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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Susan Converse on being
4named the 2019 Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Illinois
5State Board of Education; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Susan Converse began her career as a journalist; a
7chance assignment to fill in for the education reporter changed
8her trajectory; after spending an afternoon talking with
9excited students, she decided to change careers, and she began
10teaching in 1995; she has taught students with emotional
11disabilities, learning disabilities, intellectual
12disabilities, and autism at the elementary, middle, and high
13school levels; she served as an administrator for nine years
14before returning to the classroom in 2013; currently, she
15teaches special education for students in grades nine through
1612 at Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville Community Unit
17School District 7; she assists her students with their needs as
18they prepare to exit the school system; and
 
19    WHEREAS, In 2016, Susan Converse opened the Tiger Den, a
20student-run coffee and pastry shop at Edwardsville High School;
21under her guidance, students with disabilities carry out all
22aspects of the Tiger Den's operations; her students develop
23skills they later use to lead more independent lives after high

 

 

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1school; the coffee shop has served as a stepping stone to
2competitive employment for her students, and many are now
3employed in the community; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Tiger Den also gives back to the community by
5donating money to local charitable organizations; over the past
6two years, the Tiger Den Coffee Shop has donated more than
7$10,000 to local families in need and has supported community
8initiatives that promote the inclusion of individuals with
9disabilities; she hopes to expand this vocational initiative by
10opening a similar establishment in the community in the near
11future; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Susan Converse describes her philosophy of
13teaching as "giving each student the individual structure and
14approach they need to grow, while maintaining an equally high
15level of expectations for all"; she believes that a teacher's
16role is to prepare students to become positive and responsible
17members of the community; her students know that she believes
18in them; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Susan Converse received her Bachelor of Science in
20Journalism and her Master of Science in Educational Leadership
21from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; she is a
22certified reading specialist and holds an additional
23certification in administration; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we congratulate Susan Converse on being named the 2019 Illinois
4Teacher of the Year, and we commend her dedication to her
5students; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Susan Converse as an expression of our esteem and
8respect.