[Missouri-l] FW: [leadership] FW: [acb-l] Portland State ends 45 years of teacher training for blind children

[Peter Altschul]

-----Original Message-----
From: Mitch Pomerantz [mailto:mitch.pomerantz at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 1:37 PM
To: leadership at acb.org
Subject: [leadership] FW: [acb-l] Portland State ends 45 years of teacher
training for blind children

Colleagues:

Yet another blow struck against braille literacy.


Mitch 

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Jarvis [mailto:carjar82 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 10:39 AM
To: acb-l at acb.org
Subject: [acb-l] Portland State ends 45 years of teacher training for blind
children

Dear Friends, 

Who are the first in line when it comes to sacrificing?  

Carl Jarvis

***********

Friends, Colleagues, Students, Parents, and all Stakeholders:

 

On March 30, 2009 the provost at Portland State University made a decision
to suspend operations of the program to prepare teachers of students who are
blind or visually impaired due to the current economic and budgetary
shortfalls.  Many of you are aware that Portland State is the only teacher
preparation program in the Pacific Northwest and just completed its 45th
year preparing teachers for blind children. This decision came as quite a
shock to all of us.  The provost has proposed reviewing the program in the
next 6-9 months before making a final determination about continuance.
However, for the 2009-2010 school year we will admit no new students.

 

I would like to encourage each one of you to make your concerns known to the
provost and our dean and explain the need for our program to continue.  If
you have had specific personal relationships with our program, please do be
personal - but the emphasis must be on the needs of the students who will
now go unserved.  Also, if you have any specific suggestions for
collaborative partnerships, we would love to hear them.

 

I would also encourage you to share this e-mail with anyone that you feel
may be affected by our potential permanent closure.

 

Please address your concerns to:

Dr. Roy Koch, Provost                     kochr at pdx.edu 

Portland State University

PO Box 751

Portland, Oregon  97207

 

and 

 

Dr. Randy Hitz, Dean                      hitz at pdx.edu 

Graduate School of Education

Portland State University

PO Box 751

Portland, Oregon   97207

 

With copies to our department chair

 

Dr. Leslie Munson              munsonl at pdx.edu 

 

Thank you for your concern.

 

James O. "Blue" Bickford, Ed.D.

Director:  Project BRAILLE 

Associate Professor

Program for Visually Impaired Learners

 

Telephone:  503-725-5495

FAX:           503-725-5599

 

Visit our distance learning information center at:

http://www.pdx.edu/sped/vil.html

 

Portland State University

Department of Special Education

PO Box 751

Portland, Oregon  97207

 


--- 




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