Mary Martone—A Career in Deaf Education

Mary Martone is the Director of Early Childhood Education at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle.  Mary and I met this summer at the Hands & Voices Leadership Workshop where we sat together along with a few other deaf and hard of hearing participants.  I asked Mary to share about her career and some advice she has for parents raising deaf and hard of hearing children today.

Mary has a B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology from Gallaudet.  After graduation, she worked as a teacher and then four years later, went back to Gallaudet to obtain a Masters in Deaf Education with a specialization in Secondary English.  “I grew up at the American School for the Deaf in Connecticut,” Mary shared.  “So I’m a product of Deaf Education in a residential school.  However, my mother, now deceased, was very instrumental in my literacy skills.  So I have her to thank.” 

Mary’s career in teaching spans from the east coast to the west coast.  At Gallaudet, she taught remedial English to the students who did not pass freshman English.  After a year, she began teaching English at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf.  “The professional development at MSSD was great and I had a good group of teachers to learn from and interact with,” said Mary.  “I didn’t just teach.  I got involved with the English Department Placement Team, developing the curriculum, the after-school drama productions, was the chair of the department for three years. It was a fantastic experience.”

After nine years as an English teacher, Mary was ready for something else.  She took a position as the Summer Program Coordinator at the Gallaudet Honors Program, working under Dr. Richard Meisegier.  During the year, she worked as an Academic Advisor for honor students.

Mary met the man who would become her husband, and he didn’t like living in Washington D.C.  “He called it the concrete jungle,” she said with a chuckle.  “So we moved to Scranton, PA where I was the Assistant Director of Education at the Scranton School for the Deaf.  Then, I moved to Massachusetts and was the Collaboration Specialist for the Gallaudet University Regional Center in Essex, Massachusetts.  After that, I was an Instructional Supervisor at the New Mexico School for the Deaf.  After that, I was the principal at the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.” 

I asked Mary to share which job was her best one and she couldn’t pinpoint just one.  “All of my jobs have been good experiences in different ways and contributed to what I’m doing in my current job.  Each job presented its own challenges which added up and contributes to what I’m doing now.  I have challenges with this job as well.  Each job I’ve had, I have learned new things as well.  I love what I’m doing now and I have a fantastic boss.”

Mary is a mom to three adult children.  “My first stepson is 35 years old and hearing.  He is a machinist who lives in California with his girlfriend and they have two beautiful children, five year old Vanessa and one year old Ian.  My second is hard of hearing and lives with us.  He is a fantastic artist.  He helps around the house and walks our two dogs.

 “My third is Deaf and autistic,” Mary continued. “We adopted her from India when she was six years and 10 months old.  She is now 23 and is doing well in a supportive living home.  We are working on obtaining training for part-time employment, so she can ‘go to the mall and buy clothes’ as she says in her words.”

Mary’s advice to parents raising deaf and hard of hearing children today: “From my 30 years of being in Deaf Education, the kids who succeed are the ones whose parents have been involved in their education.  Some kids succeed in spite of lack of parent involvement but the majority succeed because of their parents being involved.  Research shows this, too.”

And Mary has advice for deaf and hard of hearing children who are considering their path in life: “As for my advice for kids, it’s to have fun, work hard, and follow their hearts in choosing their careers.  The rest will fall into place.  Don’t choose a career because someone tells you should.  Choose a career that you love and can commit to.  The universe will make things happen for you.”