More than 400 sign petition calling for changes at Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Disappointing and frustrating. That’s how one mother describes her daughter’s experience at the Mississippi School for the Blind She’s one of hundreds calling for changes at the school, including new leadership. A petition with more than 400 signatures is circulating with concerns about the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind. Students, families, alumni, former educators, staff and stakeholders accuse the school of not having enough certified teachers. They also say teachers are not able to properly teach deaf and blind students, which they say is causing students to fall behind academically. “These kids have a right to a full and an appropriate education,” Dani Baisden, whose daughter was enrolled at the Mississippi School for the Blind, said. “The only ones who are hurting in this situation are the kids. We need to make sure they are getting the education they need to be able to thrive.” Baisden said her 14-year-old daughter, Lakshmi, attended the Mississippi School for the Blind from kindergarten through fifth grade, and Lakshmi described parts of her time there as challenging. “I’m dyslexic and they didn’t help me with any of that,” Lakshmi Baisden said. Dani Baisden said she withdrew her daughter from the school after the fifth grade. “When she got to the sixth grade she was two and half years behind in math, about a year behind in English Language Arts,” she said. Baisden said the school lacked specialized resources her daughter needed. She said making it mandatory for teachers to be certified to teach deaf and blind students would help address some of the concerns. “The understanding when I put my child at the (Mississippi) School for the Blind is that she would be taught by a teacher that was visually impaired, that all the teachers would have a TVI (Teacher of students with Visual Impairments) certification, so that every classroom that she went into was prepared for her,” Baisden said. “There were teachers who had never taught blind children before. They did the best they could with what they had, but they didn’t have the experience, not the experience that I expected and was told my child would get.” Octavia Carson, who graduated from the Mississippi School for the Blind in 1993, said she has concerns about what she is hearing from parents about the school. “The school that I grew up with, the educational services I received are not what we’re seeing today, and that has me with a very heavy heart to hear parents not pleased with the school,” Carson said. Carson, an advocate at the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center, said the current concerns are a “far cry” from her experience more than 30 years ago. “I’ve heard of students having to go online for a lot of their learning without the hands-on, in-person teacher approach,” she said. “The lack of direct instruction in braille which is necessary for literacy for a person who is blind or visibly impaired.” Carson said she is working to find solutions and believes school leaders and those who signed the petition can find common ground. “Collaborating more, say with those retired teachers or staff members who have done this so many years before, creating more opportunities for students to connect with other staff who’ve done this before,” Carson said. “Again, it could be a beautiful collaboration.” The Mississippi Department of Education said it is aware of the petition and is working to ensure the needs of students are met. “Mississippi Department of Education leadership has worked in conjunction with leadership at the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB) to ensure the unique needs of our students are met,” the statement said. “MSDB will always be a top priority, and decisions will be made and concerns addressed in the best interests of our students. Our work is designed to deliver services that promote academic achievement, communication skills, independence and prepare students for successful transitions to postsecondary education, careers and life beyond MSDB.” The superintendent of the schools, LaMarlon Wilson, responded to WLBT News saying he is willing to answer questions. The list of Q&A is listed below: What is your reaction/your thoughts on the online petition that’s circulating, and people calling for you to step down? Wilson: “I along with the educators at the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB), am committed to providing what is best for our students. Part of MSDB’s mission is to serve a diverse educational community and work collaboratively with families and partners. We remain dedicated to those efforts.” Many former students and educators allege there’s a teacher shortage at MSDB. Do you know if there’s any truth to this? Wilson: “In general, there is a teacher shortage statewide in various schools, districts and specific content areas. However, since I began serving as MSDB superintendent in July 2024, the schools have been fully staffed. As all schools and districts across Mississippi are in their annual hiring season, MSDB is currently seeking to fill two teacher vacancies.” If you had to estimate, do you know how many educators are teaching at MSDB? Wilson: “The MSDB has approximately 35 teachers.”