Clarke School for the Deaf changes name

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The Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton has changed its name, it is now named the Clark Schools for Hearing and Speech.

The school in Northampton was first opened in 1867. Now there are five locations throughout the country.

Bill Corwin, the school's president, told 22News that this new name better reflects the fact that there are multiple campuses under the same name. Also, he said this new name places the focus on what they do instead of who they serve. He said they've always been about helping kids hear and learn, but technology has improved what they can do.

“What's been achieved in technology over the last 20 years has really revolutionized this field, so with coakler implants for example, it allows even profoundly deaf kids to have access to sound,” said Corwin.

It's important to note that their mission has not changed at all, it's just a name change to better reflect what their school is all about.

Clarke School for the Deaf changes name | WWLP.com

I think that should be Clarke School for the Oral. I know that this school's not allowing deaf children to use ASL.
 
“What's been achieved in technology over the last 20 years has really revolutionized this field, so with coakler implants for example, it allows even profoundly deaf kids to have access to sound,” said Corwin.

I would advise Clarke School to learn to spell, and speak, before they try to learn deaf children to do the same. I mean.. coakler implants? LOL
 
I would advise Clarke School to learn to spell, and speak, before they try to learn deaf children to do the same. I mean.. coakler implants? LOL

I advise the person who quote that person learn how to spell.

but then again, that's probably how the headmaster pronounced it, and they were trying to spell it out by sounds because they don't know what a cochlear implant is.
 
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Just FYI! I hated it! I went Clarke and I am not very happy with the name changes!!! Now I don't feel 'my 2nd home'. It turns me off big time. I think they are embarrassed to use word 'deaf'. We are proud being deaf no matter what, PERIOD! I sure hope they change back to Clarke School for the deaf soon! We, the alumni were not very happy about it!
 
Just FYI! I hated it! I went Clarke and I am not very happy with the name changes!!! Now I don't feel 'my 2nd home'. It turns me off big time. I think they are embarrassed to use word 'deaf'. We are proud being deaf no matter what, PERIOD! I sure hope they change back to Clarke School for the deaf soon! We, the alumni were not very happy about it!

I am not surprised with the name change because Clarke School is notorious for their audist views on deafness.
 
I am not surprised with the name change because Clarke School is notorious for their audist views on deafness.

Yeah, they don't even allow sign language interpreters there from what I know.
 
Just FYI! I hated it! I went Clarke and I am not very happy with the name changes!!! Now I don't feel 'my 2nd home'. It turns me off big time. I think they are embarrassed to use word 'deaf'. We are proud being deaf no matter what, PERIOD! I sure hope they change back to Clarke School for the deaf soon! We, the alumni were not very happy about it!


So they did not contact and ask the school's alumni organization for input into this process? Shameful!
 
Yeah, they don't even allow sign language interpreters there from what I know.
I went to the Clarke School Mainstream conference, and they allowed ASL 'terps there. The Wikki article says that they're OK with alumni learnign ASL and using it off campus. But I do agree with you. Clarke School is extremely audist.
 
The Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton has changed its name, it is now named the Clark Schools for Hearing and Speech.

The school in Northampton was first opened in 1867. Now there are five locations throughout the country.

Bill Corwin, the school's president, told 22News that this new name better reflects the fact that there are multiple campuses under the same name. Also, he said this new name places the focus on what they do instead of who they serve. He said they've always been about helping kids hear and learn, but technology has improved what they can do.

“What's been achieved in technology over the last 20 years has really revolutionized this field, so with coakler implants for example, it allows even profoundly deaf kids to have access to sound,” said Corwin.

It's important to note that their mission has not changed at all, it's just a name change to better reflect what their school is all about.

Clarke School for the Deaf changes name | WWLP.com

I think that should be Clarke School for the Oral. I know that this school's not allowing deaf children to use ASL.

Yikes. Northampton has a lot of lesbos!! Damn, it's close to where my sister lives.
 
Aside from the lack of ASL as a language option (which is sort of key :) ) , I really liked the curriculum and the learning environment of Clarke. Li-Li and I spent an afternoon checking it out, but we knew that as ASL rookies, we could never supplement her ASL learning or provide the immersion she'd need only at home (unlike spoken English, which we can do easily), and so couldn't consider it a viable option. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone from the director to the teachers and SLPs on staff whom we encountered took the opportunity to sign with Li-Li. They may not have been fluent (not that I would know), but on seeing Li-Li signing with me, all the adults signed with her -- without prompting. I really didn't pick up any anti-ASL vibe, or discouragement, just certainly wasn't something they offered.
 
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