Orland Consolidated High School District 230 board member Mohammed Jaber has resigned from the school board, citing resistance to his proposal to add Arabic as a world language in the district’s curriculum.
Jaber told the Daily Southtown he contemplated his resignation for six months.
“In particular, I had hoped for more openness around efforts to introduce Arabic language opportunities and to foster meaningful public discussion on the topic,” he said.
Jaber was elected in April 2023 and spent three years pushing for Arabic to be added as a world language. He expressed frustration at the February meeting that progress had not been made, which the board delayed voting on in January.
Jaber said in August
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that, as the first District 230 board member of Arab background, the curriculum is personal to him. He said about 30% of the district’s population is Arab, according to his analysis of graduation data.Jaber said he still hopes the curriculum will be approved and said, if asked, he would continue to work to support the initiative.
School board President Lynn Zeder said Monday the vetting process for the curriculum is well underway. She said a presentation at the February board meeting noted licensure, university partnerships, staffing research and curricular work are being carried out.
“Several key decisions need to be evaluated — such as a four-year or two-year option, access to a single building or all three schools, enrollment caps and impact on existing staff and programs — all of which are multifaceted and complex,” Zeder said.
Several board members maintained in February that several barriers remain and said it is the board’s job to approve, not propose, courses.
Jaber said Monday he was grateful for support from the community and administrators.
“Despite those challenges, I sincerely appreciate the support I received from administrators, the professionalism and courtesy of (Superintendent Robert) Nolting, and the many words of encouragement from parents who shared my belief that the district must remain focused above all on the needs of its students and teachers,” he said.
Federico Luque Macías, an Arabic and Spanish teacher at Lincoln Park High School, said he and other supporters of the curriculum were disappointed when Jaber personally informed them of his resignation Monday. Luque Macías has spoken at board meetings several times in support of the curriculum.
“We encouraged him to continue because, you know, there’s much more you can do when you are in a position like his,” he said. “But we also understand that he, he was, you know, he’s been a little burned out with the attitude that the board has regarding this.”
Luque Macías said supporters have formed a group to advocate for Arabic language to be taught at District 230 schools and beyond, an initiative he said they intend to continue.
The group includes educators, school administrators, people who have worked with Chicago Public Schools or the Illinois Board of Education, local residents and other involved supporters.
Luque Macías said he was unsure if any group members intended to apply for Jaber’s vacancy, but said he knew a few Arabic candidates who previously applied for District 230 board positions.
Jaber said his focus was always to ensure the interests of students and teachers remain the district’s top priority, and he thanked the community for supporting that mission.
Jaber teaches special education with Chicago Public Schools and is a part-time adjunct instructor of intensive English language at Moraine Valley Community College. He holds a master’s degree in education from Saint Xavier University.
He said that with his resignation, he is looking forward to spending more time with family.
Zeder said in a statement the board is grateful for Jaber’s service. She also said the board wishes him the best of luck and appreciates his contributions to the district.
“Mr. Jaber has spent his entire career in education advocating for students,” Zeder said.
Nolting said the district appreciates the time Jaber spent on the board and that he wishes him well.
“Mr. Jaber’s service to the community was met with his passion and focus on the development of our district, its goals and the future,” he said.
The District 230 is accepting applications to fill the vacancy until Monday, April 6, at www.d230.org/school-board/school-board-vacancy-application. The board approved replacement would serve until the election in April 2027, according to a district news release.
Board member Nadine Scodro resigned in September 2025, citing person reasons. Scodro was appointed to the board in January 2024 to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Melissa Gracias in November 2023.
Tim Danlow, a Carl Sandburg High School graduate and longtime Orland Park resident, was appointed to fill her vacancy.
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Another previous board member, Patrick O’Sullivan, resigned in 2024 due to moving outside the district boundaries. Chris Kasmer, an Orland Park resident who still serves on the board, was appointed to his vacancy.