In 2011, Dr. Barbara Hecht joined Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech as Director of Clarke Massachusetts in Canton, bringing with her decades of experience, a deep commitment to children and families, and a bold vision for the future of deaf education. From her first day, she set out not just to lead a program, but to grow a community rooted in expertise, compassion and possibility. As she enters retirement on June 30, 2025, we reflect on her legacy with Clarke and beyond.
Barbara Hecht’s journey into deaf education was sparked by an unexpected but life-changing moment. With a PhD in linguistics and psychology, she had long focused on children’s language development. While on the faculty at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a student invited her to visit the John Tracy Center, an early childhood center serving children who are deaf or hard of hearing using listening and spoken language. After sitting in on a parent support group and visiting classrooms filled with joyful, communicative children, she was captivated. One year later, she entered the field and never looked back.
At Clarke Massachusetts in Canton, Barbara worked closely with Assistant Director Mary Jane Johnson to expand services across the region. Together with a dedicated team, they grew the Preschool and Birth to Age Three Programs, launched new parent-toddler groups, and significantly expanded Clarke’s Mainstream Services across Eastern Massachusetts.
“Barbara was never fearful of recommending new ways of working with children and families. She always had data and research to support her program recommendations.”
Barbara also led some of Clarke’s most forward-thinking initiatives. She helped pioneer Clarke’s tVisit® Teleservices project, one of the first programs in the country to explore early intervention through video conferencing. Its success brought new funding and helped Clarke become a national leader in providing early intervention services through video conferencing years before it became commonplace. She also guided a Clarke-wide evaluation of Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology, exploring how data could help families enrich their children’s early language experiences.
Barbara’s leadership extended far beyond Clarke Massachusetts in Canton. She served as President of OPTION Schools, helped launch the Common Ground initiative to bring together LSL and ASL professionals, served on the board of the Council on Education of the Deaf, and co-authored Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, a national best-practice guide. She was also a frequent presenter at conferences, and on webinars and podcasts, sharing Clarke’s innovations and her expertise with audiences across the country.
In 2022, she stepped into the role of National Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at Clarke, further expanding Clarke’s presence in research, policy and leadership. She helped develop the Language and Early Assessment Data Reporting (LEADR) data system, created an internal resource library of key publications in deaf education, contributed to state and national advisory groups, supported university research projects and co-authored a national deaf education policy guidance.
“Barbara’s professional journey is inspiring. Today, she is a recognized as a leader in the field of deaf education, an expert on language acquisition in deaf children and the role their parents play in that process.”
When asked what she is most proud of, Barbara speaks first about people. The relationships she built with families, the joy of watching young children grow into confident learners, and the chance to support and mentor professionals are, she says, her true legacy. In retirement, Barbara is embracing time with her family, especially her granddaughters, Molly and newborn Lyla.
To those starting out in this field, her advice is timeless: nurture joy and curiosity, build warm and trusting relationships, and always honor the unique expertise that parents bring to the journey.
Dr. Barbara Hecht has changed lives, shaped a field, and inspired all who had the privilege to work alongside her. Clarke is deeply grateful for her impact, and we wish her the best in her next chapter.
