[Tn-talk] Schools

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Ann Marie and listers,

    When you gather that information please feel free to share it with us.
I'd like to receive copies for inclusion on the NFB of Tennessee's Web Site.
We've begun including information for parents of blind children, but want to
create a full-blown Web Site for the TN Parents of Blind Children Group as
they currently don't have an NOPBC affiliate. Heather and I have been
bashing around ideas for content and I'm discussing ideas for similar
content on the NFB of Missouri's Web Site which I can slingshot to the
Tennessee Site. Your gathering this information will make the road smoother
for other parents of blind children who are resident in, or who are
contemplating  a move to Tennessee and want to find schooling for their
blind children. Hope to meet you in Atlanta.

Peter Donahue
Webmaster, National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee
http://www.nfb-tennessee.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Marie Deverson" <pnutzmom728 at yahoo.com>
To: "Tennessee Talk (NFB of Tennessee Discussion)" <tn-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 10:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Tn-talk] Schools


Hi Heather!

Thank you so much for your response.  I get so frustrated with the fact that
blindness is essentially pushed on the back burner by these school
districts.  We had such a fight here in Florida just to get an aide for our
daughter.  We were told that blindness is a "low incidence disability".  We
understand that, but gee, I guess we picked the wrong disability for our
daughter!!  We should have researched better and picked a disability with a
higher incidence!  It is not as if we chose for our children to have a
disability, but to be told that felt like a smack in the face.  I'm sorry, I
just get so upset.  I know there is a shortage of vision teachers.  I myself
would love to go to school to become a vision teacher, but the closest
school in FL that has that curriculum is about 6 hours away.  I'm going to
research mostly where the Publix stores are located.  I know they are
opening 2 in the Cookeville/Crossville area soon, but when you mentioned
Lebanon, that rang a bell.  I
 guess I have a lot of research to do.   I will let you know where the
Publix stores are located.  I will look at that tomorrow.  I appreciate your
offer of doing some inquiries.  I will get back to you on Monday.

I thank you so much for all of your help.  I never expected so much help so
soon.  Thank you thank you thank you!!!  :-)

Warmest regards,

Ann Marie Deverson

"H. Field" <missheather at comcast.net> wrote: Dear Ann Marie,
I'm glad you found our website and wrote to us.

Unfortunately, I haven't got lots of good news for you. Schools in TN
are very patchy in their provision of services to blind students. My
county, Williamson county (just south of Nashville), did have a good
program but, because of refusal of the bureaucrats to listen to the
teachers, they've just lost four top-notch teachers and the program
is, effectively, in a shambles.

The Davidson county setup isn't bad, this area includes Nashville.
Also, I've heard that Wilson county, Cities are Watertown, Lebanon and
Mt. Juliet, has a good program for braille reading students. Like most
places service quality depends on a number of factors including
teacher competency and expectations of blind students, attitudes of
school district officials and district finances.

Perhaps you could give us specific locations where Publix stores are
located in TN and I could do some more specific enquiring about
schools for you.

Warmest regards,

Heather Field

President
Middle Tennessee Chapter
National Federation Of The Blind
615-790-9765
president at nfbmidtn.org

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Marie Deverson"

To:
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 10:42 PM
Subject: [Tn-talk] Schools


Hi,

I'm new to this site, so I'm hoping I'm doing this correctly!!  My
husband and I are interested in relocating to TN.  I'm trying to
research the schools for our daughter.  She is going to be 6 and
entering 1st grade.  She is blind in one eye and the other she has
@20/360.  She can see large objects and color, but is primarily a
Braille reader and uses a cane (at least she is supposed to but she
fights it!!) to travel.  I'm trying to look at the different school
systems in TN, but can't seem to find much information as far as the
number of Vision teachers, or O & M instructors if any are available.
Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for us as to where to
look?  My husband currently works for Publix, so we are trying to stay
within an area that he can transfer to a Publix.  Thank you so much
for any help and suggestions you can give us!!

Ann Marie


---------------------------------
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links.


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