Friday's Internet Edition, July 03, 2009.

Shauna Bolton of Newton arranges snapdragons she had for sale on the opening day of the Amma Farmer’s Market Friday. DAVID HEDGES/SPENCER NEWSPAPERS

That might also be the case for sign language interpreters who served deaf students in the Roane County School system.

When they insisted they should be regular employees, instead of contracted workers, the Roane Board of Education relented and posted the positions.

Then the board hired all new interpreters, replacing the ones who had worked under contracts.

Andrew Weygand, who served as spokesman for the group, expressed his disappointment after Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

He said he was never given an interview.

“I’m thinking it was because I advocated for the interpreters, but I don’t know their thoughts,” he said. Weygand interpreted for a deaf student for the past school year.

At last month’s school board meeting, also attended by State Police because of alleged threats made by an unnamed member of the deaf community, Weygand said he was interested in one of the interpreter positions, but not at the pay rate proposed by the board.

Weygand said he earned $20 an hour as a contract worker. As an employee, he said he would have earned $19,000 per year, or roughly $11 per hour.

“They offered a 45 percent pay cut over our contacts last year,” he said. “We couldn’t live with that.”

Weygand said he and three other interpreters who worked in the schools last year applied for the four positions that were posted. None were hired.

One of the interpreters passed over, April Hottle, objected to those who were hired Tuesday.

She said one of the new hires had done an internship in Roane County and demonstrated poor interpreting skills.

As the parent of a deaf son entering high school, she was upset that no male interpreters were hired.

Hottle was hired for a part-time position as an interpreter for a student participating on the football team, but she immediately resigned from that position. She said she could not attend all the practices and games for $1,000, but personnel director Kathy Whoolery said administrators felt it would be a mistake to pay an interpreter more than an assistant football coach.

Hottle asked how the decision was made to hire the interpreters that were approved.

Board member Randy Whited offered a motion to have information on the hiring details on the agenda for the next meeting, but his motion died for the lack of a second. Board president Joe Painter said, ”I have confidence that the procedures were followed.”

Other members attending were Paul Cummings, Russell Moore and Tom Young.

Before the new hires were approved, members of the deaf community spoke and cited the need for good interpreting services.

Roane County High School student Mitchell Miller said he did not want his grades to suffer.

“Please give me a good interpreter,” Miller said.

Opal Myers, mother of a deaf student who just graduated and another still in school and a deaf person herself, said the interpreters should be certified in American Sign Language.

Scott Hottle, a deaf teacher, said applicants should be evaluated by someone who knows sign language.

All addressed the board with the aid of an interpreter.

Superintendent Steve Goffreda said the staff looked at increasing the pay, but it proved difficult under the state’s personnel laws.

Those hired as paraprofessional sign interpreters were Jasmin Campbell, Rachel Kyle and Millie Nichols.

Weygand said he was aware of four deaf students who would be in Roane schools this year, and he was not certain why only three interpreters were hired. The position of lead interpreter Weygand said had been posted was not filled.