HR0432 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0432 LRB096 12889 GRL 26731 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Sandra Fontanez-Phelan on the occasion of her retirement as principal of Kelvyn Park High School; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan was born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico; she was raised on Chicago's South Side in the Bridgeport neighborhood; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan has been the first to graduate elementary school, high school, and college in her family; she is a graduate of Healy Elementary School and Tilden High School in Chicago; she is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's of Arts in Education; she then completed her doctoral studies at Illinois State University in Administration and Special Education; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan has dedicated the last 36 years to educating high school youth; she has held many positions, including teacher, counselor, bilingual special education master teacher, assistant principal, manager, coordinator, director of special education, Compliance and Due Process Facilitator, Level I hearing officer for the State of Illinois, Director in the Office of High School Programs, Middle School Principal, and High School Principal; and

WHEREAS, During Dr. Fontanez-Phelan's tenure as principal of Kelvyn Park High School, the school has experienced a true renaissance; she has been instrumental in gaining the community's trust in her and the school, with her inclusive style empowering students, parents, the community, and the staff to effect change and instill the belief that Kelvyn Park can and does provide a world class education in a neighborhood school; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan's career has also included community work, counseling, creating university partnerships, and summer employment training; she has devoted great amounts of time to reaching out to the young people in her community and has created programs to provide post-secondary opportunities for her students; through her efforts, millions of dollars in scholarships have been awarded over the past seven years to the students in her school community; through her involvement as a Board member for the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, she has helped her students value the contribution of the arts; she has also been a proud member of NHAE for many years; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan currently resides on the North Side of Chicago with her husband and her two sons; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fontanez-Phelan serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. Sandra Fontanez-Phelan on the occasion of her retirement and wish her many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Sandra Fontanez-Phelan as a symbol of our esteem and respect.