School for Deaf files injunction

[Miss-Delectable]

School for Deaf files injunction | Wilkes-Barre News | The Times Leader

Attorneys for the Scranton State School for the Deaf filed a preliminary injunction in federal court Monday to stop the implementation of a transition plan.

The chairwoman of the school’s board of trustees, the school’s superintendent, a state representative and the head of the school’s education association all blasted the proposed plan.

Attorney Drew Christian of Scranton filed for the preliminary injunction in federal court in Scranton, asking the court to stop the state from closing the school until legal proceedings are resolved.

“No one has made a valid point on why the school should be closed,” said state Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Scranton. “The proposed transition plan doesn’t make any sense. If we had a study based on fact and research, then we could discuss possible actions. But we are not there yet.”

Murphy has proposed legislation – House Bill 1318 – and he has 88 co-signers. He said the bill would mandate the House Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study and research to determine if closing the school is a fiscally sound decision and in the best interests of the students.

“There is apparently a complete disconnect between the Department of Education, education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak, the governor’s office and the school,” Murphy said. “This is about Marywood University wanting to use part of the grounds for its school of architecture. It all comes back to whether these students’ educational needs are being considered. That should always be the top priority.”

Murphy said he has petitions signed by 50,000 people supporting keeping the school open.

“I will drop those off at the governor’s doorstep,” Murphy said.

“The sad part about this whole experience is that the largest stakeholders were never invited to the table to make our case,” said Marge Davison, chairwoman of the school’s board of trustees.

Davison said the board and school officials have yet to receive a copy of the proposed transition plan. She said everyone connected with the school were shocked to learn Mellow had withdrawn his support to keep the school open.

“We have received information that the plan exists and will be implemented June 30,” Davison said. “The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf – a private school – will take over administration of the school.”

Davison said data being circulated about the school, its cost per student and its academic outcomes have been skewed.

 

[ASLGAL]

“There is apparently a complete disconnect between the Department of Education, education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak, the governor’s office and the school,” Murphy said. “This is about Marywood University wanting to use part of the grounds for its school of architecture. It all comes back to whether these students’ educational needs are being considered. That should always be the top priority.”

and so, the truth at the base of this rears it's head!

It isn't about finances, or lack of students, or a closing would benefit the D/deaf, or anything but $$ and aquisition of land by Marywood University.

Infuriating!!

 

[jillio]

Disgusting!!

 

[shel90]

and so, the truth at the base of this rears it's head!

It isn't about finances, or lack of students, or a closing would benefit the D/deaf, or anything but $$ and aquisition of land by Marywood University.

Infuriating!!

It is just plain criminal! A perfect example of the audist world rearing its ugly head!

 

[mis-information]

and so, the truth at the base of this rears it's head!
Infuriating!!

What is infuriating to me, is that this accusation by Rep. Murphy is a complete fabrication. The Marywood School of Architecture is almost complete with phase one of construction. Phase two (the final phase) has been planned, and will begin in a few years on the site immediately adjacent to the current phase which is on the complete opposite side of the campus from the SSD.

While I agree that losing this school is a terrible loss for those who benefit from it, I think a politician who is attempting to gain self-importance by spreading mis-information is an issue that needs to be dealt with in its own way.

Good luck with your fight. I hope that those who say that they are fighting "for" you don't have their own adgena.

 

[ASLGAL]

Since you addressed me I will respond.

Please elaborate on your statement accusing Representative Murphy of fabrication and involved for political gain.

A drive-by poster, someone who enters - makes an accusatory post - then leaves, is hardly one any AD member takes as a reliable source.

 

[jillio]

Since you addressed me I will respond.

Please elaborate on your statement accusing Representative Murphy of fabrication and involved for political gain.

A drive-by poster, someone who enters - makes an accusatory post - then leaves, is hardly one any AD member takes as a reliable source.

We've been victim of another hit and run, ASLGAL!

 

[mis-information]

We've been victim of another hit and run, ASLGAL!

Don't be so quick to assume you have been victimized. Everybody has to start somewhere with their first post, and the whole assume-the-worst thing gets old fast.

In terms of his information being false, well, it is. You can go to the site of the Marywood School of Architecture which is presently under construction in their former Health and Physical Education Center. It has been under construction for months, and has been shown numerous times on the news and in the paper. In a few years they will build the second half of the school (attached to the first part) as per the news story and what I read in a magazine.

In terms of political gain, I have no proof, but why would you issue a statement that could be so easily be disproven by googling it or going to the university's website...

Do you make a statement like that to help the SSD? Absolutely not. Making an accusation like that can only attempt to refocus anger away from the politicians who have failed in their attempts to help.

 

[ASLGAL]

In terms of political gain, I have no proof, but why would you issue a statement that could be so easily be disproven by googling it or going to the university's website...

No proof and you have nothing to disprove the statement.

In terms of his information being false, well, it is.

Again, how do you know that if you have no proof?

 

[mis-information]

No proof and you have nothing to disprove the statement.


Again, how do you know that if you have no proof?

So you are willing to listen to a politician who shows absolutely no concrete backup, but you are willing to ignore several million dollars being spent on a projects that is almost done being constructed nowhere near where the honorable representative claims that it will be.

Proof:
School of Architecture - Marywood University

Proof:
Marywood University to Open School of Architecture

I don't have the time to cut and paste the 200+ other results that google gave me. It says the school of Architecture opens for the Fall semester.... which means is almost done being constructed.....

....not on the grounds of or near the SSD

If something physically exists, in a different location that someone says it will exist, then I really don't know any better way to disprove a statement.

Walk on the campus, you can go see it for yourself!

In terms of the burden of proof, I will just allow that to play out. I don't have the time, energy, or desire to soapbox anymore. As things progress just open your eyes and look around. That will be proof enough.

I do wish you the best in your struggle, and I understand that you really want someone to blame. Unfortunately, its simply a case of the economy, and Rendell having to make cuts.

Q.E.D.

 

[ASLGAL]

In terms of the burden of proof, I will just allow that to play out. I don't have the time, energy, or desire to soapbox

then why did you enter and post?

I do wish you the best in your struggle, and I understand that you really want someone to blame. Unfortunately, its simply a case of the economy, and Rendell having to make cuts.

It is more than apparent from this statement that you understand nothing.

In case you haven't noticed, those who have posted are not near Scranton School.
We have received our information from a worthy news-hound here at AD called Miss-Delectable who searches and researches and posts news related to the D/deaf community.

I will look at the links you posted. Thanks for posting them.

As far as believing politicians - haha - you have not been here long enough to know how far off base you are especially when insinuating toward we three who have posted on the topic

Truly, I do not care if the politician is a Democrat, Republican, Independant, Greenie, and so on if he/she is fighting for the D/deaf and their right to educational access.

 

[shel90]

So you are willing to listen to a politician who shows absolutely no concrete backup, but you are willing to ignore several million dollars being spent on a projects that is almost done being constructed nowhere near where the honorable representative claims that it will be.

Proof:
School of Architecture - Marywood University

Proof:
Marywood University to Open School of Architecture

I don't have the time to cut and paste the 200+ other results that google gave me. It says the school of Architecture opens for the Fall semester.... which means is almost done being constructed.....

....not on the grounds of or near the SSD

If something physically exists, in a different location that someone says it will exist, then I really don't know any better way to disprove a statement.

Walk on the campus, you can go see it for yourself!

In terms of the burden of proof, I will just allow that to play out. I don't have the time, energy, or desire to soapbox anymore. As things progress just open your eyes and look around. That will be proof enough.

I do wish you the best in your struggle, and I understand that you really want someone to blame. Unfortunately, its simply a case of the economy, and Rendell having to make cuts.

Q.E.D.

Putting children's education at risk? I think that was a poor judgement by Rendall.

 

[mis-information]

then why did you enter and post?


It is more than apparent from this statement that you understand nothing.

In case you haven't noticed, those who have posted are not near Scranton School.
We have received our information from a worthy news-hound here at AD called Miss-Delectable who searches and researches and posts news related to the D/deaf community.

I will look at the links you posted. Thanks for posting them.

As far as believing politicians - haha - you have not been here long enough to know how far off base you are especially when insinuating toward we three who have posted on the topic

Truly, I do not care if the politician is a Democrat, Republican, Independant, Greenie, and so on if he/she is fighting for the D/deaf and their right to educational access.

To answer your questions, I entered this forum and posted because I saw information that was being distributed as fact, that could not be more incorrect. I have followed the SSD information very closely being from the region. The newpaper that Miss-Delectable cited is known to often have very large factual blunders, so I was simply trying to correct the error.

It was not an attack on you, or anyone else here, more just incessant anger from the local media and local politicians who time and time again "drop the ball" and it is the good organizations who often are left out in the cold.


This is shaping up to be another one of those situations. In terms of a politician fighting for the school, I am all for it, however, with the path that the representative has chosen, he is giving the appearance of a good fight that will simply fail. The only thing that can save the school is funding, not a study that will show it costs over $100,000/yr per student to run the school. All that will do is upset the general public of the area who is already complaining about rising school taxes for public-direct funded schools (of course at a much lower cost per student) Everything that he is grandstanding about is the same thing that Mellow, a much more seasoned politician did behind the scenes, which caused his position to switch.

This area is extremely politically "messed up" Much more so than any other area in the US where I have lived. I came back here to the place I was born for family obligations, absolutely not for the political atmosphere...

It sadly appears to be a losing battle. Look, I am on your side. We may not agree on a number of causes/effects etc. but I think we can both agree that losing the SSD will be a great loss to the community as a whole as well as the children who more directly benefit from its existence. (Not to mention the great staff including a few of my family members)

 

[Byrdie714]

Scranton--isn't that a union town?

 

[jillio]

then why did you enter and post?


It is more than apparent from this statement that you understand nothing.

In case you haven't noticed, those who have posted are not near Scranton School.
We have received our information from a worthy news-hound here at AD called Miss-Delectable who searches and researches and posts news related to the D/deaf community.

I will look at the links you posted. Thanks for posting them.

As far as believing politicians - haha - you have not been here long enough to know how far off base you are especially when insinuating toward we three who have posted on the topic

Truly, I do not care if the politician is a Democrat, Republican, Independant, Greenie, and so on if he/she is fighting for the D/deaf and their right to educational access.

 

[jillio]

Nothing in either one of the links provided disprove the OP.

 

[Bottesini]

Nothing in either one of the links provided disprove the OP.

Isn't "mis-information" telling you a lie by definition?

 

[jillio]

Isn't "mis-information" telling you a lie by definition?

Yeppers.:P

 

[mis-information]

Yeppers.:P

Liar, really? Wow.... These Deaf forums are alot more angry than they used to be.

In my line of work, truth and accuracy of reporting is the only thing that matters. When something is reported in a newspaper, it is treated by the public as fact. When I see something that is completely incorrect, I thought I would provide a clarification to the users of this forum just because (and someone from outside this region would not realize this) - but our two newspapers are of the worst I have been forced to live in my time, both in terms of inaccuracies and being very aligned with certain politicians.

Allow me to recap all of my apparent "lies" so someone can post a vague one-line retort followed by a few others with fancy emoticons.

1. An article was posted stating that Marywood University wanted to acquire, or otherwise use the SSD land for their School of Architecture. (I take issue with this statement, since the school is currently being built blocks from the SSD campus)

2. Currently the SSD is still operating and their land has not been touched by anyone.

3. The School of Architecture has been under construction for months. Typically in a construction project, you build the building on the land where you would like the structure to exist. Moving a 1 billion ton structure is kind of a pain in the butt.

4. The links I posted, specifically the one to the University website, states that the location of the new School of Architecture is on the Marywood Campus in their former HPE center, which if you look at the map is nowhere near the SSD. (actually you will not see the SSD on the map, since it is about 4 blocks away from the HPE center and is not included on the campus map)

5. As far as the comment about Scranton being a union town, those days are over. We have a mayor who has destroyed the police/fire/clerical/etc. unions where most of them have been working without contracts for years. It is a very corrupt political landscape unfortunately, a very "who you know" situation.

Not exactly sure why I keep posting. I would stop, but my co-workers are getting too much of a kick out of this.

Here i will save you the time:

:fruit: :rl: :monkey: :fu2: :wackit: :buttsex:

 

[ASLGAL]

Not exactly sure why I keep posting. I would stop, but my co-workers are getting too much of a kick out of this.

Ok, I'll play: Here is my not so vague one line retort -

How cute that you and your pals get such a kick out of castigating and harassing D/deaf people, your Mommas must be soooo proud.