The first female superintendent of Missouri School for the Deaf (MSD) Barbara Garrison was recently honored with a plaque at the 125th Missouri School for the Deaf Alumni Association banquet.
Garrison served as superintendent of MSD from 2002 to 2013. She is well known for her friendly personality, someone who enjoyed interacting with both the staff and students alike. The plaque will grace the wall among other MSD superintendents' plaques in the lobby of the Wheeler Hall building.
MSD board members report they have several goals for improving the campus, including replacing wooden seats and the poor lighting system in Ingle Auditorium. They also are considering construction of a new library/student center and closing Rice Hall.
In a statement, board members said, "We reflect proudly on Dr. Garrison's term, which saw the replacement of Harrison gymnasium seats and lighting, a swimming pool upgrade to meet ADA guidelines and replacement of the track surface. Under her leadership we were able to keep the programs offered by MSD, which are available to all of Missouri's deaf/hard of hearing children. We did not have to lay off any employees."
Under Garrison's tenure, the school began offering a pre-school program.
Garrison worked hard to increase the student enrollment at MSD, board members stated. She also was able to obtain accreditation with CEASD (Council of Educators and Administrators of Schools for the Deaf), which is a very positive achievement for the school. She supported the venue of having MSD provide ASL classes to the public at no cost. She even allowed one of the staff to paint the bedrooms in the dorms to provide an attractive atmosphere and painting the Eagle's Nest to boost school pride and spirit.
Throughout her term, Garrison led by example, and although it was not easy, she always did her best to move the education of students in a positive direction, board members stated. Another of her achievements in this area was to make sure MSD met all requirements of the Missouri School Improvement Program. DESE was extremely pleased with the outcome.
Also MSD's Individual Educational Program went through an evaluation twice during her tenure. Both times MSD scored 97 percent. This became a model for many other schools with special education in Missouri.
It wasn't all behind-the-desk work for Garrison. She enjoyed attending many school sports events and was filled with Eagle pride for the school's athletes and fans.
"She typically dressed 'L.L. Bean' (and) looked like she was always ready for an adventure," they stated. "She loved her dogs. She was always seen with a dog on campus or in her Jeep. Notably, she adopted Sparky, a deaf dog who became a national/international viral sensation."