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55 Chapter 6 Breaking Down Barriers In September 1953, Bob began his career as a teacher at the second oldest school for the deaf in the United States—the New York School for the Deaf (NYSD) at White Plains. It opened its doors in 1818, about one year after the American School for the Deaf in Hartford was established. Of the campuses on which the NYSD has resided, perhaps the most beautiful and memorable campus was the 37-acre property in the Fort Washington section of Manhattan. Surrounded by the scenic “Fanny’s Woods,” NYSD acquired its nickname, “Fanwood School” to which it is still often referred, even though “Fanwood” is now located in White Plains. Enrollment consisted of both boys and girls through elementary school, but only boys stayed through the secondary school years. The Lexington School for the Deaf in Manhattan also consisted of both boys and girls through elementary school, but all older students were girls. Fanwood sent its older girls to Lexington, and Lexington sent its older boys to Fanwood. Bob was assigned at first to teach the younger boys, and ultimately taught mathematics and social studies in the high school for 14 years. Before Bob arrived, friends at Gallaudet who had attended Fanwood— Bernard Bragg, Allen Sussman, and Sulemein Bushnaq—warned him that the kids there were a rowdy bunch. This was almost certainly compounded by the fact that the boys no longer had to wear military uniforms. Some had visited the Gallaudet campus during Bob’s years there and he remembered how they would often get into disputes with the college students. The Fanwood kids had established a reputation in Bob’s mind as rabble-rousers. Thus, Bob was apprehensive when he entered his first class in the high school program and saw before him a group of 19-, 20-, and 21-year olds who were considered academically delayed. He himself was barely 21 and, in 56 Moments of Truth fact, months younger than several students in his class. But he certainly wasn’t about to tell them that. Bob had learned at CSD to hide his age, and this strategy served him well at Fanwood. A classroom incident helped to enhance Bob’s stature among the rabble-rousers. One day, while Bob was handing out papers one of the boys noticed the old tattoo on Bob’s wrist. The kid imagined that it was a gang symbol. He had learned that Bob grew up near San Diego. He told his friends and all of a sudden, the other kids sat forward and paid attention when Bob began class.1 But this was also a moment of truth for Bob. The tattoo on his wrist was a vestige of his days in the barrio, something he had tried to hide by wearing long sleeves for a while. Although it helped him connect to the students at Fanwood in this way, Bob realized that it was unacceptable in an academic environment. It was time to have it surgically removed. It no longer represented the man he had become. Over time, Bob had a profound impact on some of his students. One of the so-called “rowdy students” was Dominick Bonura. Dom was a child of deaf parents, a fluent signer, an outstanding athlete and a class leader, and at times, a self-admitted class cut up. He was, however, not overly interested in academics, and fully expected to be, like his deaf father, a Linotype operator at the New York Times. But Bob sensed immediately that Dom was a bright student and a potential leader, and thus challenged him to improve his English skills so that he could go to Gallaudet College and further his education. Dom did go on to Gallaudet College and earned his degree. He later earned a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University at Northridge (CSUN), and became a nationally recognized leader in deaf education and the Deaf community. To this day, Dom gives Bob, one of his first deaf teachers, credit for inspiring him to become an educator and community leader. Bob had moved to the Fanwood campus in August, three weeks after his wedding. Without any money, the young couple decided it was best for Donna to stay with her parents in Seattle and work for several more months until Bob could find appropriate housing in White Plains. Superintendent Cloud generously offered to let Bob and Bob Lennan live at the school until they could...

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