When Donald Rhoten was young, education for deaf children was different.
They sat at the front of the classroom so they could watch the teacher, he said.
That’s not how things are done at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood, where Rhoten has served as superintendent and CEO for two decades. Each of the school’s more than 200 students ages 3 to 21 has a personalized education plan and communicates with staff members using American Sign Language and spoken English.
“Parents entrust us with their most valuable possessions,” said Rhoten, 66. “We don’t take that trust lightly.”
Rhoten, the ninth leader in the school’s 147-year history, is retiring in June after 23 years in the position.
During his tenure, he oversaw multimillion-dollar renovations and expansions and earned national recognition for the school’s programs, said Melissa Scheffler, chair of the school’s board of trustees. The school has expanded to other locations in Pennsylvania, and about 70 of its 260 employees are deaf, making it the largest employer of deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in the state.
“Don changed the face of the organization,” Scheffler said.
Rhoten was at the helm during the construction of a dormitory for the students who live on campus during the week and a new Children’s Center for the school’s youngest pupils, as well as renovations to the century-old main building.
In 2009, WPSD opened a second location, The Scranton School for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Children, after the state closed the Scranton State School for the Deaf.
There are 177 students enrolled at the Edgewood campus and 60 at the Scranton location. The school runs an outreach center in Camp Hill, which opened in 2001, and a preschool in Hershey.
WPSD invested about $50 million during his time at the school for renovations, expansions and improvements at the two campuses, Rhoten said.
“It’s been a special 23 years,” he said.
The board of trustees announced in March that Rhoten will be succeeded by Steven Farmer, who most recently served as director of student life at the Tennessee School for the Deaf.
Rhoten put the school on the cutting edge academically, vocationally and technologically, Farmer said.
“Mr. Rhoten has brought incredible growth and improvements to both campuses as well as the outreach and preschool programs in Hershey,” Farmer said. “While nobody can replace him, his legacy can and will be continued.”
Rhoten briefly studied industrial engineering while playing baseball at the University of Baltimore, but quickly switched his major to history. He spent a couple of weeks in law school before he found out about the deaf education program at nearby Western Maryland College, he said. Rhoten has worked in the field ever since.
He met his wife of 38 years, Cathy, while both were teaching at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, he said. They lived on the WPSD campus for about 14 years and still have to move some of their belongings out of the superintendent’s house before Farmer moves in.
His wife retired from the school about three years ago, Rhoten said. He plans to spend more time with their five grandchildren after he retires.
“I’m ready,” he said about the change. “But I will miss the kids.”
Elizabeth Behrman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. She can be reached at 412-320-7886 or Lbehrman@tribweb.com.
Source: Tribune-Review. This article is published on Saturday, April 23, 2016.