HR1368

LRB095 21599 GRL 51593 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Fr. Robert Carroll 
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on the occasion of his retirement as principal of Carmel 
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Catholic High School in Mundelein in June of 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Fr. Robert Carroll graduated from Mt. Carmel 
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College in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in 1966, receiving 
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his bachelor's degree in philosophy; he participated in 
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graduate studies in theology at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, 
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D.C. in 1966 through 1967 and at the Washington Theological 
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Union in the fall of 1969 through the spring of 1972; he was 
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ordained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in May of 
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1971; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Fr. Robert Carroll began his career in teaching in 
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an interim internship at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago 
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during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 school years, teaching advanced 
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algebra and European history; he continued taking graduate 
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classes at Georgetown University and DePaul University during 
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this time; from the fall of 1972 until the spring of 1979, he 
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served again at Mt. Carmel as a calculus and German III-IV 
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teacher; he also taught a two year sequence of cross-discipline 
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courses known as philosophical literature and a number of 
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theology courses; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, In 1980, Fr. Robert Carroll assumed the office of 
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Principal at Mt. Carmel High School; over the following 10 
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years, he oversaw the development and growth in the school's 
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financial support, academic accomplishment, athletic success, 
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and spiritual formation; he also received his M.Ed. in 
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administration from Loyola University during this time; under 
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Fr. Carroll's leadership, Mt. Carmel was one of 60 private 
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schools to be given the Exemplary Private School status in the 
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first ever selection of private schools by the United States 
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Department of Education in 1984; a year later, Mt. Carmel was 
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rated in the top 5 best schools in the Chicago area by ABC TV; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1990, Fr. Robert Carroll traveled to Israel for 
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a semester study program in Biblical Spirituality with the 
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Catholic Theological Union and completed their certificate of 
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advanced studies in the spring semester at the home campus at 
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Hyde Park; in the fall of 1991, while continuing to teach part 
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time at Mt. Carmel, he began Ph.D. coursework at Loyola 
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University in the area of educational leadership and policy 
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studies, which would lead to his Ph.D. degree in May of 1999; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, In the fall of 1994, Fr. Robert Carroll took over 
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the position of Principal at Carmel Catholic High School in 
 


 






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Mundelein, a position he remained in until his retirement; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Under Fr. Robert Carroll's leadership, Carmel 
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Catholic High School earned three of its four U.S. Department 
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of Education No Child Left Behind Ribbon awards in 1996, 2002, 
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and 2007; only five high schools in the nation have earned as 
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many blue ribbons as Carmel Catholic, due in large part to 
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Reverend Carroll's great leadership; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Fr. Robert Carroll supervised Carmel Catholic 
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High School being placed in the top 50 Catholic high schools in 
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the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2004, as well as its 
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placement in the top 20 Catholic high schools in the Catholic 
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High School Honor Roll on the basis of Catholic Identity; he 
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also supervised Carmel Catholic being honored as one of three 
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Catholic high schools in 2006 by Today's Catholic Teacher 
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magazine for its "Innovations in Catholic Identity"; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Fr. Robert Carroll served as a probation manager 
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for the Chicago Board of Education Office of Accountability, 
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where he implemented improvement plans in two large urban 
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public schools; he also responded to Chicago Public School 
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Board of Education and to Superintendent Paul Vallas to 
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supervise failing Chicago Public Schools from 1996 to 2002, in 
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which he guided three high schools and one grade school to be 
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removed from the probation list; and
 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, Fr. Robert Carroll's enthusiasm, love for life, 
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great sense of humor, and great ability to engage students will 
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be greatly missed by the students, faculty, and staff of Carmel 
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Catholic High School; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Fr. Robert Carroll on the occasion of his 
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retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in the 
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future; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Fr. Robert Carroll as a symbol of our esteem and 
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respect.