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District task force on deaf and hard of hearing programs updates committee on surveys, program models under review
Summary
The Milwaukee Public Schools deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) task force reported progress: stakeholder surveys and national program comparisons are informing whether the district should maintain separate oral and signing tracks or move to combined programming; task force moves to phase 2 toward recommendation.
The district’s deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) task force updated the Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation on progress toward a recommendation for the Board. The presentation outlined stakeholder engagement, survey results and next steps toward a Board recommendation.
Travis Pinter, senior director of specialized services, introduced the task force co‑chairs, Sunny Briesch (director of ASL Studies, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) and Linda Fox Wheeler (co‑chair, DHH task force and MPS teacher). Fox Wheeler reminded the committee that a Board resolution passed in April 2023 created the task force and that the group has met regularly since August 2023. Meetings of the full task force occur every six weeks with leadership meetings biweekly.
Survey results and program questions: The task force distributed two surveys (local stakeholder survey and a national survey of other DHH programs). Sunny Briesch summarized the results: about three quarters of local stakeholder respondents were educators and nearly three quarters of stakeholder respondents said they were not interested in a separate “two‑track” program. Briesch said the national survey showed that about 57% of programs reported combined (rather than fully separated) models.
Qualitative themes: Travis Pinter said a word‑cloud of open responses highlighted recurring themes: improved professional development for DHH staff, the value of including DHH students with non‑disabled peers when appropriate, and concerns about equitable placement (location, school choice, accessibility). Fox Wheeler added that the task force is moving into Phase 2 to brainstorm recommendations and to analyze program location, staffing, evaluation processes and financial limitations.
Public question and committee discussion: A student asked how possible school consolidations or closures might affect DHH staffing and locations; task force leaders said they would take that question back and report to the student. Committee member questions focused on clarifying the meaning of "separated" versus "two‑track" and on the pace of the task force work. Task force leaders said the intent is to evaluate whether existing separate oral/listening and sign language programs should be merged into a combined program so students could receive both methods in the same setting rather than in separate schools.
Next steps: The task force will continue Phase 2 work on screening and placement processes, program location options, staffing needs and a recommendation timeline for the Board. Leaders said they seek increased participation as the task force finalizes recommendations.
