 In
the Spotlight
Angela McCaskill
by Ann Lynn Smith
Angela P. McCaskill walked across the stage on May 14, 2004 at
Gallaudet University to receive her Ph.D in Special Education
Administration. This interview with Dr.
McCaskill will reveal what made
this “sistah” on the block determined to reach one of her aspirations.
Smith: What made you DO IT (set goals to study and complete your Ph.D)?
Dr. McCaskill: I’ve always been visionary and I’ve always been goal
oriented! After working as an Administrator in Deaf Education, I
developed the desire to learn more about the field of Administration
and Supervision. Learning is ongoing and the desire to pursue my
education further was always there. I knew that administration was my
niche. Having worked as Coordinator of Residence Education at the Model
Secondary School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University and Assistant
Principal at the Model Secondary for the Deaf, I knew that Special
Education Administration was my field. I prayed a lot and asked God to
give me the strength to do what I had to do. I was determined and
sacrificed a lot of social activities.
Smith: What were your greatest challenges while earning your Ph.D, from
beginning to end?
Dr. McCaskill: My biggest challenges were juggling the role of a single
mom, full time employee and being a student. I had a full plate! I’ve
always had to work full time and I divorced when my kids were ages 2
and 3. That was very challenging and so I actually stopped school at
one point because the kids were so small and needed a lot of attention.
I stayed out of school until my kids were in the first and second
grade. It was so hard to go to work full-time, attend classes, pick up
the kids, cook, clean, and there was homework and so many other things.
Even though I had a lot on my plate, my kids were always first. As they
became older, the homework increased. We would all visit the library
often, and do homework together.
Smith: When you began working on your dissertation, did you have a
clear idea in your head of a particular subject or did you have to
navigate through ideas to narrow down your goal?
Dr. McCaskill: I had many ideas but was not sure how I would carry out
the study. After selecting a topic entitled “School Improvement,” I
struggled with that for a long time. After talking with people and
asking for advice from my dissertation advisor,
I discovered my topic area at a conference that Gallaudet University
was hosting on “High Stakes Tests.” Working at the U.S. Department of
Education and dealing with Statewide and District Wide assessment on a
regular basis, it occurred to me the possible impact that high stakes
test could have on deaf and hard of hearing students. I then set out to
establish my topic, “The Impact of High Stakes Graduation Tests on Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Students,” and developed my research questions.
Hearing students were failing their states’ high school requirements
at an alarming rate and I immediately thought of the deaf and hard of
hearing students. I see it as a crucial part of my work to shed light
on assessment results for deaf students. The U.S. Department of
Education is about improving the academic performance results for all
students with disabilities.
Smith: As a Graduate student speaker for Gallaudet University
Commencement, what kind of message did you talk about?
Dr. McCaskill: I used the analogy of “running” to share with the
audience what it was like for me to complete my doctorate. I shared
that in a runner’s world, there are straight roads that are uneventful,
uphills that are challenging and require extra strength, and bumps in
the road that catch you totally off guard. The race of success and life
is ongoing. One race ends and another one begins. In essence, I said
that the race for self-exploration must continue. I challenged the
graduates to think about their wildest dreams. I encouraged them to do
as I did, to step out on faith.
I learned from my failures and gained so much from the experiences.
For example, a friend of mine sent me a message during one of the
lowest points of my life. The message was: “Remember, ‘I can do all
things through Christ, which strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13.” The
road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a
loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called
Enemies, caution lights called Family, and you will have flats called
Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called
Perseverance, insurance called Faith, and a driver called Jesus, you
can make it to a place called Success.
Smith: I’m sure your family and friends are very proud of you on your
biggest accomplishment!
Dr. McCaskill: Oh yes! The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family
and children and many friends. My sister, Carolyn McCaskill, has always
been one of my role models. She has been a leader in my family. Dr.
Ernest Hairston also is an excellent role model and he constantly
pushed me to finish my dissertation. Dr. Louise Tripoli has been an
excellent role model, mentor and coach throughout the dissertation
process. A cadre of family and friends hosted a graduation party in my
honor. It was really enjoyable and made me feel really special and
blessed!
Michael E Graziano
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