tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330514565040708582.post3835078414584770237..comments2019-10-25T21:57:39.701-04:00Comments on Turtle Is A Verb: Kids notice thingstuttleturtle42http://www.blogger.com/profile/10200741889496874805noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7330514565040708582.post-90622668674394562862016-05-01T10:01:05.123-04:002016-05-01T10:01:05.123-04:00When I was in the sixth grade, I found out that my...When I was in the sixth grade, I found out that my sign language interpreter--a woman on whom I was absolutely dependent for understanding anything said in the classroom--had not been paid for a recent snow day. Apparently you only got paid for snow days in the public school system in my home town if you were designated as an "essential" employee. Otherwise, snow days were unpaid days off. And I remember feeling betrayed by this discovery. Didn't the administrators understand that I could not possibly pursue an education with meaningful success without a sign language interpreter? Didn't they value me, or my academic success, enough to deem my interpreter as an "essential employee"? <br /><br />I don't know what was behind the decision to decline to designate sign language interpreters as "essential employees" in that school system, other than the desire to cut costs. But I wish I could have found a way to tell them that their decision sent a very loud message to this deaf student that they did not really care about me or my education.<br /><br />(If I do a BADD2016 post later today, it will go up at http://RamblingJustice.wordpress.com)Andrea Shettle, MSWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16984732076766787818noreply@blogger.com