A Grassroots Effort for Education
Local parents in Walla Walla organize to hire a private instructor for their deaf children after finding state resources lacking.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Miss Inez Smith, of Northfield, Minnesota, who is to become instructor in a private school for the deaf and dumb, to be established in Walla Walla September 1st, is expected to arrive in this city tomorrow. The establishment of the school is due to the efforts of Joseph Miller, of 654 Park Street, whose son has been in attendance at the state school for defective youth. Mr. Miller gained the impression that the state school was illy equipped to advance the students any appreciable degree, and interested several Walla Wallans who have children similarly afflicted. The result is that five have agreed to subscribe $20 a month for the maintenance of the school. Mr. Miller said this morning that no school room has been selected as yet, but he hoped to be able to secure quarters in one of the public school buildings.
“Mr. Miller gained the impression that the state school was illy equipped to advance the students any appreciable degree.”
This story highlights the historical struggle for accessible special education. It illustrates how parents were forced to circumvent bureaucratic failures by creating their own community-funded solutions.
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