LONGMEADOW – Willie Ross School for the Deaf (WRSD) has hired two individuals for the positions of WRSD education director as well as assistant education director. Former Assistant Director of Educational Services, Erika Kaftan, was promoted to the schools education director position.

Kaftan, of Leominster, grew up taking classes with sign language interpreters, and eventually decided to become a teacher because of her love for working with children.

In this edition, and the following Aug. 9 edition, Reminder Publications, will have conducted question and answer interviews with both Kaftan and Laurie Brown, who is the school’s new assistant education director. The following is an edited interview with Kaftan.

Reminder Publications: What is your educational background?

Kaftan: I graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies/ASL. I then obtained my masters in Deaf Education from Boston University. I eventually went on to receive another masters from Endicott College in Organizational Management.

Reminder Publications: Why did you decide to go into this profession?

Kaftan: I originally was a Teacher of the Deaf. I became a teacher because I love working with children and for many years, I was a counselor at a Deaf camp and saw so many different campers that had different needs and it became a passion of mine to work towards fulfilling their needs academically. When I graduated from college, I got a job as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher at the EDCO Program at Newton North. I quickly made my way up to teaching high school classes while obtaining my masters. That in itself was fulfilling but I also became frustrated with the lack of support in Deaf Education as a whole. I realized one way to fix that was to be a part of the change. I got that degree in organizational management and became an administrator.

Reminder Publications: How long have you been with Willie Ross? What excites you most about this job? What is your favorite part of working at the school?

Kaftan: I started in July 2015 as the assistant director. I love working at Willie Ross because we’re a family who looks after the students’ best interests together. The staff is beyond amazing and truly amongst the best I have ever worked with. The smiles the students have when they get off the bus every day shows how much they love being here. I love coming to work every day.

Reminder Publications: What experience do you feel you will bring to your new position as WRSD education director?

Kaftan: I would like to think that my years of teaching and experience will help contribute to the school's continued success. I did not come into this job thinking I would make changes and run the school on my own. My philosophy centers around the fact that we are a team and it is my job to support the team recognize our strengths and weaknesses and work towards providing the best education we can for each individual student. As a deaf person myself, I also feel that my upbringing will help contribute to finding all the good things about learning in the eyes of a deaf child and figuring out what does not work for a deaf child learning in a hearing world.

Reminder Publications: Do you have any specific goals that you plan to help the school achieve as you move forward in this position?

Kaftan: It is my goal to continue to support our staff as they educate our students. However, I also plan to help the school implement the whole child approach and work on improving each child’s cognitive, emotional, social and physical development. Finally, I aim to keep our numbers steady and strong.

For many students, coming here is the first time they have access to language and people who can communicate with them utilizing a variety of methods but also understand their frustrations. I want the school to continue to be a place where they feel supported. I also aim to continue to work with our families in supporting them and helping them figure out what is best for their child.