My response to today's article in the Portsmouth Herald

The Portsmouth Herald featured a story on the front page of their paper about the closing of the deaf program, which has been running for 25+ years. Some of you may or may not know that I was an interpreter at the Portsmouth High School for the 2007-2008 school year, and in June came to realize I would not have a job this coming 2008-2009 school year. First, I ask that you read the article. It can be found here. Then, when you're done, read below, where I have pasted the letter to the editor I wrote in response to the article.

Letter to the Editor: Portsmouth Herald

Deaf Students Want To Be Heard

Aug. 11 – To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the article that was in today’s paper. My name is Sarah Chase and I am one of the educational interpreters that worked at the Portsmouth High School during the 2007-2008 school year. I would like to share my truth, of what happened at Portsmouth High School this past year. Firstly, let me please clarify that I did not “leave” Portsmouth High School, as Paulette Hoeflich lead readers to believe. One of the school’s interpreters did decide to leave, which in turn lead to the beginning of an interpreter search. Secondly, the “exhaustive search for interpreters” did not last “for almost a year.” To my understanding the same posting in which I responded to when I applied for a position, 2007-2008 Notice of Anticipated Vacancy; Interpreter – High School (1 Year Position, Part or Full Time), remained on the schools website throughout the school year, but never implied there was a need for the 2008-2009 school year. Once my co-worker had given notice (which was in late April or early May), I offered my assistance in posting the position on various websites in which sign language interpreters frequent. I was told, by Ms. Hoeflich that there would be a deadline of June 1, 2008 to fill the position. The job posting on the school website never changed, and the deadline left little time, in my opinion, to search for qualified interpreters. The consequence; if an interpreter(s) was not found the program would close, the two deaf/hard of hearing students would be sent back to their home districts and my job, as an educational interpreter, would no longer be needed in the Portsmouth school system. Thirdly, the hourly wage was not “between $25-$45.” As written in the 2007-2008 job posting, salary is based on the Paraprofessional Agreement and was not the hourly rate the interpreters received during the 2007-2008 school year.
I will agree that educational interpreters are hard to come by. This is a statewide issue that is being addressed. The “mandate”, which the article refers to, was put in to effect in 2005 and states that all educational interpreters, in accordance to the New Hampshire Department of Education, are required to hold a minimum of an Associates Degree, taken and passed the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) written test, the EIPA performance test with a 3.5+, and apply for and hold a certificate from the Department of Education. These requirements are to ensure that the deaf/hard of hearing student population is being provided with qualified professionals. Just as teachers are required to hold certification, so are interpreters. Though this may have made the “pool” smaller – because now only qualified individuals can be considered for an interpreter position, it is also a huge step forward in better serving the deaf and educational community.
When I applied for the educational interpreter position over a year ago, I was still living in Washington DC, where my husband and I had been living for the last two and a half years. I flew in for a day to interview for the job, and in turn was offered the position. Though we had not been planning on moving up north so soon, a month later, we packed up a U-Haul and were on our way back to the town that we had both grown up in. It was exciting to be working at the high school I had graduated from just 9 years earlier. While at PHS I had the opportunity to work with some amazing teachers, some of who had taught me while I was a student, and some of whom I was just lucky enough to get to know during my employment. The students were also amazing. I applaud their efforts in this whole ordeal. Not everyone has the guts to stand up for what they believe is right and fight for it, no matter what the consequences.
I was angry after reading this article, that the director of student services would leave readers to believe something that just was not true. Thank you for allowing me to share my truth of what transpired this past year at Portsmouth High School.

Sarah Chase
Portsmouth