Hundreds sign petition to oust leaders at Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

A petition calling for the resignation of Superintendent LaMarlon Wilson and several administrators at the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind had 400 signatures as of Tuesday, its creator said.

Victorica Monroe, a 2008 graduate who started the petition, said parents, former educators and alumni want leadership changes because they believe school leaders lack experience with Deaf and blind culture, students lack access to American Sign Language and Braille resources, and the schools lack experienced staff.

The petition says, “We believe that immediate leadership change is necessary to restore public trust, strengthen institutional accountability, improve educational outcomes, and ensure that the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind once again reflects the excellence, bilingual philosophy, and student-centered mission that have defined its heritage for generations,” according to the document.

Wilson said in an emailed statement that a “small group of stakeholders” are raising concerns. He said administrators are properly experienced and that the schools have increased interpreter positions, expanded professional learning related to deaf education and taken steps to expand ASL access.

Alumni and parents described declines at the state’s only public schools for children who are deaf or blind. Monroe, now an adjunct professor at Gallaudet University, said visits last year raised questions about administrators’ commitment to an ASL-English bilingual approach. Graduate Bart Williams said he saw classrooms where teachers were speaking instead of signing. Parent Elise Corbin said her son, Landen Walden, who graduated as valedictorian in May, has worsening retinal problems that she blames on hours spent on a computer for classwork that she says violated his individualized education plan.

Former teacher Jane Harty said the district has had 10 superintendents since 2019 and frequent turnover among certified educators. The petition requests interim leadership experienced in Deaf and blind education, a review of programs and collaboration with members of the Deaf and blind communities. Harty said she and other former educators and parents plan to meet next month with State Superintendent Lance Evans. Shanderia Minor, a spokesperson for the state education agency, said officials have worked with the schools to ensure students’ needs are met and that concerns will be addressed in the students’ best interests, but some parents said they remain unconvinced.

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