Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1081161
" The social aspect of Marlton alone is an enormous gain for students as opposed to a mainstream school where many Deaf children suffer from isolation, which can affect their education regardless of the quality of instruction they may receive." — Claire Ettlin, UTLA accessible to many students in LAUSD. Some say its remote loca- tion has led to district neglect and is a factor in why just 135 out of 2,100 Deaf and hard of hearing students attend school there. Despite a small student population, Marlton has strong parent supporters. Some drive many miles each day, so their children can be taught in both ASL and English. e other Deaf and hard of hearing LAUSD stu- dents attend local schools and rely on interpreters. is mirrors national statistics: More than 86 per- cent of Deaf or hard of hearing students in the U.S. are mainstreamed in public schools. Students spend most of the school day in general education class- rooms with support from an interpreter, according to "Raising and Educating Deaf Children," a 2016 report from Oxford University. Susan Margolin , a Deaf teacher for Marlton's middle and high school students, believes students benefit from receiving direct instruction in ASL. "Other students may attend regular classes with sign lan- guage interpreters who often do not sign details in full, and students may miss information as a result of their dependence on inadequate signing," Margolin says. Marlton was created to provide students with an environment where they could communicate with everyone on staff without an interpreter present. However, because none of its adminis- trators are fluent in ASL and the majority of past and current administrators lack a background in Deaf Education, administrators may resort to pointing, gesturing, or not communicating with students and staff. e school has been a revolving door for admin- istrators, with five principals in eight years, not including interim principals. Educators hope new administrators will bring a wealth of best practices in Deaf Education to enrich the academic and lin- guistic environment, propelling Marlton beyond providing just a basic education. "e general impression from past administrators has been that our school needs to be 'fixed' and that our Deaf and hard of hearing population is somehow not as important or lesser than the general education population," says Laura Carls, a Marlton preschool and transitional kindergarten teacher. "In UTLA chapter co-chair and Marlton educator Richard Hall with student Nicole Sweet. 34 cta.org feature Laura Carls