ASL Test Proposed

A Massachusetts ASL teacher in danger of losing her job may get to sit down soon with school officials and make her case. Daniela Ioannides was told she would be fired if she doesn’t earn her teacher certification. Ioannides was born deaf and is struggling to pass her state's English competency test. ASL is her first language and the syntax is completely different from English. She teaches at Andover High and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The state's assistant commissioner of education and several other state education officials have agreed to meet with her. Ioannides is hoping Massachusetts may join three other states with an ASL certificate program and create an appropriate teacher certification exam for the deaf and hard of hearing.