I am writing in reaction to the Wash. Post article of today, 2/21/07, that says Adrian Fenty seeks to place special ed students in classes with other children as a way to deal with the District's problems in this area. Certainly, some kids should be mainstreamed with others in their schools. But what about deaf kids? Mainstreaming deaf kids in with hearing kids isn't the answer because even if sign language or oral interpreters are in the classrooms, there is lag time between when someone says something and when the deaf kid gets the information, no matter how good an interpreter is. The interpreter has to first process the information and then sign it. This takes time, particularly if interpreters want to communicate the meaning behind what is said instead of rendering a literal transliteration.
As a hard of hearing person mainstreamed in public schools (not in Wash., DC, but elsewhere in the mid-Atlantic area), I know first-hand the frustration of missing information or only getting part of the information in class. Deaf and hard of hearing kids deserve every chance to reach their potential. Putting them in a mainstream situation just isn't going to cut it for them. I understand the need to stretch education dollars, but please don't do it at the expense of the children involved.