Image description: Two white female presenting human beings with seated on a sofa with several pillows and a table in front of them. In the background is soft yellow drapes with fairy lights. Seated at the left is Julie Rems-Smario, LEAD-K PR Chair and seated at the right is Sheri Farinha, LEAD-K Campaign Chair. Both are are sporting shoulder length hair and wearing black outfits. Both are facing the camera. Sometimes the camera is focused on Julie only and sometimes on Sheri only.

To Representatives of the R.O.A.R.:

Sheri: Thank you for your letter, we understand the mixed feelings about the name AGB and all that it represents. We’ve lived such experiences ourselves growing up, and know about the horrible experiences through history. As posted on November 13th on LEAD-K website, we sincerely apologize for any triggers the announcement may have caused. We hope that our response today, helps to clarify the misunderstandings and shows clearly our strong stance for ASL.

Julie: How does the national LEAD-K team works with and invests in the state teams throughout the USA? We work closely with state teams, empowering them with tools and support to members of the Deaf Community who want to pass LEAD-K legislation in their state and provide them with resources.

Julie: We have been transparent in all that we are doing as a national team, and have kept our state teams informed and they have kept their communities informed with town halls and vlogs, through meetings and trainings. The national team posted several letters corresponding with AGB with ASL translation. All of states were aware of this meeting and the goals. Because of AGB’s strong political opposition targeting states legislators, the national team asked several times for a meeting, and they finally agreed. At this meeting, they agreed to support the LEAD-K bill as it is, and the additions we worked on together are ones that the attorneys and advocates in the room thought would add clarification as to the differences between language vs modes of communication. It reads more clearer now than before. All along parents only got information about “options” and “modes of communication”, NOT about the languages themselves, ASL and English.

Sheri: One point of confusion we wish to clarify also is about the wording in the last version and this one, both times we have stated in the bill: “ASL and English, both or one of the languages as opposed to “options”. The reason we use that phrase is because all along, Options included communication modes, and implied parents must pick one or the other. We re-framed this to say “ASL, and English, both or one of the languages that Deaf children use in the United States”.

Julie: ASL must be one of the languages parents know about for language acquisition. Roar stated that the LEAD-K and AGB agreement will “strip deaf children of full access” to ASL. That’s simply not true. ASL is specified in the agreement that ASL a language that must be made known to parents and made accessible to deaf children, and that Deaf children and their parents/family must be informed about ASL along with the full panoply of services, accountability with measurements, etc.

Sheri: Regarding ROAR’s statement that any bill should “include ASL and written English only”. Such bills would end up “dead in the water”. For one thing, laws mandating or excluding languages or communication methods infringe or such that imposes on a parent’s fundamental right to determine how to raise his/her own kids. It’s not even worth drafting a bill like that, because it will never pass. But on the other hand, where all major players can come to agreement on one bill, it then becomes politically a “win/win”. A win for us and a win for Deaf children. If everyone agrees with the bill, legislators love that and will support it with 100% unanimous votes! So a model bill like this one is our opportunity to make a real difference and should receive everyone’s support.

Julie: We believe that in the long term, the data from measuring language development outcomes will validate the research on Deaf Education and the value of an ASL foundation. Critically, we believe that in the short term, the measurement of language development outcomes will finally provide data and leverage to a child’s IFSP or IEP team to address the child’s measured language deprivation/ delays. Building our data is in our favor. Measuring language development outcomes is in the individual child’s favor, And one last thing, people who tell you we already have the data, are simply wrong. There may be data lumped together with other disabilities for K-Point here is this: there is no comprehensive data on Deaf children ages 0-5, until LEAD-K.

Sheri: As Deaf leaders, we have over 36 years of extensive legislative experience with the legislative process, activism, and in building political agreements. LEAD-K, for example, asked Coalition of Option Schools to co-sponsor its first bill: SB 210. That bill received 100% unanimous support all the way through the legislative process and the Governor signed that bill into law (2015). It was a huge success!

Regarding the mention about our Myth busters, they were created to clarify the lies AGB chapters in various states were telling legislators about our bill. What is not shown is that we have a bibliography of research validating language deprivation, validating ASL, and validating the need for Language acquisition to be tracked and monitored.

Julie: AGB has a new CEO (since 2014), and new board chair and board members. Their Board Chair is Deaf, as well as one of their board members. They were amongst those whom we met with and they showed commitment, and passion to work with us. That experience was far more positive, and healthier than what we have seen and witnessed in the past. They heard from us, recognized how we felt about the oppressive, awful, and sometimes violent AGB’s practices. They did not try to defend themselves. They simply acknowledged what happened in the past. They recognize that ASL is a language, they know that LSL is not for everyone, and more specifically, LSL is not a language but a form of communication. Their rep came to the summit and shared this same sentiment about the oppression and went on to say, we cannot change who AGB was in the past, and all the ugliness that happened. We are here to say, from this point forward we are making the changes to work with you in the best interest to serve all Deaf children.

Sheri: Important to also recognize, the political definition of the term “collaboration”. Collaboration is to agree on a shared goal. One thing, that’s it. And that one goal, does not mean we agree on everything they are doing, no. Nor does it mean they agree on everything we are doing either. We agreed on one thing: Kindergarten readiness.

It does not mean we sacrificed ASL. No. In fact, AGB has agreed to help support a bill that has ASL as a recognized language Deaf children need and use, in addition to English. They are not fighting ASL, to be deleted from the bill. No. They did not object to the majority of advisory board members be Deaf or Hard of Hearing. No, they support it. They support ASL as well as English as languages parents see in their profile with the language milestones. Remember, again this agreement to work on one bill only. It is not giving up or sacrificing our beliefs. It is to get something through the political process and signed into law that is in the best interest – – for whom? Not for you, nor me, but FOR Deaf Children everywhere in the USA.

We hope that the members who signed the letter from Roar, as well as many others in our Community who have expressed support for our work, will see the true efforts on behalf of LEAD-K’s advocacy to bring about a strong step forward to end language deprivation.

There is a lot more work that we need to do ahead! We believe this can be better achieved by collaborating with you all on a shared goal, rather than fighting. We have the same goal, but different approaches on how to achieve it. That’s okay too.

Julie: In closing, on behalf of LEAD-K, we hope our response helps provide you with all the answers to your concerns. We are open to more questions should you have some, and or set up a meet. Social media is not the best forum for a good discussion. We have been working on and developing and training our state LEAD-K teams for the last 7 years. This was not achieved overnight. This was a long, well thought out plan of action, and nationwide mobilization. We want to invite you to be part of it and meet face-to-face.

Sheri: We understand your concerns, and we welcome your involvement! We encourage you not to let fear overcome what’s in the best interest for all Deaf children. Instead, we ask, how can we be more effective and work together as a team to make our Deaf Community stronger? We cherish all of you and all other members of our community. We are stronger together, divided we fall. It would better serve all Deaf Children, if Roar could show its support for ASL by working with us.

Support our LEAD-K states to get their bills passed. They are out there working so hard. We are volunteers, we put our hearts in what we do in the best interest of Deaf children’s language rights. Our stance for ASL has never been stronger!

Join us!

Sheri: Thank you!

Julie: Thank you!

Please let us know if you have any questions or wish to meet in person.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sincerely,

Sheri Farinha and Julie Rems Smario, and the LEAD-K Team!