November 20, 2009

Podmore ’92 becomes first ASL teacher to earn national board certification

Ron Podmore MAT ’92 has become the first American Sign Language instructor to earn national board certification.

Ron Podmore MAT ’92 has become the first deaf American Sign Language instructor to earn national board certification, an arduous certification process that takes a year or more to complete. A certified K-12 Licensed School Administrator, Podmore is currently a math and ASL teacher in the state of Washington.

Podmore has won numerous awards for his teaching including recognition from the Washington State School Board Association and a Golden Apple Award from Seattle’s public broadcasting organization KCTS. Podmore was profiled in this video by the public television station for his outstanding work to bring the deaf culture to hearing students.

When he’s not teaching, Podmore also writes fiction and nonfiction about the deaf world. In 2002, he published A Sign To Remember,  which chronicles a fictional character living with Usher Syndrome, a disease that impairs hearing and vision.