093_HR0453
LRB093 12744 HSS 17938 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Education is one of the most noble and important
3 careers one can undertake; those who do are worthy of our
4 utmost respect and honor; and
5 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Patricia
6 Grissett of Chicago is retiring from her position as
7 Principal of Harlan Community Academy High School on August
8 8, 2003, after 33 years in education; and
9 WHEREAS, Ms. Grissett was awarded a Bachelor of Arts
10 degree in education in 1970 and a Master of Arts degree in
11 education in 1974, both from Roosevelt University in Chicago;
12 she began her career at Wendell Smith and Thomas Brennan
13 Schools in 1970, where she served as a teacher and school
14 counselor; and
15 WHEREAS, Ms. Grissett went on to work as a counselor at
16 Chicago Vocational High School and Higgins, Abbott, and Tonti
17 Schools; in 1986, she became the Department Chairperson for
18 the Counseling Department at Chicago Vocational High School;
19 in 1991, she moved on to become the principal of Wendell
20 Smith School, where she served until 1999; during the
21 1989-1990 school year, she also worked as the Assistant
22 Director of the Freshman Summer Transition Program; and
23 WHEREAS, From 1999 to 2000, Ms. Grissett worked as the
24 Associate Principal in the Office of Accountability at
25 Corliss High School, where she provided administrative
26 support, worked on policies and procedures, worked to improve
27 the school climate, and recruited and mentored new faculty
28 and staff members; and
29 WHEREAS, Ms. Grissett began her work at Harlan Community
30 Academy High School in 2000 as Principal; during that time,
31 she worked to improve the school environment, climate, and
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1 facility; under her leadership, student enrollment increased,
2 the graduation rate increased, and the JROTC Program was
3 fully accredited and given Academy Status; she worked to
4 establish school-community partnerships with Chicago State
5 University, DePaul University, Roseland Youth Net, Christian
6 Community Health Center, and Harlan Alumni Association; and
7 WHEREAS, Ms. Grissett has been the recipient of many
8 awards and recognitions including the 1990 Oppenheimer Award
9 for Meritorious Service, the 1993 and 1994 Principal of
10 Excellence Award from the Chicago Public Schools, the 1995
11 Principal of the Year Awards from the Boy Scouts of America
12 and Phi Delta Kappa, the 1998 ABAN AYA Youth Project
13 University of Illinois, and the 2002 Rising Star Award for
14 Outstanding School Achievement; and
15 WHEREAS, Ms. Grissett is affiliated with the American
16 Federation of School Administrators, the Association for
17 Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Chicago Area
18 Alliance of Black School Educators, the Chicago Principals
19 and Administrators Association, the National Board for
20 Certified Counselors, and the National Middle School
21 Association; therefore, be it
22 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
23 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
24 we heartily congratulate Patricia Grissett on the occasion of
25 her retirement as Principal of Harlan Community Academy High
26 School after 33 years in education; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
28 presented to Patricia Grissett as an expression of our
29 gratitude for her outstanding and meritorious service in the
30 field of education.