I am a GlenOak High School Alumni who graduated in 2022. During my time there, I took American Sign Language 1 & 2 as well as spent study hall and student taught in this classroom as well. The teacher in this classroom is Mrs. Nicole Kelly. She has been there for 5 years. She is a fully Deaf teacher who teaches hearing students ASL and all about the Deaf Culture. Currently Mrs. Kelly is losing her job as a teacher in Plain Local School District due to not being able to pass her licensing exam. This is due to the fact that she is Deaf, and it is written in the English language. An interpreter is not permitted during testing. She has taken the licensing test 5 times this year and can not pass the test. If you are Deaf, and speak American Sign Language, it is considered a completely different language due to the format and structure of a sentence. For example, in English, one would say "I am going to the store" in ASL, one would say "store i go". For this reason, it is a different language. When Nicole began teaching, she got her sub license due to not having a high enough GPA. She went back to school and got her masters, therefore acquiring her sub license until she could maintain her actual teaching license. Kelly has since then provided a sense of comfort, security, love, and a place to learn in her classroom. Not only in the classroom, but also outside. She volunteers at the Akron Rotary Camp for individuals with special needs. She also attends graduation parties of former students, and even visited my grandma in the CVICU at Mercy Cleveland Clinic before she had open heart surgery. Mrs. Kelly is a wonderful person who does not deserve this. I have started a petition to allow her to remain a teacher at Plain Local Schools. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help spread awareness on the situation.