Education has always been and must retain local authority to serve the members of its community.  On September 13th, SD25 received a resignation letter from a well-respected 30-year teacher at South Middle School due to the state mandate for teachers to be vaccinated.    

Every D25 employee who wanted to receive a vaccination had the opportunity during the well-coordinated, exceptional effort by our leadership in February this year.  Dr. Bein stated at a Board meeting in July that "the number of vaccinated staff is very high."  The vaccine is easily accessible and free to all.  It is reasonable to assume that any D25 employee who is not yet vaccinated has personal, religious or medical reasons for not receiving the vaccine.  

The law supports our teachers and our board in ensuring our teachers are not targeted, discriminated, segregated or potentially terminated due to their personal decision.  The state has no authority to impose this mandate and force teachers to notify the ISBE of their failure to comply with the mandate issue.  

As a community we must support our teachers and drive our board to protect the individuals they employ.  We ask that an emergency meeting be called for the Board to take adopt a motion to: 

1. Protect the privacy of our teacher, 

2. Prohibit the discrimination of our teachers based on vaccination status, and

3. Ensure the protection of their jobs within D25 regardless of vaccination status, compliance to mandated testing of healthy teachers.  

As community members and parents, we trust our teachers to inspire curiosity and critical thinking for our children.  We can all trust that they have made health decisions in the best interest of them, their family, their job and their students.