Two paths, one school: Kansas School for the Deaf Superintendent retires as local union president steps down

Streams of spring sunlight spilled through Superintendent Luanne Barron’s office at the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD) as she and educator Nancy Frazier spoke through interpreters about decades of challenges and change in Deaf education.

While often on opposite sides of the bargaining table, Barron and Frazier have developed mutual respect and a friendship.

“I think it has been a very positive partnership,” Barron said. “I understand teacher concerns because I was a teacher.”

Barron has been superintendent of KSD in Olathe for nine years but has been with the school much longer than that.

Before beginning her current role in 2018, Barron served the school as Director of Instruction, Director of Student Services, Assistant Superintendent and Interim Superintendent. In total, Barron has more than 30 years of experience in Deaf education, most of it at KSD.

She announced she will retire June 30.

“I actually hired Nancy,” Barron said.

Frazier has spent much of that same time advocating for not only students but for teachers.

Frazier is a science teacher at KSD and coaches robotics and sports. She also teaches American Sign Language (ASL) as an adjunct professor at Johnson County Community College.

While Frazier doesn’t plan to leave the classroom yet, she is stepping down from her role as the KSD Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) President after more than 20 years.

The start of the union

The union at KSD was created in 2010, Frazier said.

“It has been a work in progress,” she said. “We wanted to come together. We have, and we are a stronger union. We still carry on the legacy.”

There are about 49 people in KSD’s bargaining unit, and 30 of them are KNEA members.

Jonathan Wright, Alliance UniServ Director, has been working with KSD members for two years.

“Negotiations are professional, not personal,” he said. “Luanne has been supportive.”

Recent wins for the KSD union include a salary increase that more closely aligns to Olathe Unified School District 233, and a successful change to the school’s inclement weather policy.

“We researched salaries,” Wright said. “There was a deficit, so we turned to a collaborative approach.”

The two sides negotiated collaboratively, a move Wright said will help with recruitment and retention.

There needs to be a larger and better pipeline for the recruitment and retention of Deaf educators, Barron said.

“It’s hard to find teachers, but it’s because we are so specialized,” she said. “We can only be sustainable for so long.”

Despite difficulty finding and retaining qualified Deaf educators across the country, Kansas School for the Deaf is seen as one of the most viable and stable Deaf education schools in terms of enrollment, Barron said.

“We have a lot of community support, too,” she added.

History of KSD

Understanding KSD’s future requires understanding its past.

KSD is the oldest state educational institution in Kansas, according to www.kansasdeaf.gov.

The school was founded by Philip A. Emery, a deaf man, in Baldwin City, and it officially opened in October 1861. However, the first student didn’t start until Dec. 8 when Elizabeth Studebaker arrived with her father, some ham, butter and eggs. A week later, a second wagon load of corn was delivered. It “served as the barter for the school costs of roughly $2.50 per week,” according to the KSD website.

In fall 1864, KSD was moved to Topeka for one year before it was moved back to Baldwin City in 1865. Debate increased about the location for the school, and there was a three-way political dispute between Olathe, Baldwin City and Topeka.

Finally, on Nov. 15, 1866, KSD and its 18 students moved into a newly constructed stone building in Olathe. By 1893, the enrollment had soared to more than 200 students.

In 1924, the present-day Roth Administration and Dormitory Building was built to accommodate the growing enrollment.

KSD today

KSD serves as a center-based educational option to provide a free and appropriate public education to students who are deaf/hard of hearing. The district has an outreach department that serves as a statewide resource center for students, families, agencies and programs serving students who are deaf/hard of hearing in their local school districts.

KSD is an accredited school and must maintain compliance with all state standards, assessment and performance standards. It offers statewide outreach services to children birth to 21 who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The district supports about 700 students, with 150 of those on campus. Of those 150 students who are served on campus, about 50 of them live in KSD dorms.

It is estimated that 97% of babies who are deaf/hard of hearing are born to parents who can hear. These parents often have no experience or knowledge of their infant’s needs, especially in early language development.

“I have to look at each of my students – all of them are at different reading levels,” Frazier said. “Students come behind and delayed in a lot of areas. Some high school students aren’t fluent in printed English, so we may have to create different materials for different students. Class size doesn’t mean anything here.”

Barron agreed.

“Our educators have to be bilingual (referring to ASL),” she said. “We have to modify the curriculum to meet the different levels of students. Sign language is a critical component, and many of our students haven’t been afforded enough language opportunities. They arrive here too late.”

The future of KSD

These two women who often found themselves on opposite sides of the bargaining table seem to have a lot in common. From attending the same university and becoming Deaf educators to ensuring students received education during the COVID-19 pandemic, they will even step down from their respective positions in the same month.

Barron will step down as superintendent on June 30, and Frazier’s stint as president will end that day, too.

Barron plans to spend time with her mother, who is almost 90, her son, daughter-in-law, who is an educator at Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District 204, and granddaughter after retirement. She also wants to travel.

While there have been hurdles and challenges, Barron has willingly given her time and talents to Deaf education.

“My biggest challenge has been to get people to understand what deaf people need,” Barron said. “I want to change the stigma.”

While Barron knows there is more work to be done, she is proud of what KSD has accomplished, such as the expansion of outreach services, and where it is headed.

“I think Luanne is amazing,” Frazier said. “We admire her for helping us to push for the best through KNEA.”

With educators like Frazier in the classroom, the future of KSD remains bright.

“To see the growth in the students,” Frazier said. “To see their eyes light up when they get it. That’s my highest accomplishment here.”