A letter was sent to Ms. Purvis- Secretary of Education with copies to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Department of Human Services Director Kris Smith, Illinois School for the Deaf Advisory Council (ISDAC), Illinois School for the Deaf Alumni Association (ISDAA), Illinois Association of the Deaf (IAD), and several legislators about Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) issues. Your support in signing the petition will send a strong message to ISD to stop Audism, make important changes and to listen to Deaf children and parents.
Alumni of Illinois School for the Deaf, along with the Deaf community in the State of Illinois, would like to express our concerns with Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) administrators and hearing faculties’ oppression towards Deaf Educators and other employees at ISD. Deaf employees of ISD experienced tremendous discrimination and oppression by hearing administrators and faculty over the years. More than five families with multiple Deaf children left ISD because their parents were concerned about the well-being of their children and their success in education. The environment on ISD campus is not healthy nor is it a positive experience for Deaf students due to obvious discrimination and oppression of Deaf employees.

Illinois School for the Deaf is 176 years old and has a rich history in the Deaf community. ISD alumni and the Deaf community feel it is time for some critical changes to the operation of ISD. For many years ISD has been facilitated primarily by hearing administrators, educators and staff. This is where the cause of oppression lies on ISD campus, in programs at ISD and in Deaf community.

Parents of Deaf children have come together to explore their legal rights and their options with a lawyer. Their children’s education rights were violated during their Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting. ISD educators violated IDEA law and did not provide parents and their Deaf children with various resources, choices, advocacy, and respect. Instead of giving the parents and their Deaf children various resources, the educators withheld valuable information and limited them from access to various educational and communication resources.

Lack of Deaf Superintendent at ISD creates more hostile environment for Deaf children. They are more vulnerable to manipulation, oppression and discrimination by ISD Educators and staffs who restrict their communication needs, withheld their access to various resources and stripped away their self-advocacy.

Lack of Deaf educators in classroom also creates hostility for Deaf children. They become a victim towards oppression and discrimination of the use of their first language, which is American Sign Language (ASL). Deaf children at ISD are already suffering from being deprived from their first language, ASL and from not having appropriate role models at ISD.
Accessible to ASL/English bilingual environment is in ISD’s mission statement and philosophy. This was not practiced in most classrooms.

Current statistics of Deaf employees at ISD are: School Administration - 30%; Academic Program Educators- 11%; Residential program staffs- 48%; Support Services employees- 31%; Non-Direct Services employees- 8%; and Clerical Support employees- 20%.

As you can see, the statistics shows a higher percentage of Deaf employees being in the residential program, considered low-demand positions with limited opportunity for career growth. Where are the Deaf Educators and administrators? It appears ISD is not actively recruiting well qualified Deaf educators.

The two recent bills, signed by Governor Rauner, (HB 2657 and SB 220) will allow Deaf professionals and Educators an opportunity to be hired at ISD. The time is now to begin the search for a strong and qualified Deaf superintendent and well qualified Deaf educators.

The following requests for ISD with the above in mind are:

1. We request that Illinois School for the Deaf hire more Deaf educators and maintain 51% representation of Deaf people in administration and academic level in addition to those already employed in student life.

2. For Illinois School for the Deaf to begin the search to hire a strong and qualified Deaf Superintendent with experience in bilingual education. The search process should involve members from the Deaf community, Deaf members from ISD advisory council and members from Illinois School for the Deaf Alumni Association in the search and interviewing process.

3. Illinois School for the Deaf to provide a comprehensive and family-friendly workshop on parents' IEP rights and school participation and to provide Deaf Mentor to parents of Deaf child

4. Illinois School for the Deaf to continue to deliver education via American Sign Language and English in a balanced and bilingual approach according to ISD’s mission statement

We are fully confident that the above requests will result in rebuilding a healthy educational environment at ISD in a timely manner. The ISD alumni, along with the Deaf community, stand ready to serve in any way possible.

Please support this petition for ISD to meet our recommendations above.