<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000;"><DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Greetings All,<BR>I am writing to ask that all write to the addressees below to voice your<BR>concern about the ramifications of having overworked, under-trained, or not<BR>available (because there are no teachers or one to a county for example)<BR>teachers for our children. If you have a story of low service hours, or<BR>unqualified paras doing the work, because the district claimed they could<BR>not get a teacher (or the teacher claimed they had no time) for example that<BR>would be great. Make it personal. Teachers: if you are struggling to serve<BR>too large a caseload, your personal stories would be great too.<BR>Thank you,<BR><BR>Carrie Gilmer, President<BR>National Organization of Parents of Blind Children<BR>A Division of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_0>National Federation of the Blind</SPAN><BR>NFB National Center: <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px
dashed">410-659-9314</SPAN><BR>Home Phone: <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">763-784-8590</SPAN><BR><A href="mailto:carrie.gilmer@gmail.com" ymailto="mailto:carrie.gilmer@gmail.com"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_3>carrie.gilmer@gmail.com</SPAN></A><BR><A href="http://www.nfb.org/nopbc" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_4>www.nfb.org/nopbc</SPAN></A><BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR><BR><BR><BR>From: Jim Bickford [mailto:<A href="mailto:bickford@pdx.edu" ymailto="mailto:bickford@pdx.edu"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_5>bickford@pdx.edu</SPAN></A>]<BR>Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:39 PM<BR>To: TOVI: Administrative Question<BR>Subject: [tovi] Your Support is urgently needed - <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_6>Portland State University<BR>program</SPAN> is suspended.<BR>Importance: High<BR><BR>Friends, Colleagues, Students, Parents, and all
Stakeholders:<BR><BR><BR>On March 30, 2009 the provost at <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_7 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Portland State University</SPAN> made a decision<BR>to suspend operations of the program to prepare teachers of students who are<BR>blind or visually impaired due to the current economic and budgetary<BR>shortfalls. Many of you are aware that Portland State is the only teacher<BR>preparation program in the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_8>Pacific Northwest</SPAN> and just completed its 45th<BR>year preparing teachers for blind children. This decision came as quite a<BR>shock to all of us. The provost has proposed reviewing the program in the<BR>next 6-9 months before making a final determination about continuance.<BR>However, for the 2009-2010 school year we will admit no new students.<BR><BR><BR><BR>I would like to encourage each one of you to make your concerns known to
the<BR>provost and our dean and explain the need for our program to continue. If<BR>you have had specific personal relationships with our program, please do be<BR>personal - but the emphasis must be on the needs of the students who will<BR>now go unserved. Also, if you have any specific suggestions for<BR>collaborative partnerships, we would love to hear them.<BR><BR><BR><BR>I would also encourage you to share this e-mail with anyone that you feel<BR>may be affected by our potential permanent closure.<BR><BR><BR><BR>Please address your concerns to:<BR><BR>Dr. Roy Koch, Provost <A href="mailto:kochr@pdx.edu" ymailto="mailto:kochr@pdx.edu"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_9>kochr@pdx.edu</SPAN></A> <BR><BR>Portland State University<BR><BR>PO Box 751<BR><BR><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_10>Portland, Oregon 97207</SPAN><BR><BR><BR><BR>and
<BR><BR><BR><BR>Dr. Randy Hitz, Dean <A href="mailto:hitz@pdx.edu" ymailto="mailto:hitz@pdx.edu"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_11>hitz@pdx.edu</SPAN></A> <BR><BR><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_12>Graduate School of Education</SPAN><BR><BR>Portland State University<BR><BR>PO Box 751<BR><BR>Portland, Oregon 97207<BR><BR><BR><BR>With copies to our department chair<BR><BR><BR><BR>Dr. Leslie Munson <A href="mailto:munsonl@pdx.edu" ymailto="mailto:munsonl@pdx.edu"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_13>munsonl@pdx.edu</SPAN></A> <BR><BR><BR><BR>Thank you for your concern.<BR><BR><BR><BR>James O. "Blue" Bickford, Ed.D.<BR><BR>Director: Project BRAILLE <BR><BR><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_14>Associate Professor</SPAN><BR><BR>Program for Visually Impaired Learners<BR><BR><BR><BR>Telephone:
<SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_15 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">503-725-5495</SPAN><BR><BR>FAX: <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_16 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">503-725-5599</SPAN><BR><BR><BR><BR>Visit our distance learning information center at:<BR><BR><A href="http://www.pdx.edu/sped/vil.html" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_17>http://www.pdx.edu/sped/vil.html</SPAN></A> <<A href="http://www.pdx.edu/sped-coun/vil.html" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_18>http://www.pdx.edu/sped-coun/vil.html</SPAN></A>><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Portland State University<BR><BR>Department of Special Education<BR><BR>PO Box 751<BR><BR>Portland, Oregon 97207<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>blindkid mailing list<BR><A href="mailto:blindkid@nfbnet.org" ymailto="mailto:blindkid@nfbnet.org"><SPAN
class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_19>blindkid@nfbnet.org</SPAN></A><BR><A href="http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_20>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org</SPAN></A><BR>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:<BR><A href="http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sepolansky%40verizon.net" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1239391532_21>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/sepolansky%40verizon.net</SPAN></A><BR>
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