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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Right on Denise, exactly dead on right on.
Thank you for not being frustrated, bothered and angry in silence. Carrie<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
pibe-division-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:pibe-division-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Denise Mackenstadt<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Saturday, June 05, 2010 1:07
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pibe-division@nfbnet.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Pibe-division] Comment</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Recently on AERnet I noticed a post that bothered me. I have
responded and I am sending this response to the PIBE list. Every time I
think that we are making progress something like this comment is used to
justify not providing for the needs of blind kids. Here is the post and my
response:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Monaco><span style='font-size:7.5pt;
font-family:Monaco'>Recently in response to a question posted by Sheila one of
the posts stated "Weaknesses: 1. still no published research proving
or disproving that poor teacher braille skills are responsible for poor braille
outcomes for students. Nevertheless, we've gone full steam ahead
addressing a "problem" that may not exist. Assertions by
advocacy groups are not evidence, nor are gut hunches. We need DATA.
And thus far no data exists." I find it astonishing that an
assertion is being made that teacher competency in an essential skill to be
taught to students is not relevant to student outcomes. Lack of Data
cannot take the place of common sense or best practice. I cannot
think of another subject area, for example: Language Arts, Math, Science or
Art, where a decent state licensing entity will not expect an instructor to
demonstrate competence. As a parent I would be very concerned if my
child's English teacher could not read or write English. Let us not throw
out critical thinking as an alternative to non-existent DATA Collection.
I do not want to say that legitimate research and legitimate data results are
not beneficial to best practices. But let us not sacrifice common sense
to the altar of statistics. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Mackenstadt Rehab Services<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>(206)419-9555<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:cane.travel@gmail.com">cane.travel@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
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