Parents, advocates urge USDB leaders’ presence at town hall and call for panel-based superintendent hire
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Summary
Parents and advocates told the USBE USDB committee that a recent town hall was too short for meaningful public input and urged a panel-based hiring process for the next USDB superintendent with experts in deaf/blind education involved.
Public commenters at the Utah State Board of Education’s Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB) standing committee meeting criticized the format of a recent USDB town-hall and urged more inclusive hiring for the next USDB superintendent.
Ryan Layton, speaking for the Utah Association of the Deaf, said leaders of USDB — including Michelle Tanner and Susan Patton — were reportedly asked not to attend a recent town-hall about House Bill 448. “They have been asked not to show up to that town hall meeting, and that was a little puzzling,” Layton told the committee, adding that the hour-long meeting left little time for community feedback.
Several parents echoed that concern. A parent who identified herself as Alyssa Nielsen thanked the committee for restoring after‑school and summer programs but said she felt the town hall’s question-and-answer structure failed to provide true community input. Nielsen called for a hiring panel for the superintendent that includes people with expertise in deaf and blind education and specifically recommended "Associate Superintendent of the Deaf Michelle Tanner" be on the panel so the chosen superintendent would understand USDB students’ needs.
Alisa Ensign also used public comment to press for stronger representation by USDB administrators at public meetings and asked why a USBE deputy superintendent had appeared beside a superintendent at a telemeeting instead of a USDB administrator.
The committee did not take action on hiring procedures during the meeting. Members acknowledged the concerns and noted the committee’s rulemaking and policy work is ongoing; staff said they would continue communicating with parents and the advisory council and invited email questions and follow-up.
The committee’s public-comment portion closed before the committee moved on to policy items and votes that included first readings and approvals of multiple USDB policies and plans; the meeting later shifted into a closed session to discuss student-specific services.
