Camas Washougal Watch

Legislator calls forum to make sure that students, parents, other advocates are heard

            Moeller has arranged a public forum this weekend to discuss the legislation. The forum will be held this Saturday, Jan. 23, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. It will take place in hearing room A on the first floor of the John L. O’Brien Building on the Capitol Campus here in Olympia. Citizens should call or e-mail Moeller for driving directions.

His Olympia phone number is 360-786-7872, his local phone number is 693-0804, and his e-mail address is moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov.

            All interested parties are invited to the forum, and staff from the governor’s office will also be there. Interpreters and Braille copies of the legislation will be provided.

The legislation, which was requested by the governor, would require that the School for the Blind, the School for the Deaf, and the State Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss would become programs under the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

            Right now, the State School for the Blind is under the direction of the school’s superintendent, who works with a board of trustees. The governor appoints the school’s superintendent and the trustees. The governor also appoints the director of the Washington State Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss, as well as the center’s board of trustees.

            “I simply haven’t heard any concrete reasoning, either financial or otherwise, for making such a dramatic change in the way these two long-standing institutions are governed,” Moeller said. “There is no specific information about how such a reorganization would save money or improve services provided to these unique populations.

            “And it seems to me that proponents of this idea haven’t done enough to involve the most obvious stakeholders,” Moeller said. “Students, parents and advocates for children who attend these facilities must certainly be involved in the process.

            “I understand that there’s a huge budget and revenue crisis, and I know that we have to make some very big changes in the way we do things. But we need to be sure that we are not making changes just for the sake of making changes.” 

            The Washington State School for the Blind programs emphasize all aspects of specialized and academic training for blind students, pre-school through grades 12 and beyond.  Very similarly, the Washington State Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss provides statewide leadership, coordination and delivery of educational services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

¿ E-mail: moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov

¿ Web site: http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/moeller/