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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Sandra F. Lewis 
4on the occasion of her retirement as Principal of Harold 
5Washington Elementary School in Chicago; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Sandra Lewis attended Chicago Public Schools; 
7she subsequently earned her bachelor's degree from Chicago 
8State University in 1967, her master's degree from Governors 
9State University in 1976, and her Ed.D. from Roosevelt 
10University in 1995; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Dr. Sandra Lewis began her educational career as a 
12teacher at Burnside School in 1967, where she remained until 
131975; in 1976, she began working as a teacher at Harold 
14Washington Elementary School (HWES); she later served as 
15Assistant Principal and Counselor at HWES before becoming the 
16school's principal in 1989; she also served as an adjunct 
17professor at Roosevelt University in 1996, a probation manager 
18from 1997 to 1999, and as a Launch Mentor from 1998 to 1999; 
19and
  
 
20    WHEREAS, During her tenure as Principal of Harold 
21Washington Elementary School, Dr. Sandra Lewis created 
22numerous initiatives to improve the school's educational 
 
 
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1opportunities; she was instrumental in the creation of the 
2school's "Structured Curriculum" and the school store, where 
3students can purchase school supplies, school uniforms, ties, 
4gifts, and other Afro-Centric Artifacts; under her guidance, 
5HWES has been recognized as a technological site by the Chicago 
6Public School System, with multiple computers in every 
7classroom; she also helped to created the school's Afro-Centric 
8Curriculum, a school environment where the artifacts, 
9pictures, and location names reflect the history and culture of 
10people the students can identify with, and the school's "Early 
11Intervention System", which combats student learning problems 
12with small class sizes; the Early Intervention System increased 
13the number of HWES students reading at or above grade level 
14from 11% in 1989 to approximately 60% in 1994; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Dr. Sandra Lewis is a member of the Chicago 
16Alliance of Black School Educators, Whitman Academy, and the 
17Chicago Principal's Association; she is also a board member 
18with Teachers for Chicago; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dr. Sandra Lewis has been the recipient of 
20numerous awards and accolades for her work, including Project 
21Canal's Outstanding Leadership Award (1992, 1993, 1994), the 
22Whitman Award for Outstanding Leadership (1991), the Chicago 
23Public School Award for Outstanding Leadership, the Chicago 
24Alliance of Black School Educators Award for Dedicated Service 
 
 
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1(1990), the Harold Washington Parent Award for Leadership 
2(1991, 1995, 1996), the Community Linkage Award (1990), the 
3First Annual "ICONS" Award from the International Council on 
4Nutrition Solutions (1997), the Kizzy Award (1998), the Build 
5Your Life Social Development award (1999), and the Educator of 
6the Year award from One Church, One School (2000); and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Dr. Sandra Lewis serves as a model of hard work, 
8integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of 
9Illinois; therefore, be it
  
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
11NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
12we congratulate Dr. Sandra F. Lewis on the occasion of her 
13retirement and wish her many happy and healthy retirement 
14years; and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16presented to Dr. Sandra Lewis as a symbol of our esteem and 
17respect.