RSD superintendent to retire

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December 19, 2013

Rochester School for the Deaf
1545 St. Paul Street
Rochester, New York 14621

Rochester School for the Deaf superintendent to retire

As RSD’s first deaf chief Harold Mowl is also New York’s only deaf superintendent among eight State-supported schools for deaf and hard of hearing children

Dr. Harold Mowl, Jr., the superintendent and chief executive officer of Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD), plans to retire in August.

Mowl, 66, who resides in Pittsford, informed RSD Board of Directors President Dr. Michael Doughty of his retirement plans on Monday, December 16. On Wednesday Mowl informed school staff through e-mail, and a letter was mailed home to the families of students. Mowl is the school’s first deaf superintendent since it was established in 1876 and is the only deaf leader among New York’s eight State-supported schools for deaf and hard of hearing children. His retirement is effective August 31, 2014. The Executive Committee of the RSD Board will convene in January to discuss the search process for Mowl’s replacement.

Mowl is a native of Pittsburgh and graduated from the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 1965. His 45-year career in Deaf Education has included roles as dormitory director, classroom teacher, dean of students and principal. His tenure as RSD superintendent started in 1990.

“My years at RSD have been superb,” Mowl said in a memo to staff on December 18. “I am proud to say that RSD continues to be a fine school with adequate funding, modern facilities, current technology, strong curricula and support services, forward thinking faculty and staff, and of course great students.”

Board President Dr. Michael Doughty, whose oldest daughter attends RSD, praised Mowl for his sustained support for the school’s faculty and staff, students and their families, alumni and community benefactors.

“Harold has done an incredible amount of hard work to ensure that RSD continues to be an appropriate and effective school for deaf and hard of hearing children,” said Doughty. “Let’s not forget that RSD is at the center of a rather large and vibrant Deaf community here in Rochester.

“Across the country some schools for the deaf are struggling and a few have closed,” adds Doughty. “Harold Mowl did not want that to happen here in Rochester and he took it upon himself to make sure that RSD is here to welcome and support deaf and hard of hearing children and their families for another 137 years.”

During Mowl’s nearly 24 years at RSD he successfully managed multi-million dollar budgets, multiple campus-wide capital improvement projects and Common Core Curriculum implementation. Twice when governors proposed severe budget cuts and possible closure of State-supported schools for deaf, blind and severely physically disabled children, Mowl and the other schools successfully rallied in Albany for funding to be restored.

Source: www.RSDeaf.org