Chicago Catholic School Honors Deaf Students Program (uncut version)
As I’ve mentioned before, I started writing for the Gazette, a monthly newspaper covering a lot of the same territory as Chicago Journal did, back in January. The article I wrote back then didn’t make it into the February issue, but it was published in the March one. The article was about the program for deaf students at a Near West Side’ Children of Peace Catholic school - a one of its kind program in the entire city - and the two women who made it what it is.
The editor told me that I could go within 1,000 words, which I took as a signal to write longer than usual. Which wound up nearly three full pages. So I wasn’t surprised that the article was cut rather significantly. It wasn’t that bad - I think most the essence survived - but some pretty good quotes were left on the cutting-room floor. So I decided to report the article, as submitted, in its entirety.
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On March 31, Illinois Medical District's Children of Peace catholic elementary school and Rush University Medical Center will honor two women for their contributions to the Archdioceses of Chicago's only K-8 school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Phyllis Winter was the program's very first teacher, and she continued to be involved in some capacity or another ever since. Arleene Redmond joined the school as a teacher in 1979, and went on to become the program supervisor. Those who worked with them spoke highly of both women, lauding them for their dedication to service and advocacy for children and their care. On their part, Winter and Redmond both told the Gazette that they didn't feel they deserve any honors, but that if it would bring more attention to the program, they could live with it.
Children of Peace Catholic School is located at 1900 W. Taylor Street. It was established in 1994 as a merger of three Near West Side Catholic schools - Holy Trinity, St. Callistus, Our Lady of Pompei, and Holy Family. The school for the deaf and hard of hearing was a carryover from Holy Trinity, and it retains the original name.
As Winter recalled, in 1950s. she was teaching at St. Teresa of Avila parish school, of Lincoln Park, where many of the children came from families that were displaced by World War II and spoke little English. She was happy with her job - but then, she heard of a program that would set her on a different path.
“There was a letter put out in schools through Catholic charities, asking for teachers who may be interested in working with children who have [physical or mental] disabilities,” Winter recalled. “I was just very interested in finding out where I could fit in, working with children with children with needs.”
The archdiocese would pay the teachers for necessary training at Loyola University. Winter was hoping to be able to teach deaf children, and her request was accepted.
At the time, the archdiocese was asking parish schools to spare empty classrooms for special needs education. Fr John Marron, of the Holy Trinity parish, offered two classrooms for teaching deaf and blind kids. So when Winter first started teaching, it was just her, in that one classroom. But it wouldn't stay that way for long.
“What hppened is that the [program for the blind kids] moved to the South Side,so we got extra classroom that was immediately filled,” Winter said. “Then, in 1959, Fr. John Marron built a new school on corner of Taylor/Wolcott [the current School of Peace location], and he gave us three classrooms. Then, in 1964-1969, he added a second building here, and we were given 4 more rooms upstairs in that building. And that grew into seven classrooms.”
As the program grew, she became its head. In December 1978, one of her teachers left unexpectedly, and she hired what would become another important figure in program's history - Arlene Redmond.
Redmond was what was known in the deaf community as CODA - a child of a deaf adult. While she herself wasn't deaf, her parents were. As Redmond described it, entering regular elementary school was like a Spanish-speaking child getting dropped in an English-speaking classroom.
“Sign language for me was my native language, but that skill does not count in an English-speaking environment,” she said.
The biggest issue was learning how to read. The sign language relies on symbols and visuals, while reading is phonetic. Her teacher, Ms. Claudia, had to essentially teach her a whole new way of thinking about language, and while Redmond said it was difficult, the effort paid off, opening up a whole new world to her. The experience made her want to become a teacher.
Redmond recalled that, by the time she entered college, the approach to teaching deaf children was changing. Whereas before, it was believed that teaching them sign language would hurt their ability to speak, by that point, education research started to recognize that these are just two different ways to communicate, and one didn't impede the other. But even if the change didn't happen, Redmond said that she still would have approached her teaching that way, because her experiences proved that it was true.
“ Language can be expressed in many ways including spoken language, sign language, written words and pictures,” Redmond said. “This is the approach that I strongly encourage in teaching deaf students since options are given as to what fits best with the student’s learning style. I did not have that option when being forced to learn phonics as the primary way to learn how to read. “
Over the next 16 years, Redmond taught both deaf and hearing students at Holy Trinity. When the school became part of Children of Peace school was created, Winter became its principal, while Redmond became its campus director. And when Winter retired in 2001, Redmond took her place, serving for the next six years.
Winter is still involved with the program, volunteering to this day.
During their time with the program, education of deaf children changed in many ways, but both agree that the biggest change was the invention of the cochlear implant, which became available to the public in the 1990. The device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear, allowing many - but not all - deaf children to hear sounds.
“So many of the children now are working with cochlear implant, and that's bringing much more sound and hearing, [affecting] what they can do, with new implant, in the classroom,” Winter said. “They're hearing much more speech, much more language.”
There are still cases where children can't, for medical reasons, use the implant, or choose not, Winter said. But, overall, the number of children hat need specialized programs for the deaf has gone down considerably. Children of Peace now has only 22 deaf children.
Redmond said that, since the implant was introduced, she worked with parents to try to figure out what sort of approach is right for their children. Holy Trinity program offers various approaches, and various levels of support. And, Redmond said, even the kids with implants tend to need some services, at least at first.
Redmond's successor, Clair Zaffaroni made another change in 2016. All kids attending Children of Peace - hearing and deaf - are taught sign language. Winter said she has seen this in action - and she was delighted.
“They're so clever, our little hearing kids, they're so clever in using their little hands to form sign language,” Winter said. “And their parents love it. There's a whole new realm of possibility that I see in their future.”
While she admitted she wasn't entirely happy with some of the chances, overall, she is optimistic about the fugure of the program.
“What we need to do in education is to make sure we're keeping up in latest in sound production, the latest in use on cochlear, the latest in social media,” Winter said. “Our youngsters are growing up with it. It may be a dangerous world, but wonderful world if used well.”
All of the people who spoke to the Gazette had nothing but praise for both women. Zaffaroni said that she joined Children of Peace as a teacher, when Winter was still principal. She said it was Redmond would encouraged her to aim higher, which led her down the path of becoming a principal.
“Dedication to children is definitely what they both exemplify,” Zaffaroni said. “Working with children and encouraging us to get the best out of the children and making sure that everyone is included, making sure that everybody is welcome. [At Children of Peace], differences are celebrated. Its' wonderful community to be in.”
Esther Hicks, the Director of Catholic School Identity and Mission at the archdiocese, credited them with keeping the program going.
“[Winter's] work was very conscientious in that regard, as was Arlene Redmond's,” she said. “The stamina to keep that program gong in times that were very challenging, raising money for that kind of work, that kind of service...I think that both of those women deserve that award because they're esteemed leaders in their comm and they've done much to keep Children of Peace school going for a long, long time. And I think their service is what kept it open, and kept its at cutting edge for teaching elementary age students.”
Peter Butler, a former executive at Rush University Hospital, served with Redmond on the board of the Science and Math Excellence network. He said that the network helped to convert a classroom in Children of Peace school to a math and science lab,
“Arlene and Phyllis were great partners who endorsed the concepts wholeheartedly,” Butler said. “This relationship led to my wife and others associated with Rush to participate on the Children of Peace Advisory Board. We marveled at the dedication and unwavering passion Arlene and Phyllis brought to the development and support of children, especially those with hearing impairments”
He said there was no question that they deserved recognition - and then some.
“What a pair!” Burtler enthused. “They creatively secured financial resources to support their work, and when those weren't sufficient, they found ways to inspire so many of us to volunteer in every imaginable way. The world is much better off for the many lives Arlene and Phyllis have touched.”
When asked how they feel about being honored, both Winter and Redmond said they didn't feel they deserved it - they were doing their jobs, nothing more.
“Why do I need to be recognized?” Winter asked. “I asked that question from day one”
“I am not comfortable with being honored,” Redmond said. “The reason for this is because I choose to make this my career and a way to give back to society by using the skills I learned growing up with having deaf parents. I do not need to have recognition for this choice.”
But if it helps Holy Trinity, they could live with it.
“I guess there are two sides of that coin,” Winter said. “I feel happy people see what's going on at our school. It's my great reason for doing this. Our whole education program has done for me what I would have wanted to do. The education program needs to be recognized. Its unique, it's different [from anything else] in the archdiocese. I don't need to be recognized for that, but the program that I'm privileged to work in, with has been my greatest joy, and that's what I wanted to be recognized, the joy of working with both hearing and death children and inclusiveness of what's going on in this school.”
“I hope that one thing that comes from this celebration is that those who attend understand the importance of having a strong educational program within the Archdiocese,” Redmond said. “That this can be an option for a parent of a deaf or hard of hearing child who not only wants a good education for their child but a 'Catholic' presence that they would not be able to attain by sending them to a public school.”
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If you are in Chicago, you can pick up the issue at Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, around University of Chicago’s three campuses… and those are the only pick-up spots I know of.