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| | SR0219 | | LRB099 11407 MST 32304 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, 2015 marks the 150th anniversary for Regional |
| 3 | | Superintendents of Schools in
Illinois, represented by the |
| 4 | | Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools; |
| 5 | | and
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| 6 | | WHEREAS, Regional Superintendents of Schools have a rich |
| 7 | | history of serving as an essential
support office between the |
| 8 | | Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts; |
| 9 | | and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, The office of County Superintendent of Schools was |
| 11 | | created as a predecessor for
Regional Superintendents of |
| 12 | | Schools by State law in 1865; the County Superintendent was
to |
| 13 | | serve 4 years in office and was required to visit each school |
| 14 | | in the county at least once a year; and
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| 15 | | WHEREAS, These first County Superintendents were also |
| 16 | | allowed to sell school lands, were
given the custody of all |
| 17 | | county school funds, and were the official advisers of school |
| 18 | | officers and
teachers in their counties and the agents of the |
| 19 | | State Superintendent of Schools in reaching
schools; and
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| 20 | | WHEREAS, Duties for County Superintendents grew |
| 21 | | significantly over the next several decades,
including to |
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| | SR0219 | - 2 - | LRB099 11407 MST 32304 r |
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| 1 | | oversee the difficult process of large-scale school |
| 2 | | consolidations in the 1950s; and
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| 3 | | WHEREAS, County Superintendents shrank from 102 offices to |
| 4 | | 78 and became Regional
Superintendents in 1973; further |
| 5 | | consolidation dropped the number of offices to 57 in 1977; and
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| 6 | | WHEREAS, Further consolidation will reduce the number of |
| 7 | | Regional Offices of Education to 35
in July of 2015, along with |
| 8 | | 3 Intermediate Service Centers that serve schools in Cook |
| 9 | | County
outside Chicago; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, As Regional Superintendents of Schools turn 150 |
| 11 | | this year, they are a vital part of
educational success for |
| 12 | | students in every county of Illinois; and
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| 13 | | WHEREAS, Regional Superintendents of Schools are committed |
| 14 | | to providing 3 pillars of
exceptional service to students, |
| 15 | | educators, and parents: (1) safety, by inspecting school |
| 16 | | buildings and
ensuring school bus drivers are trained and |
| 17 | | teachers have proper background checks and
fingerprints; (2) |
| 18 | | support, by licensing educators and providing top-notch |
| 19 | | professional development
services; and (3) success, by |
| 20 | | providing safe schools and administering high school |
| 21 | | equivalency
examinations and certificates; therefore, be it
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| | SR0219 | - 3 - | LRB099 11407 MST 32304 r |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL |
| 2 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize and |
| 3 | | congratulate the members of the Illinois Association of |
| 4 | | Regional Superintendents of Schools on their sesquicentennial |
| 5 | | celebration; and be it further
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| 6 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
| 7 | | presented to the leadership at the Illinois
Association of |
| 8 | | Regional Superintendents of Schools as an expression of our |
| 9 | | esteem and respect.
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