HR1387 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1387 LRB094 21162 HSS 59493 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Individuals who devote their careers to the education of our children are worthy of our greatest respect and esteem; and

WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Marietta Skyles Beverly is retiring after a long career with the Chicago Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Beverly is a native of Chicago and a product of the Chicago Public Schools; she is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Chicago State University with a masters degree in teaching socially disadvantaged children; she has completed advanced graduate work in guidance and counseling and administration and supervision; and

WHEREAS, In her professional life, she has worked as a teacher and a guidance counselor; in January of 1989, Ms. Beverly became Principal of Michele Clark Middle School; during her tenure as principal, she was instrumental in improving the learning climate at the school and students moved from 9.7% achieving at and above grade level to over 32.1% when she left in 2001; she restructured the educational program, returning Clark Middle to a true middle school, living up to its reputation as the "Jewel of the West Side"; and

WHEREAS, In 2001, she was promoted to Region Education Officer for the Chicago Board of Education's 91 schools in Region 3; in 2002, she was appointed Area Instruction Officer for Area 9 of Chicago's 24 instructional areas; she has also served as an adjunct professor at DePaul University, teaching the philosophy and psychology of middle level education; and

WHEREAS, She has been recognized for her work with the "Educator of the Year" Award in 1991 from the Northeastern University Branch of Phi Delta Kappa; the Principal of Excellence Award from the General Superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools in 1993, 1994, and 1995; the 1998 Outstanding Principal School Leadership Award from the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association and the Chicago Public Schools; the Austin Civic Award for Educational Leader from the Austin News in 1999; and the Outstanding Service Award from the 100 Black Men of Chicago in 2000; she was honored by her faculty and staff in 1999 with the "Simply The Best Award"; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Beverly has served in numerous professional and civic organizations; she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and St. James Lutheran Church, which was founded by her pioneer father, the Rev. Robbin W. Skyles III, where she is the church soloist, choir director, and a former 12-year Church Council member; and

WHEREAS, She is especially proud of her daughters, Kathryn, a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and the University of Virginia School of Law, and Susan, a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ms. Marietta Skyles Beverly on the occasion of her retirement, and we thank her for a job well done; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to her as an expression of our respect and esteem and with our gratitude for her service to the children of Illinois.