REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 16TH 11:59PM
Deaf Education Symposium 2025
The Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) is proud to announce the inaugural Deaf Education Symposium, a milestone event with profound significance.
This symposium underscores the critical importance of Deaf education, particularly considering last year’s passage of the LEAD-K legislation, which emphasizes language acquisition and educational equity for Deaf children. The event is designed to provide valuable insights and resources for Teachers of the Deaf (TODs), educational interpreters, and parents, fostering a deeper understanding and engagement in shaping the Deaf education system.
Moreover, the symposium serves as a vital platform for statewide networking, bringing together educators, interpreters, parents, and advocates to collaborate and drive positive change in the field of Deaf education. MCDHH is committed to making this an enriching and impactful event for all involved.
Interested in becoming an Exhibitor? Follow this link to register:
Heidi MacLaughlin
Heidi MacLaughlin has been an education in Deaf education for more than 20 years. She holds certifications in E-12 Deaf and Hard of hearing, E-12 American Sign Language, Principal, ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood Education, Council on Education of the Deaf (CED), and ACUE Effective a Teaching Practice Framework. She received her doctorate degree from Lamar University in 2018. Heidi specializes in early language acquisition, ASL/English bilingual education, family literacy, and fingerspelling. She is current an assistant professor in the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education at Lamar University. She also directs a graduate program in Deaf Education (educator preparation program). Heidi presented at various conferences on Deaf identity, literacy, early language acquisition, and fingerspelling. She also provided workshops and webinars on those topics. She serves on the Associate of College Educators – Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACE-DHH) Board as Assistant Membership Chair.
Heidi enjoys traveling, coaching, and being a BIG Fan of her son’s activities, especially swimming,
Jennifer Francisco
Jennifer Francisco is the Educational Interpreter Project Coordinator for Florida; she works with all K-12 educational interpreters across Florida. She holds certifications in: Elementary Education, Reading Education, Deaf Education, and an endorsement in ESOL. She comes from a generationally Deaf family and is passionate about Deaf Education and providing the best access to education and language for all Deaf and hard of hearing students. Jennifer believes in working with all staff members who work with Deaf and Hard of hearing students because we all should share the same goal of providing the best of best for our DHH students.
When she is not working, she is with her husband and two children, Mason and Molly, exploring what is out there to be seen and enjoyed. Jennifer and her family enjoy traveling and visiting new states.
Lee Godbold
Lee Godbold has been an interpreter for 20+ years and holds her BEI Master, Court, Medical, RID NIC, Ed K-12, and Q-MHI. Her work has spanned 17 states and 3 continents. She currently works at Texas School for the Deaf as the Supervisor of Sign Language Services. Additionally, she serves as the Vice Chair for the Texas BEI Advisory Committee. She previously worked for the University of North Florida as adjunct faculty and has presented nationally on a variety of interpreting topics. In 2011, Lee had the opportunity to conduct research on social language competency of educational interpreters at the University of Graz in Austria, and her contribution to an interpreting textbook was published in 2013. She was involved with the Texas Mental Health Initiative for Deaf Youth from 2016-2022.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters, traveling, food trucks, and a good book.
Diane Blastic
Diane has been interpreting for 20+ years, earning an RID CI, CT, NIC Advanced, BEI Master, Medical. Diane has interpreted in several states and many situations. Some of her favorites have been in the Pacific Ocean and on stage with HH the Dali Lama. Also, she enjoys presenting on topics like ergonomics while interpreting and how to be a good team. Teaching soft skills is a passion. Diane is currently working as a Designated Interpreter for The University of Texas, Dell Medical School with a Deaf Internal Medicine Resident. After work, Diane likes books, movies, dogs, and her spouse.