Reaching beyond the requirements . . . President Bush has stated that there will be “No child left behind.” What will it take? Speaking from her experiences as a counselor, teacher, administrator, and consultant, Dr. Pressman shared some of her personal stories and triumphs in working with the deaf and hard of hearing community. In her words . . .

“We know that deaf and hard of hearing people have always worked. However, the bigger issue to grapple with is career advancement, promotions, and leadership opportunities. Teachers, counselors, and administrators -- those of us who are the role models and hold the keys to influence the goals, attitudes, learning, and direction of our deaf and hard of hearing children, students, and workers - are challenged more than ever to instill the skills necessary to help our children, students, and workers not only survive but to also compete and lead in a global market.”

While we may not be entirely responsible for our client’s or student’s success or failure, we do have the ability to encourage continual performance management. Performance management takes us a step beyond. It is the key that opens chosen doors. Stepping beyond the requirements means reaching outside the box and going beyond our given title to serve as a partner and advocate in lifelong learning and career development. How do we accomplish this?

Through a multimedia presentation, Dr. Pressman shared with the audience first-hand information on programs and methods she is using with deaf and hard of hearing people and research-based data that is helping guide how she advises organizations in order to create inclusive environments so that no child is left behind, no student is left behind, no worker is left behind, and no person is left behind.