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2-46 • JuJith Coryell, Robert T. Mobley, Thoma.J K. Holcomb, and Charle.J Katz Charles: I don't recall any difficulties entering the NYU deaf education program . All I remembered was the financial challenge because the university was expensive. Being Deaf did not pose any difficulties for me at all. Though most college students will find the costs of their education daunting, d1Deaf students may need more financial aid, especially for those enrolled in graduate programs . Although it is common for dlDeaf students to receive support from vocational rehabilitation agencies for some or all of their undergraduate education, this financial support may not be available to defray graduate school costs. Also, the opportunities for self-support through graduate school (i.e., part-time employment) may not be as available for dlDeaf students due to discriminatory practices of employers. At least half of the teacher preparation programs recruiting the most d1Deaf students offered financial support in the form of scholarships, grants, and/or assistantships (Coryell 1989). Supportive Environments for dJDeaf Educators In addition to financial support, the creation of a supportive educational environment for dlDeaf preservice students has been identified as important by teacher preparation programs (Coryell 1989). The location of the program-for example, in a metropolitan area, near a residential school, and/or near an active Deaf Community-may contribute to a d1Deaf student's cultural and social support system. Likewise, the presence of a sizable number of d/Deaf students, a d1Deaf student organization on campus, and support services for co-curricular activities can also add to this type of support. Courses that demonstrate a valuing of the language of Deaf people, such as linguistics of ASL and sign language courses, also enhance the communication environment for dlDeaf students and provide their hearing peers an opportunity to develop effective communication skills. Many of these environmental characteristics are evident in the preservice programs enrolling the majority of dlDeaf students (Coryell 1989). The self-creation of supportive environments also extends beyond colleges and universities. Not only do d1Deaf preservice teachers cluster in a few deaf education programs, but dlDeaf teachers also tend to congregate in certain types of schools and in specific areas of the country. Deaf teachers tend to work in special schools serving dlDeaf students rather than in mainstream programs in general education settings. Andrews and Jordan (1993) reported that 75 percent of the dlDeaf teachers work in separate school settings (i.e., either residential programs or day programs for d1Deaf students). Also according to this study, there is a clear geographic distribution of d1Deaf teachers: 75 percent of the dlDeaf teachers are working in only 20 percent of the states. In order of concentration, the majority of d1Deaf teachers are found in Washington, D.C., New York, Maryland, Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Connecticut , Louisiana, North Carolina, and Ohio. This concentration of dlDeaf teachers may be explained by two factors. One, residential programs have historically tended to employ greater numbers of d1Deaf teachers than have mainstream programs. These states with the greatest concentrations of dlDeaf educators often have more than one residential program (e.g., New York has thirteen separate schools for dlDeaf students) and account for some of the largest schools serving dlDeaf students in the entire country . Two, the teacher preparation programs that prepare the largest numbers of d1Deaf students (Western Maryland College, Gallaudet, and CSUN) are in or near many of these states and provide a ready pool of applicants for these programs. Charles has held teaching positions in a variety of settings, both mainstream Recruitment and Retention of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers • 247 and separate. His descriptions of some of his mainstream experiences provide additional reasons why dlDeaf educators may congregate at residential and separate day schools for d/Deaf students: Thomas: Have you taught in self-contained classrooms with Deaf students only or have you taught classes with non-Deaf students? Charles: Most of my teaching experiences in New York City, Los Angeles, and Fremont were with Deaf students only. I had one all-hearing class in New York City but the course was on American Sign Language. However, I did one year and a half worth of a teaching assignment with a regular, nonDeaf class in Los Angeles with only three Deaf students in the class. Thomas: Did you have to make any adjustments in what you did as a student teacher in New York because of your deafness? Charles: I did not make any major adjustments but there...

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