CEASD President Dr. Stern to Discuss Education in Plenary Session

Submitted by NAD Conference [1] on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 10:36 Blog:

• NAD Conference [2]

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has made education a central focus of its 51st Biennial Conference on July 3-7, 2012 in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to an entire track of workshops dedicated to education and educational advocacy, one of our plenary sessions will feature CEASD President Dr. Ronald J. Stern on Wednesday July 4, 2012 at 3:45 pm.

Dr. Ronald Stern is renowned for his expertise and experience in the field of deaf education as the Superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Deaf, as well as the current President of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD). He was born in Philadelphia and grew up in New York City attending a variety of schools, and then earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Gallaudet University and a master's degree in deaf education from California State University, Northridge. He obtained his doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of New Mexico in 2008. Prior to his current position, Dr. Stern was a classroom teacher, principal, and Director of Instruction mostly at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont spanning 25 years.

In his role as CEASD President, Dr. Stern began and leads the Child First campaign, in partnership with the NAD, to prioritize the determination of the individual deaf child’s language and communication needs and to ensure that the child’s individual strengths and needs drive the IEP and educational placement decisions. He will share the vision and plans for the Child First campaign in his plenary presentation.

“CEASD President and NMSD Superintendent Dr. Ronald Stern is the ideal keynote speaker to present on the need for educational advocacy at our 51st Biennial NAD Conference,” said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins. “The NAD and CEASD are partners in this initiative to promote quality education for all deaf and hard of hearing children.”

The 51st Biennial NAD Conference, with the theme of “Nothing About Us, Without Us!” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Louisville and the Kentucky International Convention Center from July 3-7, 2012. Workshops, plenaries, exhibits, and traditional events such as the NAD College Bowl, Miss Deaf America Ambassador Competition are on the schedule along with Opening Ceremonies at a baseball game, 4th of July Kentucky Association of the Deaf steamboat benefit cruise and a NAD Benefit BBQ on the closing day of the Conference and DeaFestival. For the first time, the NAD is partnering with the famed DeaFestival Kentucky, which will bring deaf performing and visual artists -- a feast for the eyes!

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. Established in 1880, the NAD was shaped by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value.

The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more – improving the lives of millions of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. 

The NAD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by the generosity of individual and organizational donors, including corporations and foundations.