DEAR NMSD FAMILY & FRIENDS

The other day, I was thinking about the title of this magazine “The New Mexico Progress.” Who were the people who thought up the title? Did they envision the world that we have today? What defines Progress?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary gives us multiple definitions. Some of the most relevant are nouns: “A forward or onward movement (as to an objective or goal)” and “Gradual betterment.” Progress is also defined as a verb “To move forward: Proceed” and “To develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage.”

How far have we come? Where are we going? As a global society in which we are all acting out our own roles, it is difficult to see progress especially when we read the works of ancient Philosophers grappling with many of the same issues that we face today. It is easier to see the progression when it comes to technology, especially with the dawning of the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Progression is not linear. We know from history that we do not start at one point and end at another point (the goal) but go backwards, forwards, left, right, to hopefully end up where we want to be.

In Deaf education, progress can be seen over the centuries. Throughout history, Deaf children were seen as deficient, unable to learn, and problems to be solved. Up until recent history, Deaf people were placed in asylums, prohibited from attending school, left to their own devices, or worse. Various Deaf and hearing people across time have pushed Deaf education forwards (and sometimes backwards).

I am often asked, “Aren’t residential schools for the Deaf outdated models of deaf education?” To this, I respond, “No, leaving children in isolation without direct and easy communication, access to peers, teachers, coaches, and other staff is the outdated model.” Deaf children must always have the option of receiving full access to communication in an environment where families as well as educators believe that their child/student can learn and be successful.

This is the crux of why NMSD exists, to support families, especially those of younger children (EIDS), to support children in school districts (Outreach), and to provide an option to be immersed in easy direct instruction and social learning experiences with a critical mass of peers (School Programs). Now that we have thought about why we are here, we must also consider where we are going. We are certainly not simply existing.

Where do we want to be? There are many critical questions that we must consider including the following:

• With modern progression in listening technology combined with the children’s continued desire to connect with their peers and adults through sign language, where are we going as a school and statewide agency?

• With rapid changes in this information age where it is easy to pull up information, solve complex mathematical equations, or create epic novels with a few clicks, where are we going as educators?

We will be developing our new strategic plan during the 2023-2024 school year and during this time, we will define what progress looks like for us. This will require the involvement of various stakeholders including our community members and families. I look forward to this meaningful process.

Then again, we could always ask AI.

With appreciation and gratitude,

Dr. Jennifer Herbold, Superintendent