HR0295 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0295 LRB100 11551 MST 22147 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize Miriam "Mimi" Cooper on her retirement from the Township High School District 214 Board of Education, and her 28 years of service as the longest-tenured Board member in District history; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper of Arlington Heights was first elected to the Board of Education in 1989 and has guided the District during six years as President and four years as Vice-President, serving more than 81,000 District 214 graduates during her time on the Board; and

WHEREAS, During Miriam Cooper's tenure, all six comprehensive high schools have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools by the United States Department of Education and have continued to receive State and national academic recognition; and

WHEREAS, District 214 high schools have been ranked among the top 35 open-enrollment schools in Illinois by U.S. News and World Report and are considered among the State's most challenging schools by The Washington Post; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has helped guide District 214 through nearly three decades of student-centered learning, developing innovative new curricula, improving facilities, repurposing spaces for the purpose of better instruction, enhancing arts and athletic spaces, and constantly improving in line with changing demographics; and

WHEREAS, The White House has recognized District 214 for expanding workplace learning experiences, career exploration for all students, and for efforts to embed computer coding literacy within its math curriculum; and

WHEREAS, In partnership with the ASSA and the School Superintendents Association, District 214 launched "Redefining Ready!" to change the national dialogue regarding college and career readiness and to influence the development of the Every Student Succeeds Act accountability plans; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has made strong fiscal responsibility a hallmark of her time on the Board; it has been marked by balanced operating budgets and strong finances; even as the District has grown in population she has maintained the highest level of excellence; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has been a longtime advocate of Community Education, the Community Education Foundation, and now the District 214 Education Foundation, serving as a board member for each organization and actively working to raise corporate and private funding for continued support of education; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper helped establish the Catherine M. Lee Women's and Children's Center, which helps low-income, female immigrants in District 214 to gain basic skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing English to increase readiness skills for gaining employment while their children attend early childhood education classes; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has worked professionally in family law matters; she is held in high regard by her peers and has been recognized multiple times as an Illinois top attorney as a "Super Lawyer"; she has held leadership positions in the Northwest Suburban Bar Association and completed mediation training to become a Collaborative Law Fellow; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has used her legal expertise to help shape and enhance a law and equity career pathway in District 214 and has supported student education through the mock trial experience; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper's tireless advocacy for public education, selfless service to, and enthusiastic support of District 214 and its programs serves as an outstanding and inspirational example to thousands of students, their parents, and their educators; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper's retirement from the District 214 Board of Education becomes effective April 27, 2017; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Miriam "Mimi" Cooper on her retirement from the Board of Education of Township High School District 214, and we recognize her dedication as the longest-serving Board member in the District's history; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Miriam Cooper as an expression of our esteem and respect.