodations for deaf students
by Darian Trotter
SAN ANTONIO – A local mother is fighting for improved accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing students including her daughter.
Regina Johnson says changes at Braun Station Elementary School are hampering the education of the hearing impaired.
Leaders with Northside Independent School District tell Fox San Antonio they’re aware of the concerns and they’re actively working to address them.
“It’s exhausting having to make your child going to school, knowing that she’s being isolated and feeling embarrassed to be deaf,” Regina Johnson said.
Regina Johnson says her 6-year old daughter Mylyana is normally fun-loving, full of life and excited about school, but that hasn’t been the case this year.
Johnson says changes at Braun Station Elementary are hindering her daughters education.
“She no longer wants to sign anymore which is her means of learning,” Johnson said.
She says the auditory impairment classroom has been removed this year, making it difficult for deaf and hard of hearing students to interact and learn from each other.
“And it’s very , very important that they have that,” Johnson said. “Deaf hard of hearing between them because they are the only ones in the school, they’re not supposed to be mainstreamed completely.”
Johnson says her daughter is being isolated with a special education instructor in the back of general education classroom.
“She’s supposed to have access to her hearing peers and then she’s also supposed to have access to her non-hearing peers,” Johnson said.
Johnson says she’s voiced concerns to school leaders who according to her have refused to remove Mylyana from the class for special ed coaching.
“They’re violating the IEP which is against the law,” Johnson said.
In a statement Northside Independent School District Executive Director of Communications, Barry Perez said, “Campus and district administrators are working actively to address parent concerns and they are committed to finding a solution that is in the best interest of students.”
Johnson said, “I want them to stop isolating our deaf and non-hearing children. I want them to just do what they’re supposed to do.”
The district says it has provided concerned parents the chance to express their views.
Parents of deaf students at Braun Station and their supporters are planning a 3-day deaf awareness rally beginning Wednesday, November 14th – Friday, November 16th between 7 am-3:15 pm at 8631 Tezel Rd, San Antonio, TX 78254.
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