By Stephen Smoot
After years of fending off efforts to close the facility and move its functions elsewhere in the state, the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind finally have a sense of security. With former state education official Clayton Burch at the helm as Superintendent, the school has placed under its work a sturdy foundation on which to explore updates and changes to its historic mission.
The school has expanded its services to local county school systems around the state while also adding to the ways it helps those who already hold a high school diploma. It’s also worked to support those high school age students, some of whom will go on to college, others into the work force, and still more who aspire to live independently, or more independently than they would otherwise.
Burch shared that one of the school’s accomplishments, difficult anywhere, has been to have certified teachers leading each classroom. With a shrinking pool of those looking for a career in education, finding them has proved a challenge for many schools and systems. He shared that the school’s unique mission and vision, combined with caring staff and great kids makes “teachers say ‘I want to be a part of that.’”
One of the most popular education programs for students of all ages is that for music, led by Joshua Haza. Haza understands that special needs students can use music in different ways to encourage expression and keep students involved.
In addition to instruction in music, Haza has also supported some of his students’ aspirations to form a rock ‘n roll band.
He shared that he had been teaching one of the students who formed it since the age of three, but “a couple of kids are fairly new to playing.” Haza remarked that some of the band members are even deaf, but the band will take to the road and perform well at public shows. He added that the profoundly deaf students “are really good at reading notes” and do well on the piano as well.
“It’s pretty amazing to watch them grow,” he shared, adding that music keeps the students excited about school.
Haza also helps with coaching the school’s goal ball team. The sport plays like soccer except that all players must wear opaque eye shields to simulate total blindness and the ball has bells inside it to indicate position. The school recently placed second in a national tournament in Florida.
In academics, the school has formed five career and technical education academies geared to prepare students for jobs or careers in fields of need. These include business maintenance and operations, business enterprise, culinary and hospitality, music, and personal career readiness.
These academies all seek to teach not just subjects and work skills, but prepare the student for life in these fields of work.
Brian Olden leads the culinary and hospitality program from a fully stocked large commercial kitchen on campus. His students learn the fundamentals of food preparation and also produce a number of tasty treats for students, teachers and staff. Rachel Lanham, a program administrator for the school, noted that “
In building maintenance, Bobby Catlett instructs classes that teach skills needed for contracting work. He explained that too many programs leave students unable to do much more than basic unskilled manual labor and adds “I’m a contractor, so I have the inside scoop.”
Catlett has run a contracting business and structures the training as if he was teaching the students to work for him. Students learn skills for a number of different good paying fields, such as HVAC, carpentry, and much more
“I need people who can do all of it,” he explained. Students work on real world career type projects and also make pieces more for fun, like cornhole games or artistic picture frames.
With shortages in all of these key fields, the area needs skilled workers in all of the subjects covered by the academies. Along with preparing others for college, the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind, with a past that extends back to the 19th century, is ready to prepare students for the 21st.
