GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing urged Grand Rapids Public Schools leaders to keep two audiologists on staff with the Oral Deaf Program instead of a plan to not replace retiree Jack DeBoer.
In July, school leaders said reducing the number of audiologists from two to one was a part of a natural attrition plan. Parents were sent a letter that services would delivered differently but it would not be less assistance.
Related: Parents of children in Grand Rapids Oral Deaf Program notified of changes
Several parents attended the school board meeting Monday, August 3, and expressed concerns that the highly regarded countywide program could lose ground with the staff reduction. Heidi Bott, a parent of a third-grader who wears hearing aids, said parents relocate to Kent County for the program.
"We need another experienced audiologist," said Bott, who told the board that the person in the position needs to have experience working with amplification devices, including cochlear implants and mapping to determine the amount of electrical stimulation required.
"The program is designed for a well-trained audiologist. There are a lot of intricacies to the technology."
DeBoer, a longtime audiologist with the program, had been sharing the workload with another audiologist, who has been offered a full-time job. That audiologist would be assisted by five existing teacher consultants who work with students in the Kent Intermediate School District.
The consultants are teachers with a master's degree and at least three years working with hearing-impaired students. But Bott and another parent, Juli Wiseman, who has a seventh-grader with cochlear implants, said that plan could take away from the time the teacher consultants currently spend working with students.
"The concern is that the kids are going to be the ones who feel this," said Wiseman, who said DeBoer helped them address multiple malfunctions with their child's cochlear implants. "There is so much technology and we need someone well-versed in understanding the intricacies."
KISD contracts with GRPS to operate the county's special education programming. There are 50 students in the Oral Deaf Program countywide who attend school at Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary, 1353 Van Auken St. SE, and another 100 mainstreamed in programs throughout the 20 districts in the county.
"I will take everything into consideration that you've shared," said Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal. "It was never the intent to reduce the services of children."
She has asked Laura LaMore, executive director of the special education department for Grand Rapids Public Schools, to provide a report on the issue that she will share with the board.
Board members have been contacted by former program teachers and administrators about their concerns about the changes.
LaMore met with parents after the meeting to discuss their concerns. She told them the remaining audiologist was "highly skilled" and credentialed and reiterated they would not lose services. She also apologized again for the delay in informing them of the change that became public after a former program teacher's letter to GRPS and KISD board members became public.
In July, school leaders said maintaining two audiologists was a carryover from when GRPS acted as a diagnostic center but two years ago, KISD brought on a speech and language pathologist to assist families in making a determination of methodology of service between GRPS' oral deaf or the total communication program at Northview Public Schools.
LaMore said that program would also support the audiologist and consultants.
According to the district, the GRPS audiologist responsibilities will include evaluations, consultation for service to the oral deaf programs and those served across KISD districts under teacher consultant services.
Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook