Jean Sachar MoogThe Moog Center for Deaf Education
Jean Sachar Moog had a dream of building a children’s castle in a forest! Having founded and currently director of The Moog Center for Deaf Education, the architects made her dream possible and the castle officially opened its doors last October, 2000. The Moog Center for Deaf Education is an oral program located in St Louis, Missouri.
Jean Moog who is hearing, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in1955, Magna Cum Laude and Masters degree in Speech and Hearing from Washington University in 1964.
Although there were no deaf family members of her family, she became. interested when she became aware of the Central Institute for the deaf (CID) in St. Louis. Missouri while in college.
“I started the Moog Center for Deaf Education in 1996″, Moog explains, I had been fired from Central Institute of the Deaf (CID) after more than 30 years on the staff and 15 years as principal of the school. This firing was part of a shake-up in administration at CID that included the firing of the top three administrators in deaf education (me, Director of Professional Education and Director of Clinical Services) Many parents and staff urged me to start a new school. It is an oral school and no sign language is used.”
When asked if she is Jewish, she says yes. ” We have Jewish students attending. I am not sure how many, but I believe there are five. Forty six students currently attend the Moog School. In addition fifteen families are served in the birth-3 program which is called the Family School.
“The Mission is to teach deaf children to talk others how to do it. Our goal is to make it possible for more deaf children to talk and to experience success in their lives both in school and in the world at large.
“The Moog Center focuses primarily on young children, under the age of 10 and especially on the birth-to-three program and the preschool. We are a day school rather than a residential school. Our focus is on getting children mainstreamed as early as they demonstrate readiness and have the skills to complete successfully.
At CID I was a preschool teacher, then the coordinating for the preschool and primary grades, then the director of the Experimental Project in Instructional Concentration (EPIC) a program designed to accelerate learning in oral deaf children. I also worked in research, evaluating educational programs and approaches to teaching deaf children, and developing tests that are used throughout the world. I was principal for 15 years at CID before starting the Moog School in 1996. I was co-investigator for two NIH grants: one in Literacy and one on cochlear implants.
“I never expected to start my own school. I got into deaf education by accident–looking for something to do after I graduated from Smith College with a degree in Philosophy.
“My husband, Alva is a manufacturer. His success in selling Serta mattresses is what has made possible my freedom to work in deaf education. My daughter, Betsy, is Director of the birth-to-three program at the Moog Center for Deaf Education. I also have two sons. My son invents and designs game for his game company in San Francisco, California — University Games. His games include Twenty Questions, Murder Mystery Parties, Colorforms, Dr. Seuss Games, Battle of the Sexes and many others. My other son, Rick, is a professor of Physical Chemistry and chair of the Chemistry Department at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.
We have helped five other Moog Curriculum Schools get established and implement the Moog Curriculum. They are located in Albuquerque, Chicago, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Cincinnati. We provide mainstream services throughout the Midwest. We provide workshops for professionals in deaf education.”
For more information about the Moog Center, write to 824 S. Mermec Ave, St Louis, MO 63105, call 314/692-7172 Voice or email to [email protected].
