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• 10/19/2011 4:16 PM Dee wrote:
  Thank you for the interview! As a college professor, I have been following this story closely. As a mother of a daughter with expressive language disabilities and a sister with Down's syndrome (a different form of disability but also one with discrimination) , I am very sensitive to many sides.
  
  It is the first time I have heard Mr. Perez-Pena, the reporter, and it was illuminating. Since now it seems Philip and the prof. are in many ways in agreement, I am surprised the (education, or all areas) writer did not forsee the problems. For example, he says Philip did not want the prof to get in trouble and asked that her name not be used, yet the writer did it anyway. The writer said he didn't want to write a one-sided story, yet he did it anyway, etc.
  
  Right now it is positive that people with disabilities can advocate for themselves. But, as in any act, must be done with awareness of context. If you look at the story, what should have been done differently? What if a stutterer wants to talk many times in class (what if any student wants to talk many times in class)?
  
  For the most part, the purpose of college is really not to "express yourself", it is to listen to information. There may be a part of it that includes discussion, but that's not the main part. A stutterer is at a disadvantage, but (except for perhaps not writing "that" email - which to my understanding does not even mention stuttering) the prof did much to help him. Further, as an adjunct she is not paid for anything or anytime she takes out of the classroom (including emails, meetings with dean, meetings with students, etc.). She generously gave of her time for him. Is there anything else that would have helped?
  
  I'm not sure Philip (and perhaps the reporter) understands the nature of college classroom. Though perhaps that has been clarified.
  
  I am very distubed by the many people who rushed to judgement and were unfortunately into teacher bashing. Its as if no one can realize most teachers have the right heart.
  
  Thank you again for the very fair interview. I am beginning to suspect that this is as much a case or irresponsible journalism as it is a case of stuttering. Apparently Philip was accommodated and is pleased, That's all that matters.
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  1. 10/19/2011 5:36 PM StutterTalk wrote:
     Dee,
     
     
     Thank you so much for your comments and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I also appreciate your very kind words about my reporting. I strive to be fair and I appreciate yo saying so. Numerous people have contacted me with similar comments and some have said or implied that it is too soon to say them publicly. 
     
     
     I really appreciate your point about how colleges work and I wish I would have discussed this with Mr. Perez-Pena. I have taught about ten graduate level courses at three different universities. Adjunct work is not glamorous - Adjuncts are underpaid, under-appreciated and overworked. It does not surprise me that the professor's university appears to have treated her less than loyally. Of course, that is my opinion from what has appeared in the media. I do not know and cannot know their full position. 
     
     
     I have now seen the email sent to Mr. Garber and it strikes me as a mixture of three things - uninformed, insensitive but with an overall tone of 'I want the student to be successful in my class.' From reading the email I get the sense that the professor was attempting to be sensitive even though she made, in my view, clear mistakes. 
     
     
     I am very empathetic with what Mr. Garber was facing, but I am also empathetic with how things played out with the professor. From the tone of the professor's email and from Mr Perez-Pena's reporting, I get the sense that meeting with her may have been productive for all involved. 
     
     
     I also share a concern about rushing to judgement. There are always two sides (or more) to a story. I wish that the professor would have accepted my invitation to appear on StutterTalk because I think the stuttering community and others would benefit from hearing her perspective. 
     
     
     I disagree with you on one point you made. The email doesn't have to mention stuttering, in my opinion. But again, we really haven't heard that much from the professor.
     
     
     A regular StutterTalk listener wrote me today and said, "I wish this professor was willing to come on the show because she does seem like a well-meaning lady who tried to do the right thing and is now being vilified for it." If the professor were to come on StutterTalk, I wonder if others would come to share this view,
     
     
     Sincerely,
     
     
     Peter Reitzes
     President and Host, StutterTalk 
     
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