Deaf school supporters ‘feel insulted’

IOWA CITY - Some members of the deaf community said they plan to continue their fight against an administrative change at the Iowa School for the Deaf approved Wednesday by the state Board of Regents.

A group of opponents to the move, which appoints a new superintendent at the school who does not know American Sign Language, said they have contacted the National Association of the Deaf to seek help in a possible legal challenge.

“We feel insulted and, I think, passionate to fight,” said Gretchen Waech of Des Moines.

The regents unanimously approved the appointment of a joint superintendent for the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs and the Iowa Sight Saving School in Vinton. Patrick Clancy, superintendent of Braille School, will share his time leading the School for the Deaf. The state's two special schools are overseen by the regents.

Several regents said they understand concerns about Clancy's lack of ability to sign, but they said they fully support his leadership skills. Consolidating the superintendent jobs will save more than $100,000 annually, Regents President Craig Lang said.

Opponents said it's unacceptable for the school to have a superintendent who doesn't sign. They said the board had only a short discussion of the change at Wednesday's meeting, without the input of someone from the deaf community.

“They just open and close it, no discussion even thought of,” said Brenda Falgier of Iowa City. “This is a disappointment.”

Regent David Miles said he takes the concerns seriously and he does think it's a negative that Clancy cannot sign. But Clancy brings tremendous leadership skills and has demonstrated his sensitivity to special needs students in his past experience and at the Braille School, he said.

“I”m quite confident that he will perform very well in this role,” Miles said.

Lang said officials checked to make sure it was not a legal requirement that the superintendent know how to sign; he said it is not. They also checked with the school's accreditation committee and were assured it has happened at other schools, he said.