Texas Regional Day School Program for the Deaf

Texas Regional Day School Program for the Deaf Dear Dr. Moores: I would like to respond to some erroneous information included in your October 1995 editorial. You stated that Texas had dismantled its system of support for regional day school programs and that regional offices were closed with no warning. That statement is incorrect. The Texas Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) has not been dismantled. In fact, with the support of our new commissioner of education, a funding increase was approved during the last legislative session. A revision to the Texas Education Code includes statutes for the statewide Regional Day School Program for the Deaf and the Texas School for the Deaf. The legislature also passed a "bill of rights" for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Services for the Deaf regional offices are still open at this time. Due to a massive decentralization of technical assistance functions in the Texas Education Agency and a legislative mandate to downsize the agency, the functions of 141 TEA staff, including those in the regional offices, will be transferred to the Education Service Centers at the end of February 1996. Negotiations are still underway regarding staff and duties, but a support system for the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf will be maintained. The state office of the TEA Division of Services for the Deaf will continue to operate, focusing primarily on funding, monitoring and statewide coordination activities. Regional office staff will provide technical assistance and support through a different system, but support will still be available. It has been a time of challenge in Texas, but the statewide Regional Day School Program for the Deaf remains strong. We appreciate your interest in Texas and hope to correct any misconceptions in the field. Shä H. Cowan Director Services for the Deaf Texas Education Agency Dear Ms. Cowan: I appreciate your response, but I am afraid that my concerns have not been alleviated. As I understand it, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is undergoing a massive reduction of 25% to 30% of its staff and that fewer than half of the number of positions will be available in the Education Service Centers. This TEA downsizing has been going on for several years in the form of not replacing personnel who left. According to my information an announcement was made on August 8, 1995 that the regional offices would be closed effective February 29, 1996. Plans had not been made but the directors of the regional offices could apply for positions in educational service centers, once they had been identified. They were told they were not guaranteed positions. As of the date I received your letter (November 8) only one regional office director remained, meaning that four of the five positions were vacant. I understand, as of November 16, that the question of how the technical assistance functions of the regional offices will be taken over is still unresolved. February 29 is almost upon us. Over the years state support for educating deaf students has not kept pace with inflation. I believe it is now $7,800 per student in Texas and I believe it should be much more. For over two decades I have thought that the Texas system of regional offices should serve as a model for large states. From everything I know, it has functioned efficiently and effectively and its closing was a part of a general education reorganization. I am sorry to see it dismantled. Donald F. Moores Editor Erratum The July 1995 issue of the American Annals of the Deaf presented the article entitled Stress in Greek Mothers With Deaf Children: Effects of Child Characteristics, Family Resources and Cognitive Set. The authors' names were listed as M. Mary Konstantareas and Venetta Lampropoulou. The authors' names should have been listed as Venetta Lampropoulou and M. Mary Konstantareas. Volume 140, No. 5 American Annals of the Deaf ...