Protect West High's American Sign Language Program

This is an important program. Please keep ASL.

ASL is super important. Other people can learn English to connect with us but deaf people can't, so we need to learn their language so they won't be alone. A stupid sports class should be cut instead of an important language class.

ASL is a treasure. Spread it, don't squash it!

KEEP IT BRO

KEEP THE CLASSES!!!!!

The only way to grow communities is through communication. Being able to communicate in a language is important to foster growth among our blended families.

I loved the ASL program at West High! Please keep it!

Deaf people are rarely able to learn English. Students taking ASL are the ones who want to help and connect with others. The principal must not understand what the ADA is about.

Save ASL! It is so Important!

ASL is so important to learn for students of all ages!

Please keep the ASL class in school. Keeping ASL as a foreign language credit ensures that signed languages are recognized as equal to spoken languages and preserves linguistic diversity in schools. It promotes inclusion of the Deaf community, expands communication access, and allows students to meet graduation requirements while learning a practical, widely used language in the United States. Maintaining this credit also supports cultural awareness, career readiness, and equitable recognition of ASL as a complete and legitimate language.

I teach psychology at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA. We have a premier ASL and Deaf Studies department that has taught thousands of students the history of Deaf culture and the wonderful language of ASL for decades. I have taken these classes myself, and I'm better for it. It saddens me that budget cuts would lead the administration of West High School in Salt Lake City to even consider cutting their ASL program. Please reconsider and/or find a way to keep this program alive.

Keep educating

I am a hearing person who took ASL in high school because my parents said it was either that or Spanish (and Spanish seemed so difficult at the time). I fell in love with the language and the Deaf community. Those high school classes put me on the path to becoming a Nationally Certified ASL Interpreter. My senior year of high school our ASL classes were cut and it was devastating. Please reconsider keeping these classes for this school. It could change so many lives, like it did mine.

Please keep this class, I was fortunate enough to take ASL 6 years ago and this has shaped my life for the better.

This is important

I don’t personally take asl at west but at a different school in the valley. Asl has contributed so much to my life. I have been in asl for all 4 of my years in high school and it has translated To so many parts of my life I don’t know what I would do without it. I have fostered so many relationships because of asl and I think west would be doing a big disservice to its students by getting rid of the program.

Ms. Poll is not only an amazing teacher, but an amazing person. Discontinuing ASL at West would be sabotage of students' learning as well as their relationship with such an incredible teacher and human being. KEEP ASL!!

Everyone hearing should learn ASL.

As a retired West High teacher I cannot stress enough the positive impact this program has had on the students of West High. Please keep this excellent program. Go Panthers!