A group of students from the California School for the Deaf-Fremont (CSD) graduated before they could see the end result of the legislative proposal they made last fall to increase the visibility of their school. Now that a bill inspired by that proposal has been signed into law, the U.S. government teacher who spearheaded the project with her 12th-graders says they’ll feel its impact nonetheless.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 2367, paving the way for highway signs to be installed for state special schools like CSD. The bill, authored by District 24 Assemblymember Alex Lee, aims to raise awareness of these schools. During the legislative process, they also advocated for highway signage to be built for the nearby California School for the Blind.
“As my students were graduating last summer, they were talking about how powerful it will be to see that freeway sign one day on a trip home from college and know that families with young deaf kids will see the California School for the Deaf as a resource for their child,” CSD social studies teacher Molly Christensen said in a release.
“Throughout the legislative process, students from the California School for the Deaf-Fremont have been engaged and committed to pushing forward their cause,” said Lee, whose district includes Milpitas and parts of San Jose. “This bill is a prime example of how young people can participate in our democracy.”
CSD enrolls about 350 deaf and hard-of-hearing students and offers education in American Sign Language and English. The campus is located near highways 680, 238 and 880.
