State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Applauds Success of Football Program at California School for the Deaf in Riverside

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond applauds the incredible success of the California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR) football team. CSDR’s team is undefeated and has won their last 10 games, securing a position in the playoffs. This is the first winning record in a decade for CSDR’s football program, which has never won a championship or gone past the second round of the section playoffs.

“These players and students have been working hard on and off the field,” said Thurmond. “This program is a model of how public education can change lives and sustain students. As a former student athlete, I understand the lasting positive impact of our sports programs on our students and the valuable friendships that are made on the field. I am proud of the CSDR football team’s winning record during this breakthrough season and wish them luck in the playoffs.”

The 400 students at CSDR come from 11 Southern California counties. Students at California Schools for the Deaf are engaged in a positive environment where American Sign Language and English are valued, cultures are embraced, learning is relevant, and self-worth is uplifted. In collaboration with families and school communities, students prepare for 21^stcentury colleges and careers through academic rigor, innovative technology, and extracurricular opportunities. CSDR was founded in 1953. Its sister campus, the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, has 415 students and was founded in 1860, the first special education program established in California.

Superintendent Thurmond is supporting an effort to fund new bleachers for CSDR’s football program. If interested in joining the effort, you can write a check to the C Booster Club and write on memo: bleachers and mail to: C Booster Club, P.O. Box 20872, Riverside, CA 92516. (EIN: 82-4791230)

Visit the California School from the Deaf, Riverside’s website for more information.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100